This is a rough draft. It has undergone little editing and no re-writes. Enjoy as this story comes together. 

“We did it!” Pod screamed to the sky, dropping to his knees. He kissed the pavement as passing students cast him worried looks.

“Pod, get your ass up,” Sara said. She scooted past his presently skyward behind.

“Yeah, Pod. If you’re going to prostrate yourself, at least bow before our Lord Sara,” Odi said. Pod shuffled on his knees as Sara froze in horror.

“Oh Madam Sara! Queen of wits! Wit of Queens! The Red-Haired Heartbreaker of Margaret Merkle!”

Her cheeks shown a warm magenta.

“Enough! She had it coming!” Sara said with a hint of glee.

Moments earlier, Pod, Odi, and Sara exited the gymnasium having just survived Principle Kenner’s Start-of-Term speech. They gathered their bags from their lockers when Lily Penson wandered past. She was nonpareil with long brown hair that drifted in her wake, a sandy complexion, and steel gray eyes. She wore jeans that hugged her figure and a loose shirt that exhibited her shoulders and teased the rest. She paused when Sara caught her eye.

“Sara? My, my. I didn’t think you’d come back this year. How was your summer?” Lily said with tone that bit like burnt sugar.

Sara didn’t move. She seemed not to have heard Lily but Odi noticed she also didn’t seem to be breathing.

Lily put her hands on her hips and scowled.

“You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you? I doubt if Theodore would agree—”

Sara spun on her heel and was suddenly inches from Lily’s nose. Lily broke for a moment but composed herself.

“What did he tell you?” Sara demanded. Odi and Pod stared. Theodore Williams was a senior and a particularly handsome member of the school’s fine arts club. They never heard Sara mention him.

“Well surely you know he and I are together now,” Lily said.

“I don’t give a fat fart what the two of you—”

“He and I talk about so many things… sometimes about you.”

Sara’s face had gone so red her whole head looked like a fireball. Her fists were balled and twitching like they longed to connect with Lily’s little nose.

“That prick…” Sara said under her breath.

“He told me all about how you came to him over the summer. How you want to get to know him better,” Lily said as though she were implicating Sara of murder. A few people in the hall had turned to listen but the general noise of the students milling made that nearly impossible.

Suddenly, Sara’s fists relaxed. She cocked her heard curiously.

“That’s what he told you? That I was interested in him?” Sara asked.

Lily looked as confused as Odi felt.

“Of course he did. He said you were all over him—”

“Sure I talked to him but I have as much interest in that idiot as I do Odi.”

Odi recoiled and Pod shot him a malicious grin. Sara took a step back and looked away in shame.

“I knew you two were close and I…” Sara trailed off.

Lily looked at Pod and Odi who shrugged in unison. Sara took a deep breath and looked straight into Lily’s eyes.

“I wanted to know about you,” Sara said finally.

Lily backed up so far she slammed into the wall of lockers. Sara stepped closer like a timid puppy. Those in proximity were now watching with rapt attention.

“What’s the matter with you?!” Lily stammered. Sara wouldn’t break eye contact and still she moved closer.

“Nothing at all. Your eyes… your hips. The way you assert yourself around the school. I waited all summer to see you again. I… I love you, Lily.”

A smattering of applause and cheers alerted Lily to their audience. She panicked and tore down the hall, students congratulating her as she passed.

Sara scowled after her and regained her usual composure. She turned to Pod and Odi.

“Close your jaws. Let’s go.”

Later, once they’d found and settled into their seats on the public bus and Pod was asleep in his row, Odi broke.

“Was any of that true?” Odi asked.

“Of course not. You’re much more interesting than Theodore Williams,” Sara replied and turned away to gaze out the window.

They arrived at Odi’s stop. Odi got up to leave but Sara caught his hand. She was still facing out the window but she squeezed lightly and let go, curling up against the wall of the bus.

Odi got off and watched as it pulled away.