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Whisper in the Woods; Part 1: Ugh, Projects |
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Yay! It's finally here! Okay, here's part one of my story Whisper in the Woods. I appreciate all comments, so please comment. It helps me improve my writing skills. This is supposed to be a horror-ish type thing, but part 1, and most likely 2, will be getting to know the characters. So anyway.. Enjoy!
Whisper in the Woods
Part 1: Ugh, Projects
A lunch tray dropped onto a round table. Its owner sat down behind it. At five foot ten, a teen scanned the table, studying the two other students that sat before him as if he was a judge, his cloudy gray eyes looking from one to the other. Just like the young Aidan Baker, the students looked as if they didn’t want to be there, anywhere but there.
“Of all the kids in the class, I’m stuck paired with you guys?” he said with a near disgusted look on his face, his tone matching. The girl’s mouth twitched into a mock smile that quickly faded. The boy’s deep ocean blue eyes contained a mischievous look in them.
“Guess so,” said the boy. He sported a goofy smile.
“I don’t know what’s worse, having to work with you or having to do this biology project all together,” the girl said to him.
“Relax, Amy,” he replied. “At least this project isn’t on shoes. But then, that makes it a toughie for you, huh?”
“Shut up, Nick.”
Aidan silently listened to the two of them argue, starting to dig in to his gloriously healthy lunch: a greasy slice of pizza, a bag of ruffled potato chips and a carton of milk. He could see now that this particular project was going to be a long one, and he wasn’t factoring in the three day weekend. He was counting on how different they all were. The project Ms. Jenkins assigned was to help get different cliques together and give the students the opportunity to choose their topic.
“Anyway,” he began, breaking into the chatter between Amy and Nick. There was no getting over the voices in the cafeteria, but at least the two were able to hear him. “Where’re Elvira and the geek?”
He felt a hand hit the back of his head, not hard but to knock some sense into him, as Riley Blair, the fourth member of their group took a seat at the table next to him. “Just because you’re a quarterback, doesn’t mean I’m going to let that slip and not kick your a** for that.”
“Nah, you’ll probably bite him,” Nick commented. Riley shot a glare at him, icy blue eyes allowing it to appear more piercing. Nick winced and gave a shudder. “Never mind.”
“We need to talk about what we’re going to do for the project,” she said. She pushed a lock of black hair from her eyes and clicked open a can of Pepsi.
“Not until What’s-His-Name, Bentley, decides to show up,” Aidan muttered. He popped a chip into his mouth and dug his hand back into the bag for another.
“Where is that nerd, anyway?” Amy asked.
Nick opened his mouth to reply, but said nothing. Someone had shouted something a table over from them. They looked over, curiosity taking over their attentions.
“Watch where you’re going, Bentley,” warned a boy. His voice was powerful, full of a leadership aura and his stature proved it. He was reaching close to six feet and wore a leather jacket much like Aidan’s over a pair of worn blue jeans. He seemed to tower over the feeble looking boy that stood before him. The cafeteria grew quiet as they turned towards the scene.
Bentley looked up at the kid, knowing he was probably going to get his a** kicked, or at least be embarrassed in front of the school. In his hands was a tray that held the lunchroom’s ziti meal, a carton of chocolate milk and a Styrofoam bowl of salad wrapped in saran wrap. “I’m sorry, Sonny. I swear I didn’t see you there-“
“You didn’t see me walking to my seat? You here that, guys? The little dweeb didn’t see me,” Sonny said, ice blue eyes looking over at a couple of other jocks sitting at the table. They sniggered as Jack pushed his black-rimmed glasses up his nose nervously.
The moment seemed to be a climatic moment, and Sonny knew it. All the talking had died down now as students turned their seats and craned their neck to get a better view.
“Next time you really ought to pay attention, you get it?” Sonny said. More like an order rather than filling him in. He hit the side of the tray. The tray and its contents hit the floor and scattered. Sonny smiled; pleased with himself as his buddies and other students started laughing and Jack knelt to clean up the pasta. He took his seat and started a conversation like nothing happened, leaving Jack to deal with the mess and laughter. The noise level rose to normal, climax going into its falling action.
“It’s Jack, right?” came a voice. In the corner of his eye, Jack saw someone kneel next to him and use napkins to clean up some of the pasta. It was Riley. She brought a couple of extra napkins and handed some to him. “I think you’re the last of the Project Biology team.
“Uh, yeah,” Jack muttered. He looked at her as he took some napkins she handed over. His bright green eyes full of gratitude. She was the only to ever dare to offer to help him in a situation like this.
Riley smiled brightly set aside a dirty napkin that was covered with pasta sauce. “You’ll have to excuse Sonny,” she said once the mess was cleared. They stood up and threw away the used napkins in a nearby trash bin next to Sonny’s table. Loud enough for Sonny to hear, she added, “He can be a bit of a p***k.”
Sonny looked around at her and opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late. She was leading Jack, who carried his carton of milk and preserved salad, to her lunch table and was out of earshot in the loud cafeteria.
“The rest of us are sitting over here,” Riley said to Jack as they walked. Riley took her seat when they reached the table and slid it down so she was next to Nick. Jack pushed over a chair and sat between her and Aidan. Aidan and Amy were trying to cover up a few laughs, Nick cracking his stupid jokes. Jack seemed to sink in his seat a little, knowing they were just talking about him.
“Blair can overreact sometimes,” Aidan said, looking over at Jack.
“You try living with him,” Riley replied as she took a sip of Pepsi. Jack and Amy, and even Nick, looked over at her, confused. Aidan didn’t seem the least bit surprised. “Brother,” was all she said, dismissing the matter.
“So anyway, about that project…” Nick began, quickly to change the subject.
Amy started in immediately, barely taking a breath. “I’m telling you all right now, I’m not going anything I don’t have to. So I say we—“
“No shoes,” Nick and Riley said at once, cutting her off. Amy frowned, defeated.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Jack began.
“The class was only last period, and you’ve all ready decided?” Aidan asked. How could a person know exactly what type of project they want to do in less than a half an hour? he thought. Then again, it was Jack Bentley, and he was classified as a nerd, therefore was decisive and very smart.
“I know, but I make up my mind pretty quick,” he replied. “Especially when it comes to projects. Anyway, I was thinking we could create a bio dome and incorporate different specimens and record how—“
English, Nature Boy,” Aidan replied.
“We take plants and show how they react in their environments,” Jack replied, trying to sound calm. Sure he loved Biology, but being called ‘Nature Boy’ was going a bit too far for him. “Make more sense?”
“Actually, yeah,” the jock replied, and then took a bite out of his pizza.
“Don’t tell me we actually have to go on some kind of nature walk,” Amy complained. She hated the sound of the idea of camping and anything even remotely close.
“I’m sure a tour of the mall would suit you better, then?” Riley said, looking over at her.
“Well duh,” she replied, to which Riley rolled her eyes. “Except,” she went on, sounding like she was actually putting some sort of thought into it, “I know the mall front to back, so a tour would be pretty pointless. Really, you can even test me if you want to.”
“Okay, then where’s the mattress store?” Nick asked.
“A mattress store? There isn’t one.”
“Well you’re boring the hell out of me, I might need a nap.”
Aidan rolled his eyes as Nick grinned from his own joke, feeling accomplished.
Amy shot him a glare and frowned. “Not funny.”
“Seriously, guys, what do you think about it?” Jack asked.
“I’m pretty much good with it, just as long as I don’t have to write up a report,” replied Riley.
“I hate reports,” Amy voiced.
“For once, Barbie actually makes sense!” Nick exclaimed.
Ignoring the unneeded comment, Aidan looked at Riley. “And how are we supposed to record this?” he asked and added sarcastically, “Film it?”
“Actually, yeah,” she replied, setting an empty soda can down. “Ms. Jenkins did say we could choose how to present it. We didn’t have to do a report. Besides, I’ve got the equipment.”
“Actually, filming would be easier to get this project done,” Jack added. “Now we just need to figure out where to do the filming and researching.”
“If I remember right”— “And it’s very rare,” Riley mumbled, --“my uncle has a cabin up in those woods just out of town. It’s about a mile in, give or take, but it’s not too far,” Nick said, hearing and ignoring Riley’s comment. “I think it’d be perfect.”
“That does sound perfect!” Jack said and grinned. “We’ll be right up there with all the plants and nature—“
“Ew.” Amy said flatly, truly disgusted. “You’re not actually thinking about spending a whole weekend in some icky woods, are you?”
“Well yeah. That kind of is the point of the project.”
“Ew.”
“Actually, I’m going to have to agree with Amy on this one,” Aidan said. “I’m really not much of a camper.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s not like there’s some psychotic, sadistic killer on the loose in the woods,” Nick assured him.
“Gee, I feel better,” Amy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“I’m serious. My uncle hasn’t used it for awhile, but it’s still in livable condition as far as I know,” Nick replied. “I’ll let him know we’re using it. It’s even got electricity hooked up. It’s on some special campground thing.”
Amy gave a small shudder as Jack spoke. “Okay, so a weekend camping in the woods to work on our experiments. How’s that sound?”
“Icky.” Amy folded her arms.
“Well it sounds like a great idea,” Riley said. “We should meet someone tomorrow morning. We’ll carpool or something.”
“There isn’t a better way I’d like to spend my Saturday morning,” Aidan said, then added, “Or my weekend.”
“I say the Library. I’ve got to see if I can check out a book, anyway,” Jack said.
“Figures.”
“What? I’m going to need it for the project.”
“That’s the problem. We know that,” Aidan replied sarcastically.
Jack ignored him and pushed an empty carton of milk in front of him. He pushed his glasses up his nose and continued. “I say we meet at about seven.”
“That late? I would have thought you’d want to meet earlier than that,” Amy said.
“Not at night. In the morning,” he replied.
Amy frowned as Riley nodded. “That sounds good. Try to get there then. The faster we can go, the faster we get the project over and done with.”
Nick and Jack both nodded. Amy looked set back and Aidan seemed mildly interested, though out there.
“Then it’s settled,” Jack said. “See you then.”
The bell pierced through the voices in the cafeteria. The sound of voices died down, only to be replaced by the sound of chairs moving and sneakers squeaking on the waxed floors.
The rest of the group didn’t see to hear him. As soon as the bell rang, they took off for their next classes, Amy leading the way.
To Be Continued....
Stay tuned for Part 2: Harmless Journey!
 OrliDeppgrl1526 · Sun Nov 18, 2007 @ 06:42pm · 0 Comments |
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