Words I Might Have Ate

Art class ended almost as soon as it started, but I didn't care. The guys never showed up either, so I figured they weren't coming later. My next class was gonna be super boring. I usually had it with Mike and he'd make it worth while, but that dipstick wasn't here, so it was gonna be boring as hell for me.
Pepper and I walked out of the Art room and down the hall to her locker.
"You wanna skip this period?" she asked. "Cause I do. And Mike's not gonna be with ya, so what's the point, right?" I shrugged.
"I don't know. I actually enjoy English. We can skip fourth since Jimmy normally does, and if we skip too many classes, the teachers will suspect something." Pepper sighed and grabbed a book out of her locker, then slammed it shut.
"But I hate second period," she groaned. I shrugged halfheartedly.
"Sorry Pepper." She glared at me.
"You owe me." I rolled my eyes with a smile.
"Pepper, I'm gonna see you next period." She stuck out her lip.
"My fuck-buddy's not gonna be there with us." I raised my brow in surprise.
"'Fuck-buddy?' That in, more than buddies?" Pepper shrugged.
"He's cool like that."
"You guys never... you know..." I also did thrusting movements to prove my point. She shook her head with a smile.
"No. Not really, anyway." I raised an eyebrow. She just laughed. "No, we never did anything."
"Good, cause I don't think Brett would like that." Pepper smirked and shrugged. We waved good-bye to each other as we went into our separate classes. I sat down in my usual desk and looked to the side of me to the empty one that Mike was supposed to be sitting in.
What I didn't get was how the hell did they manage to stay home after that escapade. I'm sure Ollie didn't let them stay home... they must have acted like they were going and then Ollie went to work, and they went back to the house. Most likely. They do that a lot.
The whole class period, I actually did my work. It wasn't the first time, but it was probably the first time that week. I missed like, three days, then when I went yesterday, I didn't really do anything. Just chatted with Mike, Tre, and Jimmy.
In English, we were assigned to read a book, then write a 1,000 word report on it. It was called 'Catcher in The Rye.' We all had our own copies of the book, but not to keep, of course, so I couldn't let it get thrown away, damaged, etc. We had one day to read it, which sucked for me, cause I definitely couldn't get started on it tonight, since I was going to Gilman.
That was just what I needed. Of all the days I decided to pay attention, it had to be today. The bell for class to be over rang, and I grabbed my book and walked into the hallway while Pepper was waiting for me.
"Heylo Carrie," she greeted.
"Hey," I grunted.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't go to Gilman tonight." Pepper raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?" I raised up my book in front of her face.
"I got homework." She burst into laughter as we walked down the hall to our classroom.
"Oh, that was funny. Homework," she sighed, wiping her eye with her finger. "Carrie. What's more important? A kickass show at a kickass club with some kickass dudes and an occasionally asshole, or a boring book with a boring homework assignment that you can turn in whenever, and it won't even count that much?"
"It's due tomorrow, and it counts for like, sixty percent of my grade." She shivered.
"Ooh, I'm glad I don't have the same English teacher as you." I groaned.
"I can't go because of this stupid shit."
"Why can't you do it when you get home from the club?"
"Because, I'm gonna be too wasted, high, and tired from the club. I won't be able to even read a word, let alone hold a pencil the right way." Pepper nodded slowly.
"Yeah... good point. I'm not going without you, though. It won't be fun for me."
"No, you go Pepper. I don't want your fun to be spoiled just cause I won't be there."
"Just fuck the assignment," she suddenly blurted out. I tried to stifle my life.
"Don't ya think that would kinda hurt?" She laughed and nodded.
"Talk about a major paper cut," she laughed. I laughed also and nodded. We made it to our classroom and sat down in our desks. "Just don't do the fucking thing though. What's your grade in English?" I thought for a minute. I didn't even know. I hadn't seen my grade in a while.
"You're still passing, right?" she asked. I nodded slowly, not sure. I think I was... "Then no need to worry. It's just one assignment."
"Yeah, but Mr. Fares will call my parents if I don't turn it in, which means I'll have to go home and move far, far away." She frowned, then looked down at the floor.
"Oh... right."
"Yeah..." I added. She then shrugged. I was screwed. I wasn't even gonna get to see the guy's play. It wasn't their first show, but it was still a big thing for them. I really wanted to go and show my support, but I couldn't. Now they were gonna be mad at me. Well, Billie Joe's already mad at me, but now Mike and Tre will be too. Dammit.
"Is Jimmy going to the show?" I whispered to her, since class had started long ago. She shrugged.
"Ask him at The Wall." I nodded. I basically went to sleep after our conversation ended. History was so fucking boring.
When the bell rang for class to be over, I quickly raised my head and wiped a bit of drool on the side of my mouth. Eh, it happens to everyone. Don't act like you're perfect. Pepper and I walked out of the classroom and headed straight for The Wall. Since the guys weren't here, I could have actually went to Science, but I didn't feel like it... and I wanted to see Jimmy.
When we made it outside, she instantly pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. I sat down on the concrete cause I didn't feel like standing, but she did.
"Jimmy better hurry up. Today's been boring without the guys doing dumbass things to make us laugh." I nodded.
"You know, it's kinda sad that we rely on men to amuse us," I pointed out. Pepper blew out the smoke and stared at me with a thoughtful expression.
"You know what Carrie? You're right. We don't need men to make us laugh. We can do that ourselves by doing stupid shit." I nodded.
"Hey girls," a voice greeted behind us, which I assumed to be Jimmy. I looked up and there he was, standing next to Pepper with his fantabulous mohawk spiked up. Pepper pushed him away with one hand while taking a drag.
"Be gone with you Jimmy." He raised an eyebrow at her and took her hand off of his chest.
"Why?"
"Because, we don't need to rely on your kind to give us entertainment." He looked at me oddly with a smirk playing at his lips.
"What the fuck's she talking about?" I shrugged with a smile.
"I don't know. I think all the cigarette smoke has gone to her head."
"Whatever! You're the one who even mentioned us relying on men to amuse us!" she countered. Jimmy then gave me a weird look and I just shrugged.
"I was just trying to make conversation." Jimmy laughed.
"We rely on girls for stuff too." I rolled my eyes.
"That's for damn sure." Jimmy laughed again and took a seat next to me on the concrete.
"I'm surprised you don't want a smoke Jimmy," Pepper smiled, waving her cigarette around.
"Not right now," Jimmy admitted. "I saw your ex at the 7/11 last night." I furrowed my brow and looked at him in curiosity.
"One of Pepper's ex's?" He shook his head.
"No. Your ex. Billie Joe." I smiled, then laughed. He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh my God, that stupid dipstick. He got in trouble this morning for going out somewhere late last night, and he went to the fucking 7/11?" Jimmy nodded.
"He said he couldn't sleep, was hungry, and needed more cigarettes, but the place was closed." It was now my turn to raise an eyebrow at him.
"If it was closed, why were you there?" He just shrugged and finally asked Pepper for a cigarette. After he lit it, he took a long drag, then exhaled the smoke.
"I needed to get away from my house." I didn't ask anymore about it. I already knew most of the crap that Jimmy went through with his dad, and it wasn't pretty. A bit of silence fell over us after that. I was the one to break it.
"You going to Gilman tonight Jimmers?" He nodded. I huffed and crossed my arms.
"Aren't you?" I shook my head.
"She can't, cause she wants to be a pussy and do retarded ass homework, instead of going to a kickass club with her kickass friends to see kickass bands play kickass tunes," Pepper explained.
"Homework?" Jimmy questioned. "Why, I've never heard of such a word." I rolled my eyes with a smile.
"You know, that thing that the teachers assign for you to do at home, then give back to them the next day." Jimmy nodded slowly. He's so dumb when he wants to be. I just stared at him with a grin. "I fucking love your mohawk."
"I know you do, but you just can't have it." I just squinted my eyes at him. "Carrie, you gotta blow off school. Just this once, or twice... whatever. You gotta go to Gilman's tonight."
"I can't Jimmy. If I don't do my homework, which is sixty percent of my grade, I'll start to fail, which means my teacher will call my parents, and I'll have to go home, and move far, far away and never get to see any of you guys ever again." Jimmy snorted airily.
"It sounds like you're making excuses not to go." I shook my head.
"I'm serious though, Jim-Jim. I don't wanna move."
"Okay, one, stop giving me weird nicknames, and two, the show doesn't start til seven, right?" I nodded. "Okay, what all do you need to do?" I sighed.
"Read a book, then write a 1,000 word essay on it." He nodded slowly, rubbing his chin.
"Okay, then you can read the book in the rest of your classes, and then write the essay before you go to the show. Duh." My eyes widened in surprise and I hugged Jimmy unexpectedly. He looked shocked. I don't know why I didn't think if that before, though. Now I feel stupid, cause a stoner though of that plan before I did.
"Thank you Jimmy!" I screeched.
"God, you're dumb," Pepper sighed, blowing out smoke.
"Then why didn't you think of it?" I countered.
"Didn't feel like it." I rolled my eyes with a smile. The bell inside the building rang and I got up from my seat and picked up my book.
"If I'm gonna read it in the rest of my classes, then I gotta actually be in class, you know?" Jimmy nodded. "You coming Pepper?" She shook her head.
"I'll chill out here with Jimbo." He glared at her.
"Fucking stop with the nicknames!" I just laughed and walked inside after waving to them. I went into my Science class and sat down at my table, which was not being shared with Billie Joe at the time. That was good.