“This isn’t going to work.” Laurel states matter-of-factly to Whit whose disguised in a hoodie.

“It is too, you just have to believe.”

“Is a fairy going to die if I don’t?”

Whit snickers and climb on the bus in front of her. He chooses a seat closer to the front away from the rest of the kids in the back. There are only about twenty kids on the bus in total. Eight of them are from AP Biology and the other twelve are from the environmental sciences class. Both classes are exclusive to seniors so instead of being loud and hyper the teenagers are already dead inside staring at their phones.

“So what do you think is going to happen if you get caught?” Laurel sits next to him.

The school is underfunded so the bus is an older model with chipped and peeling yellow paint and vinyl sits patched together with duck tape.

“I’m going to sit in the principle’s office and then get yelled at by mom which is nothing new.”

“I meant what do you think is going to happen to me?”

“Oh, your mom will probably cry and your dad will be disappointed in you, but then you’ll promise to do something to make it up to him. Isn’t that the usual?”

“Speaking of that, I promised my dad that I’d help him set up service this Sunday to make up for skipping Easter.”

“I’ll help.”

Laurel frowns, “You don’t-”

“Okay, we’re doing rollcall and then we can leave.” The teacher for environmental sciences hollers out. Her long, black hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she’s wearing casual clothes for the field trip. In her hands she’s holding a clipboard with a list of the kids’ names that she quickly calls out. The moment she gets a reply she adds a little check by the name.

Laurel and Whit get their break in the R’s when the teacher calls for Laurence Rand and is answered with silence. Whit eagerly elbows Laurel in the side, but panic flutters in her gut at the millisecond decision.

“Laurence?”

“He’s got his headphones in.” Laurel’s mouth feels dry with the lie.

The teacher glances their way, but then puts the check by the name. Laurel falls back against the seat with a sigh of relief. She can hear a couple of the girls a few seats behind her giggling, but ignores them like she always does. Because Laurel is the school slut and because Laurence Rand is apparently sitting next to her, whoever Laurence Rand is, Laurel is officially sleeping with him.

“We’re not cleared yet.” Whit mutters. The environmental sciences teacher is counting heads and it’s only after she’s done does she give the all clear to start the engine and go.

Whit leans back and smiles at Laurel as they start cruising down the road to get on the interstate. “Piece of cake.”

She grins back and elbows him, “Sure. I only had three heart attacks in the span of five minutes.”

“Three? Is that all? I had at least ten.”

Laurel laughs, “You’re so full of it.”