Speechless
"How much will you bet that I will get Zane?" Lauren Whittle whispered to her friend, Delia Hansen.
Delia only rolled her eyes in mock annoyance at her friend’s question.
The two girls were in class, whispering to each other when they should be focusing.
Delia inwardly face palmed at her friend’s stupidity that she claimed was bravado.
It was the time of year again, where the students in Maplewood High School went crazy.
In Maplewood High School, there was an annual tradition called "Couple of the Month" where students were paired up with each other, and stayed with each other for the whole month.
During this, the chosen couples would do school-friendly activities which would garner points. The couple with the most points would be crowned the King and Queen of Couples.
Therefore, it was only natural that girls would try to be paired up with Zane Carter, the certified hottest male in this school. Not that the others were average, he was just the hottest.
However, Delia was not interested in such things. She believes the whole tradition is outdated. A sentiment not shared with her parents.
Franklin and Paula Hansen, former alumni of the school and her parents, literally met each other thanks to this tradition. They always say that they owe their marriage to the school. So for her not to participate is blasphemy.
To them anyway.
She loves that how her parents met, she’d never gets tired of hearing the story but she wishes that they understood that it's not the same.
"I just hope it’s not Ezra. That guy screams problems," Lauren chirped. Delia nudged her friend, nervously looking around.
"I honestly don’t understand the stigma. Of what crimes has he committed?" Delia asked.
Lauren gave her friend a look of shock.
"What crimes? I’ve heard he was baptized in the blood of the other inmates," Lauren whispered. "That guy didn't come from Juvie, he is Juvie."
“That’s stupid and you know it,” Delia nudged her.
"Go ahead and ask him if it’s true or not," Lauren pointed at the boy, who was far in the back of the class.
Ezra wore a double high nostril piercing and a vertical eyebrow piercing located on his right eyebrow. His layered "Black Sabbath" T-shirt was smooth pressed, and knee ripped jeans looked crinkled.
Studded piercings on the helix and earlobe of his ears, and a vertical labret. His feet were propped on the table which moved to whatever metal rock music he was listening to.
Delia turned away. She wasn't going to ask him crap.
She’s nice, not crazy.
"Anyway, focus on the book in front of you. Unless you want to present to your parents with ANOTHER F for English," Delia teased.
"Fine," Lauren said then proceeded to scribble something down on the paper, another paper secretly folded and tucked under the open page.
Delia happened to glance at the open paper, the words "Zane" plain as daylight. She couldn’t help but chuckle.
As the bell for break rang, the children filed out of the class. Lauren passed by the teacher’s desk and slipped the papers in the box labeled "Submissions".
She gave her BFF a thumbs up and Delia playfully rolled her eyes.
"Lauren, I really hate to be that girl but you absolutely wasted your time," Delia said to her as she munched on her Lay's.
The girls were now in the cafeteria for Snack time.
"Said the girl who didn’t even submit your name. Why are you not participating?” Lauren asks.
"You already know the answer to that," Delia dismissed the question. "
"What are you, anti-love? Like why? You know you could—"
“Meet your soulmate. I know. My parents tell me this all the time,” Delia finished the sentence.
"There’s some truth behind it,” Lauren argued.
"Sure," Delia rolled her eyes
"Look, we have Valentine’s Day for that type of stuff. I see no one excited for that," Lauren said.
Delia scoffed. Lauren then suddenly went quiet, frozen on the spot.
"What?” Delia says, waiting for a response.
"How rude. You still haven’t noticed me?" The voice in front of her making Delia cringe inwardly.
She turned forward and smiled.
"Hi Alyssa," she said, wishing the girl would disappear.
Alyssa approached smugly, her crop top and skinny jeans accenting her legs. "Why not participate? Scared?" The obnoxious redhead smirked.
"No," Delia replied.
Alyssa burst into laughter, her mindless cronies, Susan and Isla, laughing with her.
"How lame. Then again, I'm not surprised," Alyssa snidely said. She then bragged, "When I get Zane, he and I will literally become a power couple."
"What about Ezra?" Delia asked her. "Is he not your cup of tea?"
Alyssa scoffed at the question.
"I would rather be with a nerd than with that....Neanderthal." She shuddered, her eyes glancing at the boy who sat behind the cafeteria.
“The only Neanderthal here are your friends,” Delia snarkily snapped back. “Blonde, and blonder.”
It was clear who won the round. Alyssa growled then stormed off, Susan and Isla following her. Delia shook her head.
That girl can be so foolish sometimes.
At the moment, Zane entered the cafeteria and all the girls squealed in unison. Delia immediately picked her book next to her and began to read. Ezra rolled his eyes and groaned at his flamboyant entrance.
Zane passed by Delia and Lauren’s table.
"Hello ladies," he winked at them. Lauren fainted but Delia didn’t even acknowledge him. Zane went on his way and Lauren turned to her.
"Oh my God, Delia. He did it again!" She said excitedly. Delia looked up.
"Huh? What did he do?" She asked. Lauren frowned.
"He always does this and you always do this, reading those dumb books," Lauren accusingly pointed at the book.
"Maybe unlike you, I don’t get the fuss. I mean I do but you know I’m not the type to be fawning over guys," Delia answered.
But maybe Lauren was right.
Maybe she should get a life.
Oh, who was kidding?
Last week, she overheard the nerds in school say she was too dorky.
What?
Her?
Then again....
Yeah.
When Lunchtime came around, all the students gathered in the Auditorium, which was bigger than the whole school, as big as two museums of National History. The boys were on one side and the girls on the other side.
Mrs. Granite, the principal, stepped onto the stage and cleared her throat, speaking into the mic.
"Welcome everyone to our annual Couple of the Month Competition!" She said excitedly into the mic.
Everyone whistled and cheered at this as Delia continued reading Animal Farm, too engrossed to listen.
“You know how this goes. This is the boy section and this is girl section,” She gestured to two bowls on the stage.
One under the blue sign with the words "Boys" and the other under the pink sign with the words "Girls".
"The boys’ section has all the girl names and the vice versa for the girls’ section. Each of you will come forward and take a name. We have..."
She looked into the bowl then glanced at a teacher who mouthed the number.
"There are twenty-five names in each bowl. Wish yourselves luck," Mrs. Granite said, smiling.
Delia glanced over at her friend, who was praying a quick prayer that she ends up as the lucky one. She only playfully rolled her eyes. All the girls began to wish and pray that they too get Zane as their partner.
"Alright, who’s first?" Mrs. Granite asked, scanning the crowd.
Alyssa confidentially goes forward, sashaying onto the stage. She sticks her hand into the bowl and takes out a name. Seeing who it is, her smug smile falls.
"Well? Who is it?" Mrs. Granite asks, putting the mic to her mouth.
"N-Noah," she mutters. The whole auditorium, except Delia and Ezra, erupts in fits of laughter.
Mrs. Granite gave everyone a glare, and the whole crowd fell quiet.
"Come on, everyone," Mrs. Granite beckoned as Alyssa left the stage, horrified. "It doesn’t matter who it is, we’re just here to have fun."
Joel then came forward, a friend of Zane himself, and picked out a girl name.
“Marcy,” He said, earning an “oooh” from the boys. Marcy, on the other hand, hid her face with her hands.
Leanne then came forward and picked a name. "Cole," she said. The boys then began to laugh, patting Cole on the back.
Each student took a name, be it a nerd or popular girl. Alyssa was still being comforted by her friends for her choice of a partner.
Zane came forward and scooped up a name. All the girls squealed as he opened the paper.
"Lauren," he announced with an arched brow.
Lauren shot up to her feet and starts to holler and scream like an idiot. Then she stopped and shook Delia.
"Oh my God! Did he say my name?" Lauren screamed joyfully.
Delia, who had long tuned out the announcements, shrugged and smiled in confusion and excitement.
Lauren got down there in a flash and ran up the steps of the stage. She then jumped on Zane, hugging him. She got off and pointed at him then quickly hugged him again.
Delia chuckled at her friend’s utter bewildering cuteness and whipped out her phone, taking a pic.
After Lauren and Zane returned to their seats, Delia nudged her friend, a teasing smile on her face. Chloe went up on the stage and picked out a name.
"Benjamin," She drawled out. Benjamin received pats on the back from the other nerds.
"Oof! She’ll bleed him dry of all his money," Lauren whispered.
Mrs. Granite smiled.
"Ezra McDowell," she called with an inviting grin
Ezra stood and moved forward. No one, not even the birds in the rafters, stirred. His footsteps echoed in the now quiet space.
"Ezra McDowell is coming forward. I wonder who is the fortunate little lady?" She said, excitedly as he came on stage.
"You mean unfortunate," Lauren muttered.
Ezra fished out a paper and all the girls held their breath. Taking the mic, he opened his mouth.
He squints then turns to the principal for help. The principal whispers the pronunciation. He nodded, then declared with all his chest, "Deleah."
Despite the butchering of the name, the whole school body turned simultaneously to where Delia sat. Delia was frozen, her eyes as wide as an owl. Lauren had no words and neither did she. No one said anything.
"Delia?" Mrs. Granite said, a smile waning.
She didn’t know what to say.
She HAD nothing to say.
She was speechless.
