Chapter 3.1 ~ The Sights are Set

 

“What do we know about hot air?” Mrs Fudgebottom asked, desperately trying to awaken the class.

“It rises.” half the students replied sleepily, ready for the bell to ring to allow them to leave for lunch.

“Correct. However, what else do we know about atmosphere? The higher it it..”

“The thinner it is.” even less people replied.

 

“Yes! And so, by extension, when we refer to atmosphere, we have to forget that hot air rises, because as the atmosphere gets thinner, or higher up, it gets…..”

“Colder.” I chimed, and only after speaking was I painfully aware that I was the only voice in reply this time.

 

“Yes! Perfect, Ms Icing. Now class, I want you all to do questions 1 to 12 on page 115 for homework, due tomorrow, alright? Good job today, everyone, especially you Ms Icing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” she sang just as the bell rang, in her usual chipper voice, more suited for teaching little berries, not teens.

I tried to hide the blush on my face at being singled out by rummaging around in my bag. I hated it when a teacher picked me out for praise, or even just to get an answer, as I much preferred to melt into the background at school. Quiet, and still, like water on a windless day.

“Come on you, I’m starved!” a familiar voiced urged from above me, causing an involuntary smile to dance across my face.

 

“Alright, alright!” I cried, hopping up from my seat, and swinging my bag over my shoulder. I then scampered behind Eggshell, who had already left the room in her hurry for something to eat. We stopped off at our lockers, which were neighbouring due to unbelievable good luck in locker assignments (and a batch of freshly baked cookies with our names on them left on the counsellor’s desk, but shh!). Then, we made our way through the busy halls to buy our lunches, and get to our bench outside where we knew Sugar and Candy would be waiting.

 

“Hey!” they cried in union upon our arrival, something that we were accustomed to after four years together.

“Hi” I replied, and Eggshell attempted a hello through eating her sandwich, but all that came out was a muffled ‘Eghhfd’.

“How was Mr Floss today?” I asked, sitting down.

“Oh Berry.” Candy began “He was absolutely horrid!” Sugar finished.

 

I nodded knowingly, as I’d had him last year. Not only did he ramble, and spit while he talked, but he’d developed a liking to peering down girls’ shirts.

“He’s just so…” “Gross!” They added

“I know!” I replied, laughing. It didn’t matter how much time you spent with Candy and Sugar, the fact that Sugar always knew how to finished Candy’s sentences, or vice versa, never really stopped being funny.

 

“Well at least you don’t have Ms Lettuce.” Eggshell grumbled, picking away at an apple, reminding me of my own lunch, causing me to take a bite of my sandwich.

“True.” We all said in union, as everyone knew that Ms Lettuce was possibly the worst teacher imaginable. Forget her screaming fits, lack of hygiene, and tendency to fall asleep in class, she also cried about her boyfriend in the middle of the lesson, ate ice cream out of the bucket in class, and even cut her toenails once when the kids were doing a test. No, no teacher would be worse that Ms Lettuce.

 

We fell into a content silence as we all munched on our meals. Soon though, Candy and Sugar started whispering between themselves, leaving Eggshell and I to do the same.

“You and I should work on that science tonight.” I said.

“Nah. I’m going to skip it. I have a math exam tomorrow, its more important.”

“But Ms Fudgebottom hates it when kids forget their -”

“And I hate her too. So, there we go. I’ll make it up on the test.” she cut in, and I sighed heavily showing my discontent. That’s where Shelly and I differed, schoolwork. She insisted that homework was no big deal, and no matter how low her mark dropped, she’d make it up on the test, and the killer thing is that she always did. I, however, had to work my butt off every night to get every last question finished, and to study for tests, and still my mark was always lower than hers. I was slightly bitter, and very jealous, but it wasn’t her fault she was smart.

 

“We should go out to that new diner tonight!” Shelly cried, to which the twins readily agreed.

“Sure!” Candy replied, voice full of excitement as always. 

 

“Okay, for a little while.” I agreed, racking my brain to try and remember if I had any major projects to complete that night, which I didn’t.

“Great!” Sugar beamed, and Candy suggested we meet at this spot after school, which we agreed we would, just in time as the bell rang to signal back to class that very second.

*****

After another two and a half hours of grueling classes, tedious teachers, and jerkfaced classmates, the final bell rang and freedom surged through every young body in the building. I gathered my homework, filing it away in my binder before stashing it in my bag. I then scurried from my classes, making a quick detour at my locker for a textbook, and then dashing to the bench where hours before my afternoon plans had been made.

“Hiya.” I greeted the small crowd upon my arrival, heaving and out of breath from my rush to get here.

“Ready to go?” Shelly asked.

“One sec.” I said, throwing my bag at her feet. I then scoured the surrounding area for that familiar tuft of light blue hair sat upon that baby face, the boy I knew as my brother. Spotting him among a group of small friends at the gate, I jogged over, trying to get there in haste but not wanting to look stupid, running around like a child.

“Ast – Oh Berry, I need to get in shape. Astral.” I heaved.

 

“Hmm?”

“I need you to let Mom know I won’t be back til later. Going out with the others.” I said, gesturing towards the Canes and Shelly who were sat at the bench where I’d left them.

“Okay. Got it. See ya later then.”

“Yup.”

“Don’t forget, it’s your turn to cook though!” He reminded me, as he did every Wednesday and Friday.

“I know. See ya.”

I then hurried back to Shelly, grabbed my bag from her hand, and then we set off on the short drive to the near by diner, to which we would of walked if I wasn’t so proud of having my license early.

  ****

Sitting outside the noisy diner with Sugar, Candy, and Shell, with this week’s Top Berry Blasts blaring in our ears, it seemed like the perfect afternoon out with friends. I wasn’t really hungry, so I ordered a drink, earning me a stern look from Shell, who always insisted I never ate enough.

“I love this place.” I stated, after finishing my drink.

“Agreed.” came the reply from the twins.

 

“Me too. It’s kinda awesome.” Eggshell piped up, looking around at the teens that littered the diner through the windows at the front. I sat back in my chair, relaxing as the tiny bubbles of my drink popped in my stomach. I let my eyes scan the crowd through the glass, spotting the ‘popular kids’, the ‘nerds’, and a few couples sharing a milkshake before going to a movie, presumably. Almost all these people’s names I knew, being one to sit back and observe, like I was doing now, but not even half of them had ever talked to me. I was about to suggest we leave for the park, to at least get some sunshine onto my pale complexion, when something, no, someone caught my eye.

 

“Hey, who’s he?” I whispered despite the noisy cover of the other customers, turning my head away as he walked out the door, even though the chance of him noticing me was minimal.

“Who?” Eggshell asked, looking around, as did Candy and Sugar.

“That yellow guy. The one with the purple hair, and freckles.” I pointed out, embarrassed at having noticed things like his freckles from so far away.

“I’m not sure.” Eggshell admitted.

 

“He’s Mango Squash Confetti.” Candy stated. “He’s in our history.”

“Is he -”

“New?” Candy asked.

“Yea.”

 

“Yup. Fresh from Twizzlerbrook this month.” Sugar informed me. “Isn’t he just gorgeous?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows at me, causing me to blush.

“I don’t know. He just looks like a nice guy.” I said quietly, desperately wishing we could drop the subject.

“He’s not my type.” Eggshell stated firmly, eyeing him up and down.

“He’s not our type either.” “No, we like twins!” the others giggled helplessly, and I shook my head.

“Then he’s all yours, Zu.” Eggshell offered.

 

“No. I don’t want him.”

“Yes you do!”

“No. I. Do. Not.”

“Fine. But you said he looked like a nice guy. Maybe a boy friend, I mean.. platonic friend of the male variety, is just what we need in this little gang of ours. He looks lonely, anyway.” Shell countered.

“True.” I admitted.

“Then it’s settled!” “Tomorrow we’ll bring him to lunch with us.” “History’s right before lunch anyway!” The twins decided, speaking in turns.

I nodded slowly, not wanting to break my comfort zone, but also wanting to get to know this mysterious Mango Squash.

“Well then, if that’s all settled, I think Zuli and I have some science homework to do. See ya girls.” Eggshell said, standing from her seat, giving me a knowing smile. She knew how I felt about her homework, and she was doing this for me, not her.

“Right. See ya.” I agreed, leaving the booth with Shelly.

“He is pretty adorable though.” Eggshell offered, as she held the door for me.

“Shut UP!”