"Willow. Willow? Willow Masterson!" I jerk my head up and look at my math teacher.
"Yeah?" He sighs and points to the board, a simple calculus equation meant for me to answer.
"Mind telling us what the answer is, or are you gonna day dream through the rest of the class?"
"I thought I'd day dream." He clicks his tongue. If I weren't the smartest person in this damn class, I'd probably have gotten a detention for talking back. I look back out the window, my chin resting on my hand. My mind wanders back to what I was thinking about before I was interrupted. Angels, of all things.
I've never really believed in ghosts, or spirits, or angels, or heaven and hell. But for the past couple months angels are all I can think about. I get such a strong feeling of certainty and wholeness, that I can't help but wonder.
The bells rings, interrupting my thoughts again. "Willow, can I see you for a sec?" I gather my books and stand beside Mr Frank's desk. His last name isn't really Frank, but that's what everyone calls him for some reason.
"Yeah, Mr Frank?" He folds his hands together on his desk.
"I know you're our school's most gifted student, but all of this recent day dreaming isn't productive for my class and is getting out of hand." I've heard all this before. I just had this same talk with my science teacher this morning.
"I'm in all of the advanced classes, I do everything that's required of me. Short of moving across the country to the type of school that can take someone like me, what else would you have me do?" He clicks his tongue again, a habit I find really gross, and shrugs his shoulders.
"I'm not sure, Willow, honestly. But all I know is that it's got to stop. It's setting a bad example to the other kids. They're probably thinking that if they were as smart as you then they'd be able to not pay attention in class and get away with it."
"It's not my fault that I know all this stuff."
"I never said it was, but maybe you could make a little effort to pay better attention from now on." I sigh and nod. Like it'll do anything. "Thank you Willow. You're free to go. Enjoy your weekend."
"Thanks." I exit the classroom and turn left toward my locker. Two more weeks and I'm free. I just have to go through two more weeks.
"Willow! There you are. Where've you been, huh?" I look up at Lizzy as she approaches our locker. I enter the combo and almost bang her in the face with the door.
"Mr Frank wanted to talk to me." She rolls her eyes. "My thoughts exactly."
"These teachers are so dumb. You're smarter than all of them put together and they get annoyed when you get bored with the stuff they're teaching." I shrug and dump my books in the locker.
"I only have three more weeks to go and then I'm outta this dumb town for good." She makes a face while exchanging books she needs.
"Still planning on ditching me and moving all the way to western yonder?" I laugh.
"Yeah, sorry."
"Ah well. Least you'll be in a place that you're actually learning." Lizzy and I have been friends since our first day of kindergarten. I was using the blue crayon she wanted and instead of asking me for it she took it right from my hand. I hit her and took it back and we've been friends ever since.
"I know, I can't wait."
"Think you'll meet anyone there?" I roll my eyes and shut the locker, linking my arm with hers.
"Oh please. Some of us don't need a guy to survive."
"I dunno how you've done it all these years." I roll my eyes again. She's had a steady string of boyfriends since we were 15 years old. I've yet to get my first one, even though I've had plenty of offers. No one here interests me enough. Liz's longest relationship lasted 6 months, and her shortest 2 1/2 hours. He asked her out before school started and she dumped him at lunch. "So what's the plan for tonight?"
"I wasn't aware I had any plans." She rolls her eyes this time. I'm forever disappointing her in the fact that I don't plan every minute of my social life for weeks in advance.
"I thought we'd go to Voltage tonight. I told someone I'd meet him there."
"Well, you can't let your admirers down, can you? Yeah all right, I'll go. But this is the last club, you hear me? I've put on like 5 pounds from all the alcohol you're feeding me."
"Oh god, not 5 pounds. You could still use another 10. And besides, we've only been 19 for 2 months, we've got 19 years of clubbing to catch up on!" I laugh and shake my head.
"You're too much. I'll see you after supper, though. Come on over and dress me, if you must."
"And I must. See you later honey." We part ways and head toward our own houses. Which happen to be 5 houses down from eachother and right across the street from the school. I gather the mail, unlock the door, and head up to my room. The only mail is from the University of Manitoba, the school I'll be attending in the fall. I've decided to take summer courses just to get out of here that much quicker. I'm really going to miss Liz, but I can't stand to be here longer than is really necessary.
Instead of opening my letter I flop down on my bed and close my eyes. Without knowing it I fall asleep, waking up to my mom calling me down to dinner.