“Amanda, Amanda, wake up.”
“Hmm…?” Amanda lifted her head up and rubbed her eyes. As she attempted to open her eyes, the brightness made her shut her eyes immediately. Feeling cranky, she croaked, “Leave me alone! It’s too early!” She heard stifled laughter as she opened one eye. “Nick!” she cried out, completely surprised by his presence. She sat up immediately, only regretting to do so when she realized that all she was wearing was a long T-shirt that ended at the tip of her underwear. With her sitting down, her pink lace underwear could be seen clearly! “Oh God this is so embarrassing!” she shouted, hiding under her blanket.
Nick laughed again, this time, more loudly, “Are you looking for this?” Nick asked, holding up a pair of dark green stretchable shorts.
Amanda lifted the blanket off her head, her eyes widening, she punched Nick playfully on his arm, “Brat,” she stated, a playful smile on her lips. She grabbed the shorts from Nick and struggled to wear them under the blanket. When she finished, she came out from under the blanket with drops of perspiration on her face. Wiping them with the back of her hand, she sat up and asked, “What are you doing here and how did you get in anyway?”
“Does you mom and dad explain it?” Nick replied, twirling Amanda’s chestnut brown hair with his finger.
“Oh, stop it,” Amanda said, standing up while running her fingers through her hair repeatedly. “What’s today?” she asked, looking in the mirror.
“Monday,” Nick answered simply, with a knowing smile on his face.
“Monday! Nick! Why didn’t you tell me?” Amanda shrieked out. Frantically, she ran to closet and quickly chose an outfit to wear. “I’m late, I’m late!” she muttered, “I swear Nick, sometimes, I could just kill you!”
“An angelic angel like me?” Nick said , watching Amanda fret about.
“You could at least help me!” Amanda replied, grabbing her bag off the floor. She ran inside the bathroom and began to brush her teeth and wash her face in a hurry. She ran down the stairs with Nick following close behind. Once in the kitchen, she grabbed a donut from the tray on the table and was ready to fling open the door. Nick stopped her before she did.
“Wait, let me take you to school?” Nick offered.
“You take me to school? So that tons of girls con be jealous of me and annoy me asking me to get your signature for them? If they even knew I knew you, I’d be dead! No thanks Carter! I gotta run, now get out of my way or else I’ll get detention!” Amanda cried out as she pushed Nick over to a side and ran out the door. She was greeted by a sleek dark green convertible. “Woah! New car eh Nick?”
“Yep, I wanted to try it out with you,” Nick nodded as he jumped into the car.
“This is totally cool… hmm, maybe when I get my license, I should get mom and dad to get me one of these,” she said, getting into the car.
“Didn’t you want to walk?” Nick teased as he glanced over to Amanda. He held onto her hand when Amanda sat down. Amanda looked at him, “Do you realize how important you are to me?” Nick asked, gazing intensely into Amanda’s brown eyes. She returned a squeeze to Nick.
“Do you realize how important you are to me?” Amanda repeated, using the same seriousness Nick had. They held that intimate moment until one of the neighbor’s kids started to surround the convertible and stared at them oddly. Some laughed. Others just stared with an eyebrow lifted like an old grandmother.
“Um, we better get going Amanda,” Nick said, breaking the intimate moment. He faced the steering wheel and started the shoo the kids away.
“Oh shit! Now I’m gonna get detention for sure!” Amanda groaned, her hand up on her forehead as if she had the flu.
“Why not skip it?” Nick suggested casually, one hand brushing back his blonde hair.
“Are you crazy?” Amanda exclaimed, but then she considered the thought, “Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” she finished, grinning slyly, “My parents aren’t coming home until late. No one can tell on me… yeah, that’s actually a good idea you know.”
“That’s what I’m full of, good ideas and inspiration and most important of all intelligence! Fun, innocent and loving me!” Nick complimented himself proudly.
“Oh yeah?” Amanda challenged, “What about the time you were pretending to be my secret admirer and sent me a letter without putting a stamp on it, you were actually dumb enough to stick your hand through the gap and the police thought that you were attempting to steal the Royal Mail! And what about the time you…”
“Okay, okay! Cut it out! I’m not perfect! Neither are you!” Nick retorted.
“Whatever Nick!” Amanda replied emphasizing everyone of her words, “Oh, where are we going?”
“Erm, to school?”
“You dope! I wasn’t going to go to school! Don’t let the teachers see me! Oh no! There’s Mrs. Whitelaw! Oh no! I think she saw me!” Amanda shrieked out as she tried to duck under and hide behind her bag as they neared the school. It was too late, she had already spotted Amanda.
“Amanda Wilkins!” She bellowed. Mrs. Whitelaw was a medium fat tall lady who wears way too much make up than her face can hold, and she always wore short and flippy dark skirts as if she was a teenage cheerleader or something. Sometimes, Amanda wondered if she had ever broken out of her skirt since they were so tight. Today, she was wearing a short sleeved white T-shirt and a lavender skirt. As she neared Amanda and Nick, a stinking sensation of and overdose of perfume overwhelmed them.
Nick gagged, “Geez, she smells like a perfume factory next to the dump!” Nick whispered in Amanda’s ear. She tried not to laugh as she bit her lip back and gathered her courage to get out of the car and stand up. Slowly, she shut the door.
“Amanda Wilkins, do you know what time it is? Is it too early that I am interrupting your beauty sleep?” Mrs. Whitelaw demanded, “I appreciate it that you actually remembered to come to school today.” She retorted sarcastically as she glanced at the person sitting inside the convertible, “Young man, what are you doing here? Get out of here. Aren’t you supposed to be in school? And stop harassing my students,” she said haughtily. She turned her back to him as if to exclude him from them.
Nick pulled onto the rim of Amanda’s top, she turned a little so that Mrs. Whitelaw would not notice while she saw still lecturing Amanda, “I’m sorry, I’ll pick you up after school kay?” He whispered. Amanda gave him the okay sign and motioned him to drive away.
“Young lady, do you hear what I’m saying?” Mrs. Whitelaw’s heavy English accent droned in her ear.
“Um, yes Mrs. Whitelaw,” Amanda replied, her eyes on the pavement.
“You are an hour late Amanda, therefore, you will stay after school for an hour to make up for it, do you hear me?” Mrs. Whitelaw demanded as she made a note of Amanda’s detention in the black folder she held in her hand marked, Detentions. “Now get to class immediately.”
“Yes,” Amanda said, and scurried off inside the bare building. Walking through the glass doors, she let out a sigh of grief. “What a ass,” she commented under her breath. As she was walking in through the empty hallways, a familiar looking person was standing outside a room. Amanda squinted as she tried to make out who it was. Alex! she thought. She walked towards him, “Hey Alex!” she patted his shoulder. He turned around at her touch.
“Oh hey, Amanda,” he replied.
“I didn’t know that you went to this school,” Amanda noted.
“I don't, mom wanted me here,” Alex groaned.
“Your mom?” Amanda asked, looking oddly at him.
“Yeah, she teaches History here, you know, Mrs. Moore?”
“Oh yeah, I know her, she teaches me History,” Amanda replied, “But why are you out here?”
“Don’t mention it!” He sighed, “Can you believe it? My own mother sent me out of her class when I’m not even in it!”
Amanda giggled, “Why did she send you out?”
“Guess I was distracting all the female students in her class, can’t help it if I’m too good-looking,” Alex replied good-naturedly.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” Amanda laughed.
“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in class now?” Alex asked her, checking his watch.
“Oh shit! That reminds me!” Amanda exclaimed, “I’m not even supposed to behere! I’m late for class! Gotta run Alex, I’ll see you later!” Amanda gave him a little wave and ran down the corridor. Alex watched her get stopped by a young male teacher in the distance. He saw her nod furiously at what he was saying. He smiled to himself as he leaned back against the wall and began to watch the hands on the clock move ever so slowly.