It's a cool summer day when I walk up to the steps of the school known as Major High. Class wouldn't begin for another hour or so, but one of my more strict teachers mistakenly gave me a lower grade than what I think is necessary. We meet up and debate my grades often, so that now it's a schedule of ours. “You’re smarter than the rest Rose, I can’t go easy on you or your brains will rot”. I smirk with the thought of that old crow. She's the only one who will ever give me any challenge, even when I don’t want them.
Nevertheless, whatever speech that was brewing in my mind was wiped from my head when I turn left and saw pink long hair. I drop all of my books and stare unabashedly at the figure in front of me. “Emerald?” I question, unsure of my own eyes. The one being referred to looks up from her locker and smiles slyly. “The one and only.”
I scowl immediately, trying to cover my confusion and gather my books quickly. I rush it so she would stop looking at me so intently with those bright blue eyes. She's supposed to be in boarding school, so what the hell was she doing here? Despite my intentions of forgetting it, I remember the night that got her booted off to another state. The secret smiles, the planning, the adrenaline and the laughter to last a lifetime. I shake my head of those thoughts, determined to get rid of them as soon as possible. When she finally speaks, it’s full of the pompous tone that was quite different from the usual excited one she used only with me. “see you on the flipside, rosie dosy.” My cheeks flame at the nickname. Rosie Dosey was an immature brat who, thankfully, grew up into a more respectable student.
I don’t say goodbye as she gathers her bags and I almost sprinted past her, determined to get away from her piercing gaze. As I reach the door of the old crow, Mrs. Lighten’s classroom, I realize it’s empty. I frown. As much as I hate to admit it, I like our heated arguments. I stiffly walk to the cafeteria, aware of the loneliness in my stomach that happens every time that I don’t have a goal in mind. I open up my planner on one of the empty cafeteria seats to start refining and retooling my day. It’s a fruitless effort since I know that everything will be perfect, but a soothing balm to my mood nonetheless. “What the hell?” Startled by the sudden noise, I look up with a start to see Emerald staring at my planner and then back at me. I open my mouth to say something but she beats me to it, “Since when do you have a day planner?” My nose wrinkles less delicately than I would like as I snap, “Since when was it your business if I have a day planner?” For a split second she recoils, and I feel guilty, but then the smartass mask that I will learn to hate comes on and we go into our bickering routine again. It feels natural, even though it’s pointless and leads to nowhere. “God why don’t you go back to your prissy boarding school and leave me alone!” She smirks, knowing that she got under my skin only after five minutes of arguing. She turns on her heel and saunters to class just as first period bell rings. I panic, knowing that my perfect attendance is now ruined forever, and resort to grabbing my planner and dashing to class.
As I sit straight up in my seat in the midst of bent backs and a few snores, I’m keenly aware of Emerald sitting right in front of me. Like I expect, she turns and winks at me, and to return the favour she earns a kick under her desk. I know I’m just humoring her by retaliating, but then why is it so fun? I put on a neutral face and stare at the window. Being only the second week of school, I haven't really gotten accustomed to the outside from this view just yet since my eyes are always glued on the teacher. It’s a sunny, cloudless day with rolling green hills to accompany the glistening fountain owned by Major high. I feel my consciousness slipping away as I trace a bird's flight with my eyes but awake to an abrupt banging in the classroom. “What exactly do you think you're doing Mrs. harper?” I cringe in my seat. Being scolded was one of the worst feelings in the world, especially early on in the school year. “Miss harper, since you are usually an excellent student I’ll forgive you this one time.” On the inside, I scowl deeply and outwardly peek at the other students. Almost all of them are looking at me, despite previously being unconscious just as I was. As she stalks back towards her desk Emerald decides that it’s the right time to swoop in, “Nice one chump”. I sneer at her, “Yeah maybe you're so boring I collapsed into a coma.” I know it’s weak but it was the only thing I could think of. She chuckles and does a surrendering gesture mockingly. “Hey now, no need for such harsh words.” Still smiling, she sits back in her seat, satisfied. I settle back into my chair and start secretly doodling. I've done this ever since I was four, and it always helps me destress. To my surprise, I start drawing emerald. I do it unconsciously, in an almost comatose state as I think about her. I hate her bickering and smart attitude, but something draws me to her. Just like it did all those years ago. My homeroom teacher, Mrs. Manner, dismisses us and I hurriedly shuffle out of the classroom, determined not to be cornered by Emerald again.
As I briskly walk through the halls made out of gleaming linoleum, I duck into the girl's bathroom and immediately regret it. Chase and Charlie stalk toward me, grinning brilliantly yellow smiles. Bullies ever since they could learn to throw a punch. To my displeasure, Katrina and Kat are in here too. Never too far away from their lackeys in case things go south. Since I don’t really deal with people like them, (or people in general) they usually ignore me. I long for the days where I pranked them whenever I caught them picking on another kid. I always planned it with Emerald, so they never caught us. “Hey dumbass, you’re in the way.” I inwardly breathe a sigh of relief because I won’t be caught today for my past misdeeds against them. My relief is short lived though, since Kat catches my eye and starts whispering to Katrina devilishly.
“Hello Rosie, why don’t you come over here and have a chat with us?” Kat sweetly says. “I have something you might want to see.” I cautiously walk over to them as Katrina pulls out pictures. My heart stops dead. They’re pictures of Emerald and I defacing the school. Some of them were from when we ducttaped the statue of the founder of the school in hot pink tape, others were when we stocked confetti in the school locker rooms and put everyone's uniforms in the principal's office. “Fuck” I swear. “Yes, you're pretty much fucked” Kat chimes delicately. “You were quite the troublemaker with Emmy, weren't you?” “H-how did you get these pictures?” I stutter, shocked. She responds immediately, almost like she practiced it, “Well, as soon as I knew that some awful little hellions defacing the school I knew it was up to me to install better ones of course!” I eye her suspiciously. No way she was that well connected at 12 years old. Her parents probably donated them and she swiped the footage for later use, knowing that it was valuable to have blackmail. Even when she was young, she was still a snake who knew an asset when she saw one. In another life, I might have had a crush on her because of her obvious intelligence pertaining to people. I sigh. This year's gonna be complicated. “It wasn't until now that I had the…chance to talk with you about them.” I suppress a laugh. Everyone knows that Kat’s grades are shit, but people are too afraid to talk about them because of Charlie and Chase. It sure isn't because of their ‘likability’. While she has manipulative smarts, she doesn’t have school ones. “What do you want.” I say dejectedly, and Kat laughs. “So to the point! Well, I want to leave all projects and homework to you, that okay?” She blinks her doe eyes and smiles a sweet smile, almost covering up the metaphorical forked tongue she has. Almost.
“Fine. Will you leave me alone, then?” I snap, done with her charade. Kat does her best to fake being hurt, and says “Yes alright, maybe another time we can talk when you're not so pissy” I realize with a start that she wants to recruit me. That’s the only reason she’s being so fake and not just outrightly saying what she wants. Tough luck then, I’m not exactly popular material. I turn my heel and stalk out of the bathroom, dreading what I’ll have to do next. I spot Emerald looking at her phone and I quickly walk up to her, visibly ruffled. She glances up at me and smirks, “Didn't think you would ever strut up to me, with your stellar streak of trying to avoid me.” She then notices I’m subtly shaking and softens her gaze. “What happened, Rose?” Her tone was soft and genuine, not unlike the voice she always used for me back way when. “T-they got the pictures of us doing the pranks.” Her eyes widen in confusion, probably because we had always shut down the regular cameras and made sure the janitor was on their day off. The bell rings and I huff, determined to not keep missing class “Listen, meet me at the coffee shop right outside school after class. We can talk about it later” I pace back to my class, feeling a bit better because she was just as shocked as me. I go through the day full of anxiety, for the pictures as well as my date with Emerald. Date? No. Just a meeting to discuss the blackmail that could destroy both of us. Yeah.
I have to admit, I missed having plans with Emerald. Since we were always smarter and quicker than the other kids, we only had ourselves to play with. It’s nice having her back, even though I know she's a bad influence and will ruin my reputation as a fantastic student. But…will she? The only time we ever got caught was when she miscalculated and I was the only one that got off scot free. She covered for me when I needed it most and I won’t forget that she did it.
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