There was a second of silence before the class erupted into laughter and then chatter. Alice put her hands up in defeat, wiping the tears that streamed down her face as Bette glared at her with heated intensity. Figuring she’d find something better on her left, Bette turned to Tina, and (much to her horror) found her folding the list up.

"Hey, I thought that was against the rules."

"She put the idea in my head." Tina mumbled, concentrating on her artwork. "Besides, it’s not going to be an airplane."

"What are you going to make?"

"You’ll see." Tina said, her tongue poking between her lips out of the corner of her mouth.

"Aren’t you going to need that to know what we’re reading?"

Tina shook her head. "I’ve read most of them already." She smiled, completing her project. "There."

Tina held up a paper boat. "It’s not a plane, so is it really against the rules?"

"I think folding it into any sort of vehicle would be wrong, but you did a nice job."

"Thanks." Tina smiled warmly at Bette and Bette felt her pulse quicken. How does she do this to me?

Feeling the weight of Bette’s stare, Tina looked away. "Uh…" She didn’t know what to say. Bette seemed nice enough, but all of this unwanted attention was making Tina uncomfortable. Why is she looking at me like that?

Snapping out of her trance, Bette realized what she had done and tried to save herself. "Oh, sorry. I kind of zoned out for a second."

"That’s okay." Tina shrugged it off.

Suddenly, the bell rang and class was over. As they walked to the hallway, Alice caught up with Tina. Extending her hand, she said, "Hi, Alice Pieszecki, reporter for the Corona Bay Voice and best friend to one Bette Porter."

"I know, I heard you this morning. Tina Kennard." Tina shook Alice’s hand. "Nice to meet you, but I have to go. My friend’s probably waiting so–" Tina looked from Bette to Alice and then back to Bette.

"We’ll let you go then." Alice purred. "Say bye Bette."

Bette, obviously embarrassed, tried to smile. "Bye Tina."

"Bye." Tina chuckled nervously. She looked at Bette and Alice one more time before turning down the hallway.

Bette could’ve killed Alice then and there. "What do you think you’re doing?"

Alice, still following Tina down the hallway, said, "She seems nice enough, a little reserved though. But we can take care of that."

"We are not taking care of anything because there is nothing to take care of!"

"Jesus Bette chill will ya!" Alice looked at Bette as if she were crazy. "I’m just joking with you. Man, we’ve been friends for how long now? Seven, eight years? And still no sense of humor."

"I have a sense of humor Al, but it isn’t warped like yours."

Alice was about to shoot back with a witty retort, but was interrupted.

"Hey, Prudey Porter, take off your top!" A male voice shouted and everyone within earshot laughed.

Bette froze in the middle of the hallway, her face suddenly red with anger and humiliation. Jesus, will it never end?

"That’s clever." Alice stated, giving the crowd the finger before both girls turned a corner, leaving the laughter behind. "Fucking assholes. You think after four years they’d come up with something original."

"Al–"

"I mean, seriously, ‘take off your top?’ Do they not know the definition of prude?"

"Alice–"

"Because at least–"

"Alice! Stop!" Bette chuckled at her friend’s fury, something she lost a few steps ago. "It’s all right."

"Yeah?" Alice asked meekly, stopping Bette in the hall, looking at her friend with a deep concern that Bette was grateful for.

Bette nodded. "Yeah. It doesn’t matter. It’s been going on for so long that I can’t even stay mad anymore. They’re just morons and after this year I’ll be done with them."

"Yeah. One more year." Alice agreed and they continued to walk again. "So fuck ‘em."

"That’s right." Fuck them all.

Well…almost all.

TBC…