This is Me (3)

Chapter 3



As the class wore on, I began to become more and more suspicious about how Alex didn't care about her boyfriend's shared detention time. Normally, she would be all up in my business, asking what we talked about, how long we talked, and even where we sat at in the library. This wasn't the paranoid Alex that I knew and heard about at all.

I also became a little more anxious about seeing Jay.

The bell for the end of second period pulled me out of my thoughts.

" Yes!" I exclaimed. Free Period.

At Trensdale, free period was like study hall and recess mixed together. The Auditorium was filled with laughter and sometimes arguments on a daily basis. It got so loud that Mrs. Patterson, our principal, had to assign a teacher to each free period. The teachers didn't pay us any attention though. Most of the time Mrs. Johnson, the sophomore free period teacher, was texting on her cell phone.

All the cliques were in full effect. All the nerds sat in front and actually did their homework. The jocks and cheerleaders sat in the balcony making rhymes about each other the whole time. Jay, Shae, and Alex were part of that clique. Me, Kayla, and Vanessa were welcome, but didn't like to be around them much. So we sat in the back of the first level behind the rockers. I mostly blasted my iPod and chilled.

I waved to Alex and Jay before going down to the first level. Alex was claiming her territory as usual the only way she knew how;by playing tonsil hockey. When Jay saw me coming, he stopped kissing Alex to her surprise. She had it written all over her face. I pretended not to notice all the eyes focused on me as I passed.

I made her way to where Kayla and Vanessa were sitting.

" What's up Syd?" they asked cheerfully.

I then told them about the events of the morning.

" You are lucky," Kayla said after I was done explaining.

" She has to serve detention for two weeks, I wouldn't exactly call that lucky." Vanessa said taking out her history notes to study for the test.

" True, but she gets to serve it with Jay." Kayla pointed out while elbowing me. They were the only people who I trusted enough to tell about my crush on Jay.

" Kayla's right. You are lucky. Jay is fine as wine," Vanessa agreed.

" Corny much?"

" You know Alex isn't happy." I said glancing up at the balcony.

" Who cares if that girl is happy or not? Half the guys she goes out with don't even last three months."

" Do you remember David Smith?" Kayla asked getting a little excited.

" And the way that he dumped her?" I said recalling the event.

" That was too funny!" Vanessa added.

" She had it coming." Kayla said truthfully.

David Smith was last year's basketball star. Being a Freshman and not knowing who he was, Alex fell for a Senior. The one thing that you don't do at Trensdale. Alex was so sprung over David that she didn't even notice that he was playing her. She even gave it up to him. Shae and the other cheerleaders tried to tell her about him. Alex almost got into a fight with Shae because she called him a dog. She also acted like a jerk towards anyone who told her something that she didn't want to hear. David fed her this lie that he loved her and would wait for her in college. Alex fell for it hard.

Three days after his Graduation, he dumped her. She had to pick up the pieces of her face at school the next few days afterward. To make the long story short, Jay must have felt sorry for her and gave her comfort over the summer because they were dating at the start of sophomore year. Now she was paranoid about any relationship that she was in and would do anything to keep Jay.


" What do you think Alex has up her sleeve this time." I asked curiously.

" Who knows, anything is possible with that girl." Kayla said glancing over at her late-as-usual boyfriend, Josh.

" Bye guys, I'm gonna go sit with Josh." Kayla said happily, getting up.

" Bye Kayla," I said putting in my headphones so Vanessa could study.

I cranked it up all the way as I listened to the new Chris Brown single. Bobbing my head to the beat, I zoned out until Vanessa tapped my shoulder and pointed to the clock.

Three minutes till the end of free period. I thought turning down the volume and gathering my things to go.

Free period was always too short in my opinion. When the bell rang, I waved a quick goodbye to Vanessa and Kayla before exiting the auditorium.

Before heading to my locker, I decided to get a candy bar for lunch. I'll just save it for later since I won't get to eat till after school.

As I tried to shove the severely wrinkled dollar into the vending machine, my mind raced about Jay. Why did he stop kissing Alex when he saw me coming today? Normally, he just continues while I pass...

The dollar finally decided to go in. It takes me forever and a day to decide what to eat sometimes. How about a Butterfingers? New, I want something with peanuts. Snickers then? Yeah, that sounds good.

" Only four more minutes till the bell rings!" one of the history teachers called from somewhere down the hall.

Damn, and I still have to go to my locker. I thought knowing what I had to do to get to class on time.

I quickly walked down the hallway covering a lot of ground. I managed to unlock my locker,switch my books and binders,and grab my notes within three seconds flat. The guy next to me looked at me like I was insane.

Walking at a brisk pace again toward the staff elevator, I got a little nervous about what I was about to do. I could get so busted for this, but I'm in a hurry and this is the only way to get to history class on time. The elevator doors just happened to open two doors down from my class.

The elevator doors opened and luckily, it was empty. I quickly pushed the close and two buttons so I wouldn't get caught. Speedy the elevator lives up to his name so I'm on and off the elevator within a minute.

I walk in my history class two seconds before the bell rings.Just as Mr. Hooper, my history teacher, begins the role I take my seat.

" Sydney Hall." he says in his old croak of a voice. Everyone calls him Mr. Hopper because he resembles a frog and even talks like one.

" Here!" I said kinda glad I took the elevator without permission.


He's just lecturing today about yesterday's lesson. Time to catch some z's. I thought pulling out my iPod with my no noise headphones. I couldn't sleep without music of some kind. I put "Hey there Delilah" on repeat until the end of class.

Before I knew it, the bell rang for the end of fourth period. Not bothering to take out my headphones, I grabbed my things and headed to the library to serve detention. As soon as I got there, Mrs. Lewis, the librarian took my iPod.

" You'll get it back after class."

I signed in for detention silently. I then spotted Jay and a few of his teammates who were always in detention. Jay saw me and waved me over.

"Hey guys."

" Hey Syd," Jay whispered greeting me with that gorgeous smile of his.

" What's happening' Sydney?" said Josh, Kayla's boyfriend, not looking up from his PSP.

Chris, another one of Jay's friends, gave me a nod. He was always high or drunk off of something at school and today wasn't an exception. I didn't like to hang around him much.

" I can't believe Sydney is in detention with us, can you Jay?" Josh joked.

" ha, very funny." I said annoyed.

" So why are you in detention?" I asked sitting in the seat at the table beside Jay and in front of Chris.

" We were caught coming back from all three lunches." Josh explained.

" Yesterday?" That's why they weren't there...

"Yeah, we didn't feel like sitting through Mr. Frog's class yesterday." Chris said laughing.

" How many days do you have?" I asked.

" Just today."

" How long do you guys have?" Chris asked curiously.

" Two weeks." Jay and I answered in unison. Josh and Chris looked at each other and then at Jay with identical smirks.

" What?" Jay demanded, taking out a bag of M&M's from his pocket.

" Oh, nothing." Josh said a little too quickly.


" I wouldn't even be in here if Jay would have let it go." I said staring him down.

" You were the one who cussed at him!" Jay said knowing that it wasn't completely his fault.

" Like I said earlier, he deserved it." I said taking out my pencil to refine the sketch from earlier in my sketchbook.

I hadn't even started before Chris yanked it out of my hands.

" Hey, give it back!" I almost yelled before remembering where we were. No one touches my sketchbook.

" I just wanna look at the book, calm down." Chris said holding it away from me while flipping through the pages with Josh.

" Chris, give me my damn sketchbook back!" I repeated getting more annoyed by the second.

" I'm almost done looking at it," he said flipping to the one I did this morning.

" Now, Chris!" I said, instantly calming down after he gave it back.

" Those are really good by the way." Chris complimented sitting back.

" Yeah, they are; do you take art classes?" Josh asked now texting Kayla on his cell phone.

" No, I just picked up a pencil one day and started sketching." I said truthfully. Dad always wondered where I got the talent from because both him and Angela can't even draw a straight line without messing' it up.

" So you have natural talent?" Jay asked.

" I guess so." I answered making my second attempt of refining the sketch.