Four #2
The crowd broke into disappointed chatter filled with groans, curses, and eye rolls. Some students were more upset than others, but all disappointed, nonetheless. It seemed we should have splurged for more donuts.
"Think it'll win me the election?" I asked my friend group.
"Of course!" Bella exclaimed.
Kailey nodded in agreement. "If not, then it's rigged. I mean, you literally skipped a grade. That has to mean you're more worthy of the president title than Javier."
I didn't think that they had anything to do with whether or not I was fit to be class president, but I appreciated Kailey's optimism.
"Javier is loaded, though," Ricky said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if his parents could buy this whole school, it's already rigged."
Ricky was right. Javier's parents had money. I had never been to his house before for obvious reasons, but everyone said that it was huge. No wonder he got a car and a motorcycle for his sixteenth birthday.
It surprised me how I hadn't known that he had a motorcycle. I would've thought that the moment he got it, he would've shown it off. He always struck me as someone who liked to brag. That was the way he acted with his grades, anyway.
"Yeah. Did you guys know he has a motorcycle?" I informed them as we began to pick up the empty boxes and form them into neat piles. They all shook their heads and mumbled. I continued, "Well, he does. It's pretty cool."
"How do you know he has one?" Kailey asked, walking toward the trash to toss out the donut boxes.
I did not necessarily want to share the fact that Javier had to bring me home, but I did put it on myself by bringing it up.
I took a deep breath, avoiding eye contact with my friends.
It wasn't that I was not grateful. Despite my dislike of Javier, I was grateful.
It was just a little embarrassing that someone that I constantly made known to him that I hated him was kind enough to bring me home when my own siblings weren't.
"He brought me home," I said quietly.
Kailey dropped two empty boxes and her jaw dropped, Ricky and Bella looking just as stunned. I rolled my eyes at Kailey's being overly dramatic.
"What, really?" Kailey questioned, astonished.
I nodded slowly.
"Why?" The surprise on Ricky's face was gone now, he looked more concerned. Concerned as to why I would ever ride home with Javier. Ricky knew more than anyone that I would never willingly get in a car with Javier Cortez. Well, I guessed still hadn't gotten in a car with him.
I bit my bottom lip. "I needed a ride and he was there."
Ricky raised an eyebrow at me as Bella spoke, "That's sweet of him. Maybe he doesn't hate you."
"Well, I still hate him," I said dryly.
Well, maybe slightly less.
***
Student council had a meeting after school. Kailey and I found a seat in the front row like we normally did. She was telling me about a puppy that she almost ran over.
"And I was so scared! I really thought that I murdered that poor poodle, Eli."
"Well, good thing you swerved because the poodle almost became one with the road.”
Kailey gave me a bored look. "Not funny."
After a few minutes the room was filled with student council members. Javier made sure to get his seat in the front row, just like Kailey and me. He sat straight up, ready to listen, but he also kept stealing glances at me.
Kailey noticed this. She turned to me and put her hands in mine. "Once you beat Javier in the election, you have to stop this feud with him."
"Why?" I asked, annoyance evident in my voice.
"Because it's pointless, you hate each other for no real reason. Honestly, you guys would be so much stronger being friends than enemies," she explained. “And he actually seems pretty sweet.”
What the hell was so great about Javier that everyone wanted to be friends with him? He was not special in any way, shape, or form. Sure, he had a really pretty face and a charming attitude, but that was about it.
Our student council teacher, Mr. Rowe, cleared his throat. That was him signaling us to shut up. Thank God for him because he interrupted Kailey and I's conversation that I had wanted to be over with.
He began to inform us about events that we had going on in our school. Honestly, I zoned out five minutes into this. Nothing really happened at these meetings until it was time for us to plan an event, and since we weren't planning any events at that time, there was nothing happening.
"Mr. Richardson," I was brought out of my thoughts by our teacher.
I blinked a few times and sat up right. "Yes sir?"
"You stay after we dismiss," he told me in front of everyone like I was in some type of trouble.
I nodded and kept my eyes focused on my desk. I heard some people snickering, one of them was of course, Javier. It was whatever, I didn’t know half of the people in the room anyway, so I didn’t care about their childishness.
"Don't forget," Mr. Rowe announced, "class office elections are announced on Friday, so you all need to make sure you’ve campaigned enough to get yourself some votes."
It was not a want, it was a desperate need. I needed to be senior class president.
Freshman, sophomore, and junior year I had lost. Each failure took such a huge toll on me and my self-esteem.
The difference was that this year I was in the running for valedictorian.
I hoped that would give me a better shot, because who wouldn’t want their future valedictorian as their class president?
Though, Javier was also in the running for valedictorian. He was also more liked around school than I was, so I understood why he got more votes. But it wasn’t a popularity contest, which is what made me so upset about these elections because that was how everyone treated it.
Not only did I want to be class president, I also just wanted to beat Javier Cortez.
Mr. Rowe dismissed everyone and Kailey let me know she would wait for me outside of the door. I went up to Mr. Rowe's desk.
My teacher leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. His bushy mustache kept taking my attention regardless how much I tried to look away. He smacked his lips and sat up as I approached him. "Elias, how 'ya been?"
"Good," I replied shortly, wanting him to get to the point already.
He nodded. "Alright, I’ll jump straight to the point. Are you still wanting to go on the trip?"
Every four years the student council club would go on a trip, though the trip was open to anyone. Student council members would get their hotel paid for in full and a discount on their park tickets. Anyone who wanted to go that was not in the student council would have to pay for it themselves.
This year was a theme park. I had never been to any theme park before, so I was extremely excited when we were told about it at the end of last year.
Only problem was I knew that I wouldn't have enough money to go.
While we did get a discounted price, it was still a lot.
I didn't have a job, and my parents were too dead to pay for me.
I knew this before I agreed to go, but I still agreed anyway. I was hoping that by some miracle I would conjure up the money before it was due.
"Of course I want to go," I replied.
Mr. Rowe sighed. "Well, you haven't paid any of the fees yet. You have had plenty of time, kid."
It was my turn to sigh. I couldn't hide the disappointment on my face. This was a trip I had been looking forward to not only because of where we were going, but because all of my friends were going too. It would also be a week away from my family, and that was something I really needed.
"Look, I'll give you a month to make the first payment. If you can at least do that then we can try to work something out, otherwise, I can’t let you go. Understand?" Mr. Rowe explained.
I nodded and gave him my thanks. I should have simply told him that I couldn't go. There was no way I could come up with the money in a month, and that was only the beginning price.
I knew it was incredibly wishful thinking, but I was hoping the money would gracefully fall out of the sky.