Don't Complain If You Can't Win

The bell rang loudly throughout the room over the teacher's explanations, signaling the end of class. As soon as the bell ceased, Leighton was already out of the door before anyone else and rushing down the hall to get to hers and Courtney's lockers. She was excited; she was scared. Leigh was filled with so many emotions that she bounced on the balls of her feet waiting rather impatiently since she just had to tell her best friend that Zack Merrick, of all people, was in her Chemistry class.

Kids went by in a blur, some hurriedly walking to their next class and others taking it slow; some kids even gazed over at Leighton standing there anxiously because they thought she was the "new kid" this school year. They didn't know she was the "fat girl with popular friends" who had transformed into someone completely unrecognizable from who she once was, into someone who she still was on the inside. Even if their eyes caught hers, she pushed their stares out of her mind because of something more important, rather meaning someone more important, was on her mind.

"My gosh!" she head that familiar voice she's been waiting for say exasperatingly. "English was a nightmare! I have the worst teacher who can't even control a damn class," she continued on and spun her combination into her locker. "And now I have math," Courtney said, shoving her literature book into her locker to pull her Algebra two book out. "What do you have next?"

"Guess who's in my Chemistry class," Leighton blurted, completely disregarding her best friend's question.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Courtney shook her head "I give up; who?" she asked, holding her paperback book in her hand as she shrugged.

"Zack Merrick."

"What?" Courtney nearly shrieked and dropped her book onto the floor. Wiping the shock from her face, she looked down and picked up the book. "He's in your class?" Leighton bit her lip and nodded, not really the answer Courtney was looking for as she shoved the book in her bag. "Wow, I don't even know what to say."

"He was looking at me today," Leigh told her with hesitance in her voice. "He smiled at me, Court! Zack Merrick noticed me!" she whispered hoping no one heard her even though her whisper was slightly loud.

"Oh, no, Leighton," Courtney slammed her locker shut. "Please, please don't tell me you're still holding onto that stupid crush you have on him!" she begged.

"Okay, fine, I won't say it," Leighton's eyes wandered the hall as she hoisted her bag up onto her opposite shoulder and began walking down the hall.

"Leigh, you can't like him! After all he's put you through, why? It's unethical!" Courtney complained. "I'm only looking out for you and it's not good for you to like him! He's a fucking prick!"

"I know, I know, Court, but I can't help it. I don't even know why I do, I just...do," she spoke lowly almost having the tone as if she were ashamed of her middle school crush on that boy.

"It's probably just because of how disgustingly good looking he is; good looks are all Zack Merrick has going for him," Courtney informed. "His personality is shit, I mean, literally."

Her head hung low as they turned the hall and stopped. "You're right," she said. "He's got nothing going for him but his looks."

"Yeah," Courtney sighed. "What do you have next?"

"I've got P.E., so I'll probably just see you later if you want to come over or something."

"P.E.? I thought you already took your two years required," Courtney trailed off.

"I did, but I just want some way to stay active if I don't make any sports teams this year. I've gotta go; we have to sign up for P.E. lockers and such," Leighton waved off her friend and went in different directions towards the school gymnasium.

She understood that her friend was completely right about Zack; he was no good, at least from what she knew of him because how he's acted towards her in the past. But the past is the past, she'd tell herself. And maybe the real Zack Merrick was someone who was a genuinely good person.

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Their laughter carried on loudly as they continued to talk about any sort of nonsense either could come up with. Holding her celery stick a few inches from her mouth that was open with no sound coming out, Leighton gasped for air and snorkeled in the process which only led the two girls to laugh even harder. Her eyes were beginning to water and she finally tried to retain composure with steadying her breathing first. Courtney wiped her eyes and shook her head, fanning her face to calm herself down.

"Wow, I haven't laughed that hard in so long," Leighton announced and took a sip of her Diet Snapple before popping the celery piece into her mouth. "That was great; seriously, it's so good to just act normal. Those months without you were so long and too routine!"

"Psh, you're telling me!" Courtney stirred her salad around in its container. "I hung out with my younger brother the whole time! I've never hated video games more than I do now."

"Next time you come over, I'll force you to play old Tony Hawk games on the original Playstation," Leigh told her feigning all seriousness. "The first Playstation is the only game system I've got," she had to stifle a chuckle.

"Oh no!" Courtney waved her hands in front of her. "I'm so done with games; never, ever again!"

"Nah, I wouldn't want to put myself through that kind of torture either," she said just as the bell ending their lunch period sounded annoyingly. "Why is lunch the only part of the day that goes by way too fast?" Leighton sighed and gathered all her garbage before drinking the last of her drink to throw away.

"Because it's the only time of day we don't have to listen to anyone," Court rolled her eyes and threw away her garbage as well. "Please save me from this English class, Leigh, please!" she begged all too dramatically on purpose.

"After a week of being in the class, you're already complaining this much?" Leighton laughed at her friend as they began to walk out of the quad.

"I've told you about it already; it's horrible!" she spoke as they passed a bulletin board with announcements on it. "Oh, Leigh, look!" Courtney pointed to a white paper that was decorated accordingly.

"Volleyball try-outs?" she stared at the poster and furrowed her brow. "In a month; you think I should do it?" Leighton turned to her friend with a smile that was twitching at the corners of her lips.

"Do I think so? Absolutely!"

"What if it goes like those softball try-outs last year?" Leighton frowned.

Courtney flashed her best friend an "are-you-serious?" face and shifted all her weight to her left leg and folded her arms over her chest. "It'll go better; trust me. You want it more this time around and you're in better shape than most people in school now!"

Leighton blushed and looked away. "No I'm not," she chuckled nervously.

"Here," Courtney pulled the eight by ten advertisement off the bulletin board and folded it, handing it to Leighton. "Take it as a reminder, because you're going to try out for the team. You've got a month to get good at volleyball," she smiled.

"I'm glad I have a friend to push me to do things," Leigh smiled too. "We gotta get to class!" she said and Courtney widened her eyes before giving a quick farewell before they both hurried off to get to class.

Having to hurry up and weave in and out around other passing students, Leighton walked hastily and stepped inside the class just as soon as the bell rang, barely making it in on time. Sighing in relief to herself, she subtly glanced around the class to see if that someone was in yet, but having been late everyday for the passed week, she wasn't surprised to see Zack not sitting in his spot. Shrugging inwardly, Leigh sat down and read the blackboard. "Scientific Method" it read with numbers one through six lined horizontally underneath.

Five minutes after the bell, Mr. Holden got up from his desk that's kitty cornered at the far right of the classroom, opposite Leighton, after taking roll. He stood up front with a smile and clasped his hands together, greeting the class politely as he does everyday. Mr. Holden went on informing the class his plans for the day, earning moans and groans from all his students which he quickly learned to ignore.

"The Scientific Method, who's heard of it?" he asked; slowly, just about everyone raised their hands, except the ones who were being stubborn or lazy, or both. "Miss Warner, you've heard of the Scientific Method, correct?" he asked and Leighton nodded her head agreeing. "Will you please come up to the board and write each step to their corresponding number?"

As much as she didn't feel like getting up in front of the class at the moment, she obliged anyway and took the half piece of chalk Mr. Holden handed to her and started writing out the first step. Leaning over her shoulder to look, she could hear her teacher muttering a "very good" as she wrote down the third step, only to be interrupted by the class door being swung open.

"Mr. Merrick, this must be a record," he said and that name was enough to freeze Leigh into paralysis. "Eight days late in a row, but only ten minutes late this time."

"You know, I think we've had this conversation before, Mr. H," Zack announced, waving his finger at his teacher adding emphasis to his statement with a smirk.

"That we have, Mr. Merrick. Please, take a seat and pay attention, would you?"

"Can't promise anything today, Mr. H," he said and got chuckles out of some his classmates.

He walked passed the front of his classmates, glancing at Leighton who was still mindlessly staring at him since the moment he walked in. The same smirk she's seen on numerous accounts was plastered on his gorgeous face and only widened when he nodded at her and noticed the smile that unintentionally fell upon her face. She bit her lip and turned facing the board which she had yet to finish what she started.

"Go on, Miss Warner, continue," Mr. Holden told her.

Her mind went blank for a moment before she was able to finish. Heat rose up from her neck and stopped at her cheeks as she turned on her heel to sit back in her seat, tucking strands of her long brown hair behind her ear and holding it their until she sat down. Leighton immediately felt eyes on her as soon as the teacher began his lecture on the Scientific Method everyone already understood before he went in depth with the lesson.

She took that feeling she was getting and peeked through her brown side bangs, having to turn her head slightly to actually see. Sure enough, Zack was the one whose eyes she felt and that turned her stomach into knots, even more when he lifted his hand and waved at her using his fingers. That smirk was replaced with, what seemed like, a genuine smile, and a smile formed on her face. His only grew when he noticed and he looked away first, glancing back when she staring elsewhere.

Out of the thirty two kids in that class, just about half being boys, Zack was the one who couldn't stop looking at her, and this confused Leighton, but it more so flattered her than anything. She had this little feeling that she was getting what she wanted all along, but Leighton knew she shouldn't get her hopes up.

"C'mon class!" Mr. Holden's voice tore her from her trance and shut the whispers up. "Pay attention! Last warning, I'm serious. Be ready for a new seating chart first thing Monday!" he threatened.

Rolling her eyes, Leighton sighed and stole one more brief glance of Zack. He sure did have disgustingly good looks; he was probably the best looking guy Leighton had ever seen.