Chapter Six

If there were one piece of advice that I would hand out to anyone in high school, it would be to eat where appropriate to avoid milk spilling all down your t-shirt and having people snap pictures of the epic fail. Milk above your upper lip? A milk moustache? Awesome. Funny. Something forgotten about in seconds. Milk making your clothes sopping wet and possibly see-through? Not so cool.

My brilliant idea to have my breakfast in a thermos flask led to us all being in trouble.

Mr. Byers and Principal Kellerman went straight into the office. Both Jack and Gerald were called into the principal's office first, leaving Sabrina and me to sit in the waiting area with the receptionist. He was this old guy tapping on the keys of the computer, using only his index fingers and pressing the buttons in five-second intervals.

It was painful, seeing two waiting fingers hovering in the air as he scanned over the keyboard, going through each button like it was life and death decision. I guess it was considering he'd have to go through the hassle of finding the delete button and to find the correct button after.

With every click of a singular button, our sighs grew louder and louder to the point where Sabrina swung her body around on her chair, so she faced me and threw her legs across my lap and dramatically burrowed her head into my shoulder.

I pulled my hands from underneath and interlocked my hands over her legs.

Oh, to be so carefree as her.

It wasn't fair really; how adorable it was that she sung beneath her breath and didn't speak to me and still managed to make physical contact that made my hands shake. She didn't have to try, and she made my heart rate. Could she stop existing for a second to give my poor heart a break?

Her getting us in trouble didn't deter my body's reaction. She was the one to go batshit crazy and destroy the phones which made sense in the context that she could see through my t-shirt . . . but apparently, that wasn't the case for Jack and Gerald.

"You know who he reminds me of?" Sabrina whispered.

"You in ten years?" I said.

"There's the overwhelming gratitude I was expecting."

"I hate guessing games," I admitted.

"That sloth from Zootopia."

"Huh . . ." She was right. He even had that dopey slow smile. "Cute."

"Look at him," she said, lifting her head from my shoulder, "with his massive glasses and his breathing is so slow that I'm almost sure he's suffering from oxygen deprivation."

Gaping at her casual tone, I said, "That's not so cute."

"I dare you to wipe whatever document he's typing up."

"Please tell me your heart isn't that evil?"

"I'd fly over the counter," she said, avoiding the question, "retrieve the document in a second flat, and his eyes will light up. Slowly, that is. There's nothing better than when old people think you're a genius when it comes to technology."

"Deceiving old people . . . awesome."

"I bet if you're quick enough, you could even change your grades on the system."

"Sabrina . . . that's actually a good idea."

"If you dare," she said, pointedly looking at the computer.

"Get off me then."

"Shut up. You're a coward. Besides, you already have perfect grades."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't change yours."

"I'll have you know; mine are perfect."

"Exactly. I'd change that." She stayed quiet. "You know, him not getting oxygen is not cute but you? How are you breathing down there?"

Out of the corner of my eye, Sabrina moved away. "You want to know what else isn't cute? You planning to throw me under the bus after I defended your honour."

I rested my head against the wall. "What gave you that idea?"

"It's just an epic fail moment, Sabrina," she mocked me.

"They saw someone being a total mess. Wouldn't you want to catch stupid stuff like that on camera too?"

"You're so naïve, Sam." She withdrew her legs and hooked one ankle over the other. "Unbutton the coat. I dare you. What do you see?"

"Whatever," I said, silently refusing to take it off and at the same time refusing to say the word 'nipples' out loud to Sabrina. "You had plenty of time to gawk."

"Gawk? Please."

"Just saying . . . You weren't in a rush to give me your coat."

"Ignoring your stupidity, what can you do with a picture? Zoom in. Stop fooling yourself."

"They might not have noticed!"

"For argument's sake, if they hadn't already, they eventually would've, and that picture was sent to one other person already."

"Why did you get involved?"

"The moment you asked for something to cover yourself with, you involved me," she said.

"You could have ignored me."

Sabrina exhaled loudly. "Would've, could've, should've."

"Oh well."

"Realistically, by the time you'd notice what could be spread around school, it would have already been done . . . ten times over . . . "she trailed off, and ran a hand through her hair. "You might not be my favourite person in the world, Sam, but if you see something bad that could be prevented, you should act, regardless of the person it would happen to."

"Is that why you took care of me when I was drunk?"

"You would have done the same," she said.

She had said it with such confidence that it made me question if I would have. Anna had mentioned that Sabrina was a clingy drunk. Yep, I would've done the exact same thing as Sabrina, with the benefit of witnessing the embarrassing tendencies she had while drunk. Well . . . yes, her safety was also important too.

But Sabrina even in front of a teacher, didn't hesitate to destroy Jack's phone. A sense of justice surged her to throw the device on the ground. Pretty heroic if you ask me. Me? I'd have to be put in that position to know. But Sabrina was sure of herself.

I tried not to smile and asked, "What do you think will happen?"

"Depends on what your version of events will be, I suppose."

"Don't worry your pretty little head," I said, flicking her head. "I'll be honest. It's the least that I could do."

Sabrina slapped my hand away. "Yes. It is the least you can do."

"Hey, well, I already tried offering making prom a magical night with your involvement."

"I'll tell you what," Sabrina said, swinging her legs back onto my lap and hugging my arm to keep upright. "If we get out of this with only detentions, you and Anna can do the prom committee without my interference. It'll be a collaboration of course, but I won't sabotage your efforts."

"I'll be the perfect eyewitness," I promised.

"But . . . with one other condition."

"I'm not deleting that sloth's document."

"No . . . I get to choose your date."

"Deal," I said, not even questioning why she wanted to have that power.

Instead of listening to the prolonged typing of the receptionist, we pretty much dozed off and sat quietly for the rest of the time that we waited for the boys to come out. Sometimes when I was around people, and there was a silence, my knees bopped, I fidgeted with my fingers, or I looked at my blank phone screen to make it seem less awkward, but this silence wasn't painful. It was nice compared to when I was in her house and had her glaring at me from around corners. This quiet was welcomed.

When Jack and Gerald came out, and Sabrina was called in, she wrapped her smallest finger around mine, shook it up and down and left for the principal's office. Our promise was sacred now — no backing out.

When she came out, she didn't say anything but took her school bag from her old chair, swung it across her back and left, leaving my stomach to sink a little.

Behind the principal's desk was a large window where everyone outside in the car park could see who was about to be punished or who was the problem child. Fun.

I told him the truth, making Sabrina out to be my hero and without her, I would've crumbled and drowned with embarrassment considering the state of my clothes, which was pretty much right. I didn't have to lie. I only doubted that they knew my top was see-through when they took the pictures.

"I did look at the pictures, Sam," he told me after I spilt my guts. "They've been deleted. I got them to sign into the cloud on my computer, and they're gone for good."

"Right . . . Good."

"I thought you would be happier."

"How did I look exactly?" I asked. "In the pictures?"

"I could see why your friend wanted them deleted so badly," he said. "Look, not everyone's photogenic, but that doesn't give anyone the excuse to destroy other people's property. And spreading pictures, embarrassing pictures isn't okay either, and the boys understand that. So . . . everyone has detention."

"Even me?"

"No. No one indicated that you did anything other than be the unfortunate victim of a milk splash. The only reason you're in here with me is to account for what happened. Thank you, Sam."

"Fair enough."

"Get changed . . . stay covered up . . . avoid milk."

"Great advice, sir."

Well, that could've been worse.

The only thing he said that was in any way bad was calling me non-photogenic, but I already knew that.

It wasn't until lunch came around that I had the chance to go into the locker room to put on a spare t-shirt that Anna had. Yes, I didn't store anything in my gym locker because I always had an excuse at the ready to not participate. Let's just say that I had my period since September.

It was a little funny because yes, I had a pretty lousy morning and landed three people with detention but also landed both Anna and I committee roles for prom. Success. Spilling milk on myself was the key. Embarrassing myself was the key. Getting Sabrina into trouble was the key. Who knew? It was backwards logic, but it worked.

Considering that it was the middle of January, it was a little cold outside, so Sabrina's coat stayed wrapped around my body, even as I headed into the canteen for lunch.

I sat at my usual table with an orange juice box and pizza, waiting for Anna to join me.

All of a sudden, the gay squad came by, sliding their trays onto the table and sitting opposite and beside me. It was Parker and two other girls, Maisie and Sasha.

They started the school year with a big party, all their' coming out' parties and opened the doors for everyone else to know it was okay to be themselves in this building. Wanted to come out? They'd throw a party, no questions asked. Parker was yet to have a party; otherwise, I would've known about her liking girls before.

Without a word of greeting, Parker put a rainbow badge on the coat with her grinning face. "I can count on your vote, right, Sam?"

"We haven't even settled on a date yet for prom," I said.

"Uh-huh. The competition's hot this year, but you already knew that. So, I'm getting a head start," she said.

"Are you going to ask her?" Sasha directed to Parker impatiently.

"Ask me what?" I glanced between them.

"Here's the thing, Sam," Parker started and adjusted the badge on the coat. "We heard that Sabrina destroyed phones with . . . exposing pictures of you. And . . . you're on the prom committee with her blessing. And . . . you're going around the place with her jacket on. She's in detention because of you, and she rewards you? There's only one logical reason behind that behaviour."

The insinuation was enough for me to squeeze my juice box and have it spray upward.

"Damn, trying to soak yourself, so Sabrina comes to your rescue again?" Sasha teased.

"No," I replied quickly and shoved the carton away from me.

"Go on, Parker, ask her," Sasha encouraged.

"That's why Sabrina doesn't want to be my date, right? Are you going to be each other's? Figure that out when you stayed in her room after the party, hey?"

"I—No. I don't know why she said no to you, to be honest."

"There you go," Parker said, looking not at Sasha but at Maisie. "Sam's just a nerd who needed help."

". . . Maisie?" I prompted.

"Parker," she hissed.

"What?" Parker clasped her hands and blinked innocently. "All I'm saying is, the pool is small, and it is quick, snatch her up before Sabrina does."

Maisie stood up abruptly from the table. "You're so embarrassing," she muttered before storming off.

I cleared my throat. "So that happened."

"I figured I owed you one after you tried helping me out with my campaign. A girl likes you, congratulations. Now shoot your shot."

"You could have told me privately?"

"Where's the fun in that? Now you both know that she likes you. I've defeated the whole oblivious thing. Now it's up to you two to decide what you want to do, yeah?" She stood up as Anna arrived at the table with both eyebrows raised. Parker beckoned for Sasha to follow. "Don't forget to vote for me."

Anna shoved my juice box back to my side of the table and moved hers around in circles. "What was all that about?"

I sipped on the drink and shrugged. "Maisie likes me. Apparently."

"Huh," she said.

"Huh?"

"Let me do some recon first before I respond more than huh."

"Alrighty."

"So free period. Tomorrow because you've had enough drama today. Me and you. Prom committee. It's official."

"Hell yeah, it is."

"How did you manage that?"

Narrowing my eyes at her, I accused, "Sabrina already told you."

Anna shrugged. "Yeah but I want to hear your side too."

That's what we spoke about for the next few minutes — my horrible morning. Anna nodded along, oohing and ahhing in all the right spots and couldn't be happier to hear about all the misery and miscommunications that led me and her getting what we wanted.

Now that we had full reign of the prom, it was time to start actually coming up with ideas for the theme.