"What do you mean I have Photography I?" I stood under a creamy white ceiling and in front of a mahogany carved counter. "This is a class that I took last year. I can't take a class I already took. I want Photography II, the class I signed up for. Don't tell me it's full, no one really likes Photography in this school".
Unless they're the types of people who take endless photos of themselves.
"Ms. Ashwood, the class is full," the secretary's eyes narrowed as she said this while determined to stay sugary sweet. That's the face you have to put on when you worked in Brooks Private School, even when you're dealing with nearly full grown Spoiled Brats. "The only way you can get in the class is if you change your Gardening Course with your current Photography class".
"But-but I didn't sign up for a Gardening Course," I unclenched my hands that were balled into fists. "Is there anyway that I could switch Gardening to something else? Something more. . .useful and productive?"
Wasn't Secretary Montgomery in the Garden Club with my last neighbor? I trailed off at the last part realizing that what I said was a really bad move. Her eyebrows went up and she clasped her hands together, signaling a speech to come.
"Even Privileged children such as yourself should enjoy a hobby that's relaxing as Gardening," Secretary Montgomery tried not to scold. "I think you'll do quite fine with the class Aria Ashwood. The only way I will find a place for you in that Photography class is if you take a place in the Gardening Course".
If I is she Blackmailing me? Suddenly, my shoulder bag weighed a ton when all I was carrying in there was a notebook, a pen, and The Diary. I forced a smile and nodded, leaning away from the dark counter. Gardening, it can't be that bad can it?
"You may think of this little Bud as your child," Madame Flora spread her arms to the greenhouse where a shelf stood with little onion looking things. "Feed them, love them, nourish them as if they were your own. In the end, you may be greatly rewarded with something so beautiful as a rose," she finished with a sigh.
Oh, boy.
"We'll treat this project like in Health class," she exclaimed.
I sat on a bench, similar to those you'd find at a park and pulled my messenger bag onto my lap. There was more students than usual in this class. My yes shifted to a bunch of chattering girls gathered on a bench near the Orchids with their uniform plaid skirts professionally tailored to be short.
"Ah, a new student," Madame Flore welcomed in British Dude and he was met with a group of flirtatious smiles. "Late, but new. Take a seat Mr. Carter, we're just discussing our project".
"Sorry and thanks," he smiled, a half smirk as a corner of his mouth lifted. He spotted me in a corner, " I'll just sit over here," he added and smiled when he sat, "hey".
I nodded curtly and fixed my eyes on Madame Flora. He's in my class, he's in my class- the phrase kept repeating over and over in my head. My bag was sitting in between us, providing a nice safe blockage. He, being a guy, sat the way most guys did. He leaned back into the bench relaxingly and took up most space. It was, after all, a two-seater.
Madame Flora lectured about plants. She lectured about her expectations for this year and she lectured about our new project. It was what she was discussing when Carter came in late; the Bud. Madame Flora was possibly so stressed out that she forgot she was teaching Gardening instead of Health. It's the only explanation to why she decided to treat our Buds as babies. Guess who were the parents?
Ah, you're catching on.
I got a plant for a kid. It's a Rose and possibly a Girl. I could feel myself getting irritated. This was insane! What? Normal kids go through puberty. What do plant kids go through? Photosynthesis? I'm going to Secretary Montgomery and telling her that I Want Out.
"Let's see," Madame Flora looked at her clipboard scanning a few names before speaking. "Due to academic reasons, I'm going to pair you up myself. Others may need more help than you, so have some consideration".
Everyone looked peeved about this announcement. Even British Boy did, his grey eyes narrowing and his posture stiffening. I had crossed my arms also, waiting to see which idiot I'd be paired up with. I mean, the jocks in Brooks all have to have a certain GPA to be a jock. The guys taking Gardening were probably strange and liked gardening because why else would they be in here? The leftovers were possibly ogling the girls who decided to support their football team. Do you see what I mean when I say I'm going to be stuck with a dud?
"Brittany, you'll be with Dave," Brittany flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder to the dude who had pumped his fist in the air.
"Courtney, you'll be partnered with Miles," Courtney pouted her glossy lips when she saw the president of the chess club looking at her.
"Shelly, you can be with Greg," Shelly smirked and flipped her blonde hair before smiling sweetly at our schools football defense.
"Aria, you're with Logan," my striking blue eyes met my partner's before I flipped my awesome Commercial Shiny hair over my shoulder with a gorgeous smile.
Uh, not.
So I have striking blue eyes but I haven't yet accomplished brushing my hair into Commercial Shiny gorgeous. The whole brush your hair one hundred times thing? Yep, it doesn't work. The three girls and their posse all gasped when Madame Flora said my name and Logan's, whoever the guy is. For a second there, I almost thought I was paired with a Geeky Dude.
Things started to get clearer when the girls weren't Giggling at my supposed embarrassment. No, they were gaping, slack jawed, shocked. Do I want to know why? The bell rang and they immediately stalked out of the room. I swear that if a really short person was sitting on the bench he could have a pretty nice view up their micro mini skirts. They all smiled at British Dude as they passed, ignoring the person sitting next to him.
"So your name is Aria huh?" Carter smiled and his grey eyes met mine as we stood up, "nice".
"Yeah," I picked up my bag and remembered that The Diary was safely hidden in there.
The crowd was blocking the door because everyone had rushed out at the same time. Carter followed me where I was waiting by the door. He even decided to be a Gentleman, stepping in front of me when a guy who was horsing around almost fell back. God I hope that guy isn't Logan. Otherwise, I would have to do this stupid Gardening assignment all by myself. There was no way in hell that I was going to have him Trample over the Plant Kid.
"I'm Logan, by the way," his grey eyes bored into mine, "bet you didn't know that".
"I didn't," I nearly fainted.
Oh no, he's my partner! This is not good.
"So we're partners," Logan Carter decided to be a Gentleman again and held the door open for me to walk through. "Since it's a parenting assignment, that makes you the mom and me the dad of the Plant Kid".
He actually said Plant Kid.
"We can make this easy if you want," I offered. "I'm good with plants, my aunt's good with plants, and you're probably not. I need a good grade for this class so I'm okay with doing all the work," we stepped into the hall.
"Hold up," he looked amused. "We are the parents," he gestured between us. "Meaning that Plant Kid is half mine," he chuckled and leaned against the locker in the way that only Cool Kids can pull off, "I have rights. And hey, I don't think I want my kid growing up with a mom who wears such inappropriate things. Those clothes I helped you pick up the other day," he shook his head, "they are far too sexy to be appropriate".
My jaw nearly hit the floor and shattered. First, Madame Montgomery sticking me in a freaking Gardening class and now this. Everyone owns lingerie. Why is he questioning just me? With a Tiny stomp of my foot, cursing Aunt Lolo for her taste in clothes, I turned my heel and walked away into the crowd.
My face still showed hints of red by the time I got home, letting myself into the house while the screen door banged shut behind me. I was just about ready to announce that I'm home, my mouth slightly open to shout out to the empty house before I immediately snapped it close. A man in a suit and a woman also in a suit, but with a skirt, sat in our kitchen with Aunt Lolo.
My aunt was dressed indifferently from many other day and my chest swelled proudly. She never felt the need to impress anyone. She mouthed 'the store' while the Suits smiled and busied themselves with paperwork. Aunt Lolo made a shooing motion and I was basically chased out of my house.
Where to go? Shelly Carter had just got home from work and waved at me with a smile on her face. I waved back and she went into her house. The smell of the ocean pulled me towards it and I smiled slightly before turning to the forest behind our house, hiking through it in my school uniform.
There was a spot along the beach, sheltered by the trees and roots of the forest, where the sand was sandy gold and clean. There was a nice bench that Aunt Lolo wooed some guys to carry in for my birthday present. She knows how much I like this place. I plopped down on the bench and stared at the ocean, the sun setting over the blue green beauty, and just like that I began to write.
I liked the sound of the gentle waves, I told The Diary, luring me to sleep like a lullaby.
I felt better after I closed The Diary and slipped it back into my bag. My shoes and socks went along with it also and I stood up to walk the beach back home, stopping to pick up shells on the way. It wasn't completely dark, the dim glow of a far away lighthouse provided a small amount of light. My walk slowed into a stroll as I heard a deep voice speaking to someone in the dark.
"No, I'm not coming back mother," hints of a British accent lined the deep voice, "I chose to go with dad and mom- bloody hell! It's not that woman, it's Shelly!" he sighed a second later sounding regretful. "Yes, you're still my mum and no, I will not stop calling Shelly mom. . .why? Nothing's wrong with having two".
It felt like I was eavesdropping but it was dark and there were no streetlights in the forest. I didn't want to walk through there. If I were walking on the floor I would've purposely made some sound with my shoe, yet I was on the sand. There's really no sound you can make from there.
"I don't know, I'll think about it," Logan said quietly and sounded tired. That was when he glanced my way and seemed to notice something. "I have to go. Yeah, me too. Bye," he hung up his cell.
The clouds chose this moment to clear and the full moon provided a light along the lighthouse, making me visible to Logan. "Aria?" was all he said.
"I was. . . I was just taking a walk".
And just happened to overhear the conversation. You have two mothers?
Logan wasn't dressed in his uniform anymore, unlike myself. His cell phone was still in his hand and he ran a hand through his tousled hair, clearly embarrassed by the phone call. I studied him discreetly. Apparently British Dude's life wasn't so perfect as I assumed it was. Then again, whose life really is?
Without another word, I bit my lip and walked away. Behind me, it landed on the sound almost silently in the sand and if I looked back I would've seen The Diary lying in front of the waves. The Diary had never met the young man, the one randomly mentioned in one of its first pages.
Well, that night I suppose it did.
What should you do if you find a gorilla in your bed?
Sleep somewhere else. (C= haha)
Everybody is weak.
Everybody fails.
Being strong is fighting.
It's hard and it's painful
and it's every day.
It's what we have to do.
