Part 16 - Keeping it Up

I was getting tired of the Simpsons, and Amanda was getting that look on her face. Meddling would be fun, but did Jase really like Erin? And did I really want to hang around in this half-empty classroom watching a repeat for the zillionth time?

‘Amanda, do you wanna bail? We’re not learning anything.’

‘I dunno, I mean I thi-‘

‘Oi, Sir! Me and Amanda have gotta go do something with Mrs. Cummings for 3U history, have you got any notes today?’ Lying to a teacher isn’t that hard. Keeping your voice on an even level while someone’s furiously kicking your shins is a little tricker. Not that it mattered much. Berzo looked up from whatever he was marking and uttered a little ‘hmm? Oh sure, if you’ve somewhere else to be. You’ve both got this franchise law thing down, yes?’

as if I was wearing my silks and one of those little wigs, I stood up and straightened my shirt. ‘Sir, yes. Since first term sir.’ Any further questions for the plaintiff?

‘well carry on then. There’ll be some notes on Thursday, do show up. You’ll be expected to do some study over the break.’

‘certainly sir. Can we go now?’

‘Quiet, this bit’s good.’

*

Amanda gave me the biggest filthy as she put her book into the intricately decorated folder she carried around, flushing red with anger at me, and embarrassment at the situation I’d put her in. but really, there were far worse things to be caught doing than skipping out on such a waste of class time. As we walked out of class, and turned the corner, she started whispering furiously at me. ‘how dare you rope me into this? I mean fine if you want to risk detention that’s your own damn score, but I don’t need that kind of trouble! I mean did you even think for one second-‘

‘yes I did. Exactly one second.’

‘That I’d even want to skip class?’

‘you didn’t say no, did you? Look, in the extremely unlikely event that a teacher stops and asks us what we’re doing, we’re working on our three unit major projects.’ I used that line a lot more during the coming year. Not only was it good for skipping other classes, but it worked for days off down the city at the state library as well.

‘you don’t know that.’

‘most will think this is a legitimate free period. The few that might be suspicious will be thrown off by the project and Berzo’s tacit approval.’

‘and what about Mrs. Cummings? Or Mrs. Terry? Or Mrs. Payne.’ it might be some indication of what this unit was worth on a scholarly level that we had three teachers for five students.

‘you say their names as though you couldn’t bullshit on about the direction of your project for the hour before class. Besides, you weren’t so high and mighty when we sneaked past the deputy to skive off at Erina.’

She stopped, took a deep breath, then looked at me, the kind of angry look that concedes the point but in no way concedes the rightness of my argument.

‘I bet you’d be skipping class with a clean conscience if you weren’t going out with Nick.’

‘I would not.’

‘you wouldn’t go off at him if he dragged you out of a boring class like that.’

‘I would too.’ Silence on my part. ‘well, we’d be doing something. Not just slacking off.’

‘yeah I’d bet you’d be doing something.’ She flushed red again, then ‘not that. You wouldn’t get it, you’ve never gone out with someone for more than a month.’

My turn to flush. Time to change the topic.

‘So what kind of meddling you going to do to Jase? Do you think that they’d have a relationship, or what?’

‘well, you know him better than anyone, what does he want?’

‘I dunno.’ Thought for a second. ‘Didn’t even know who he liked, did I?’

‘fair enough. Don’t know why anyone’d want what you have anyway.’

‘Do you think I want it? Serial monogamy? It’s shit. I want a girl who looks like you do whenever anyone mentions Nick.’ Well, it was easier to say than I want you.