It's Just a Game

"Thank you for doing this for me, Rose."

I'd come in to school early so that I could give Mr. Vaeda the papers I'd spent all night grading for him. I'd only gotten three hours of sleep and had to suffer through some truly awful writing.

"It was my pleasure, Sir." I dismissed, handing him the stack of papers. "Did you have a good time with Candice?"

He chuckled throatily, sending shivers down my spine. "I would have had a more pleasant visit had my ex wife not been there." He'd been divorced for five years, just one year longer than I'd known him. "My daughter is pregnant, Rose, can you believe it? Only married a year and she's having a baby already. I feel like twenty-one is too young."

"Oh, just smile, will you?" I scolded playfully. "You're going to be a grandfather. Congrats."

The corners of his lips twitched up a bit. Mr. Vaeda didn't smile often. He always looks so stoic, but most times you can just tell how he's feeling because his beautiful brown-green eyes gave it away. Now they were sparkling with excitement. He'd probably never admit to me just how happy he really was.

"That makes me sound very old." He said, swiveling in his chair with his elbows resting on his knees, chin in his hands. "I'm going to be a grandfather."

"You don't look a day over eighty." I joked.

He let out another deep chuckle and stood from his chair. "You should head off to class or Juliet will wonder where you are. Have a good day, Miss Young. I'll see you fifth hour."

"Alright." I waved to him, "Have a good morning."

I walked out of his classroom, rounded the corner and ran directly into Juliet. She smiled teasingly at me. "Coming from Mr. Vaeda's class?" She inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I am." I gushed. We kept walking but I, bouncing up and down with glee, told her his good news.

"You don't find it just a little weird that you have a massive crush on a forty-five year-old man, who's oldest daughter is four years older than you and is about to make him a grandfather?

"Hey," I defended, "at least my boyfriend isn't ten years older than me, Juliet"

She shrugged, accepting my rebuttal.

"Sit down!" Someone from my class shouted to us. "The show is about to start."

I'd like to clarify that classes don't normally watch the Game. My teacher had just been really sick for a couple days, so this is what she'd told the substitute to do with us.

Juliet woke me after the rest of the class had filed out. "If you don't wake up we're going to be late and you wont be able to talk me to class!" She handed me my things and with a yawn, I clambered from my seat.

I didn't get to say hello to Mr. Vaeda, or even stop to have a quick chat with Juliet-- I was already late to my next class.

I slipped in while my teacher took roll- after my name had already been called, of course.

"Late, Miss Young. Next one will be a detention." I'd accumulated a few tardies over the course of the year so far.

"Hey, fall asleep in homeroom, again?" Charlie whispered, leaning over his desk behind me. I turned around-- I like to be able to see the person that I'm interacting with.

"Yeah. I didn't sleep well last night. I was cramming for my social psychology test that I have today." I wasn't completely lying. I did stay up pretty late studying. But what little sleep I did get was infected with awful dreams of being chosen.