AN: Heh, another one-shot!

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Audrua and that Special Someone

By: Chi Yagami

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       All right, everybody off,” shouted the driver. 

Mr. X had certain reasons for being called ‘Mr. X.’  Number one, we do not know.  Nor have we figured out two and three.  Of course, there could be more, but why have a reason four when there’s not even a reason three?  This Mr. X has pondered students for generations, and the pondering has finally reached ours. 

You see, for the students of bus 13, the ride to and from school is not just an ordinary trip; it is an adventure that keeps us wondering ‘Where will he take us next?’  One year, Mr. X dropped everybody off at the helicopter field.  Students had to walk miles just to reach a pay phone. 

Another time, he was so bizarre that he drove right out of the city, into the next town, and dropped the poor students off at the local pub, which some of the senior guys thought was funny because they wanted to go inside and get a waft of vodka before they left on the trip home. 

For Audrua Wood, however, the extraordinary adventure was a mere bus ride.  If she had been out on the helicopter field or the pub, she would’ve just walked home without a complaint.  Her parents wouldn’t have complained either because they had once ridden with Mr. X when they were in high school.

      

“Man, I thought we were supposed to get a new bus driver,” said Matthew Hicks, who was sitting in the seat in front of Audrua.  He had light brown curly hair that stuck out at odd places, and dark brown eyes.  He was a little shorter than most, like Audrua, and had tan skin.  Matt was a close friend of Audrua’s, and he liked to skate board.

      

“Hey little fishy-freshman, guess what?  Too bad!  Ha ha!” shouted a senior bully from the back seat.  Matt frowned and turned back to Audrua.

      

“Don’t look at me,” she said, throwing her hands up.  “Just because I’m in all Pre-AP classes, it doesn’t mean I’m a genius!”

      

“I know, but you’re still smarter than me.  Heck, I’m in all Pre-AP classes too, but I usually only pass with a C in Geography,” Matt retorted.

      

“Yah,” said Mark Gravy, an honor student, president of the Student Council, kid with the highest IQ in the grade, and one of the worst snobs ever, “but only because you can draw a graph!”

      

“Shut up, Mark.  I bet you’re only Student Council president because your father pays the principal!”

      

“Well, well, well, little Miss Audrua, I bet you’re only in the concert band because you play well!” Mark snapped back.

      

“DUH!” Audrua and Matt said together.  Mark’s face was flushed.

      

“I said everybody off!” the bus driver shouted again.  As the children were piling off, a bus from the junior high was also unloading next door.

      

“Oh no,” mumbled Audrua.  “Here comes the broken record.”

      

“Huh?” Matt looked where Audrua was pointing.  A very small 7th grader was walking towards them from the junior high. 

      

“YOU ARE SO-O-O BEE-U-TEE-FULL, TO ME-E, CAN’T YOU SEE-EE-EE-EE?  YOU’RE EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR, YOU’RE EVERYTHING I NE-ED!  YOU ARE SO-O-O BEE-U-TEE-FULL, TO ME-EE!”

      

“Why does that little booger keep bothering me?  He knows I hate him,” said Audrua.  Charlie Babineaux had had a crush on Audrua since he had gone to bible study at the church in second grade.  Audrua had been his group leader and he’d liked her ever since.

      

“Oh come on, gimmie a kiss!” he said, puckering his lips.  Audrua shook her head and walked into the school.

      

It was an ordinary school: two floors, an elevator, and brand spanking new.  There were at least three thousand rooms.  The cafeteria was full of chitchat at the moment, and Audrua and Matt hurried away to find a seat.

      

Their usual round table was filled with the usual gang: Rebacca Welch, Lily Harris, Wendy Huang, Alyssa Cornball, Annabelle Sanchez, and Ashley Burns.

      

“What took y’all so long?” asked Ashley, who was busy reading her new manga.  Wendy was peeking over her shoulder, reading along.  Ashley had short brown hair that was really wavy.  She was kind of down because one of her friends had just become a prep. 

Wendy had long dark hair and loved to draw Japanese anime.  She was Chinese and knew all about it.  Rebecca had short strawberry-blonde hair and glasses; Alyssa had blonde hair that came down to her shoulders. 

Lily was short and had long brown hair.  Annabelle had short brown hair and was crazy about the clarinet.

“Our dumb bus driver drove to all the elementary schools and tried to drop us off there,” replied Matt, who sat down.

“Did y’all here about the Valentine’s dance?  It’s supposedly all the rage,” announced Wendy.  She didn’t care about dances so much, but she knew all of her friends did.

“Oh my gosh!  No!” squealed Audrua.  “This is my big chance to get Kyle Foster to like me!”

“Yah right, like that would ever happen,” snickered Rebecca.  Audrua had a huge crush on this guy Kyle Foster ever since the fifth grade.

“You wait and see,” answered Audrua.  “When I enter the dance hall, my arm will be rapped around Kyle Foster’s!”

“You wish,” replied a high snooty voice from behind them.  Audrua turned around and saw Brittany Curtis standing behind her.  Brittany was the most popular girl in school.  She was the captain of the cheerleading team, a member of the drill team, and was 1st chair in flute. 

“Go away and stink somewhere else up,” said Matt, holding his nose.

“That’s right,” Brittany said surprisingly, but then she added, “because I forgot that your little friend Audrua was a stink bomb!  Ha ha!”

“Ha, ha,” said Audrua dully, “that’s so funny I forgot to laugh.”

“Oh, there’s the bell.  I guess I’ll have to insult you little brats tomorrow morning,” Brittany said.  Then she turned on her heal and walked away.  Everybody else left too, for it was time to go to class.

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“Do you want my opinion on Brittany Curtis?” Audrua asked Matt.  It was lunchtime, and they had the end of a table to themselves.  Everyone else in their ‘group’ had A or B lunch.  Audrua and Matt had World Geography together 5th period, though, so they had C lunch.  In fact, all of their classes were the same.

“Um… okay,” said Matt.  He didn’t really care about Brittany Curtis right now.  He didn’t really care about Audrua asking Kyle to the dance, either.

“What’s wrong?  Everybody wants to hear how badly I’m going to beat Brittany at asking Kyle to the dance,” Audrua said.  Usually Matt was happy about insulting Brittany.

“Well, here comes your big chance,” mumbled Matt, looking behind her.  Audrua looked around and gasped.  There, behind her, stood Kyle Foster.

“Hi…  Kyle,” she managed to say.  Kyle was the best quarterback on the ninth grade football team.  He had brown hair and always wore the coolest outfits.

“Hey,” he replied.  “So…  Are you going to the dance on Friday?”

“Y…  Ye…  Yes!” she replied.  It was really going to happen!

“Well, I was wondering…  If you wanted to, of course…  Will you go to the dance with me?” Kyle asked.  Audrua couldn’t believe it: the most popular guy in school had asked her instead of Brittany Curtis!

“Sure!” she replied.

“See you on Friday then,” Kyle said as he left.

“OH MY GOSH!  Matt, can you believe that just happened,” Audrua practically screamed.

“Yes…  Unfortunately,” he mumbled.

“What?”

“Yah…  Unfortunately, I need to use the bathroom really bad, so…  Can we talk about this later?” he lied.

“Yah, I guess…”

Matt excused himself and ran into the bathroom.  He stayed in there for a while just for show, and was about to come out when the door opened and he heard someone ask, “Is the prank ready?”

Matt hid in a stall and stood on the toilet seat to get a better view.  He saw three people come in: Mark Gravy, a kid he didn’t recognize, and… Kyle Foster!

“Yah,” said Kyle, “the little twerp thinks I actually like her.”  Matt’s mouth dropped open as he heard the rest of Kyle’s dirty little trick.

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“Audrua,” Matt shouted over the crowd heading back from lunch.  When he was finally able to escape his hiding place, the bell had already rung and people were heading back to class.

“Yah?” she asked when they had finally caught up to each other.

“You’ll never believe this,” Matt panted.  “Kyle… he only wants to use you…  He’s going to pull a really big joke on you… He––”

“You’re right,” Audrua said.  “I don’t believe this.”

“But––” Matt tried again.

“No!  You’re just jealous because I’m going with someone popular and you’re not!” she said as she stormed away.

Matt stood there, thinking about what had just happened.  He’d been there for about a minute when he realized someone was trying to get his attention.

“Matt!”

“Oh, hello Lizzie.  I didn’t notice you,” he said.  They began walking up the stairs together.

“So,” Matt began, “have you found anyone to go with to the dance yet?”

“Matt, I have a boyfriend, remember?”

“Oh, I forgot…”

“So,” Lizzie said, “have you got a date for the dance yet?”

“Well, the girl that I wanted to ask is taken.  I’m kind of glad, too.  I thought I knew her, but I guess I don’t.”

“Explain in English this time, please,” Lizzie joked.

“Well…  You have to swear you won’t tell anyone, especially Audrua!  Cross your heart and hope to die!”

“Okay, okay.  Now tell me.”

Matt sighed and began to pour his heart out.

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“Hold still… there!”

“Ouch!” Audrua winced as Wendy plucked the last eyebrow out.

“There,” she said again.  “Perfect!”

It was Friday night, and Wendy was helping Audrua get ready.  They were over at Wendy’s house because Audrua needed a ride to the dance, and Wendy’s parents said they’d drop her off before they went to Wendy’s presentation at her private Chinese school.  Wendy went to Chinese school every Wednesday and Friday night.  She went to improve on her knowledge of Chinese culture.

Audrua looked at herself in the mirror.  Her eyebrows had been plucked, she shampooed four times in the shower earlier, her lips were glossed, her face had gotten its makeover, her hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, and she had on a gorgeous fluffy silver dress with a matching bow for her hair.  Underneath her dress, she had on tan breaches and a tan tank top.

“You’re going to be the hit of the dance,” Wendy said as she smiled.

“Wendy, I can’t do this,” Audrua said, shaking her head.  “I’ll make a total fool of myself!  He’s so popular, and I’m so… not.”

“Yes you can!  Now let’s go!”

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“Thanks for dropping me off, Mr. Huang,” Audrua called as they left.

Now she turned and faced the school.  Getting in wouldn’t be a problem, but finding her friends before Kyle found her would be.  She had told her friends that she was going with Kyle already, but she needed them to make sure that she was presentable.

She rushed in and found Lily, who was wearing a long, sparkly blue dress.

“Hey,” she said when she saw Audrua, “this is a dance, not a ball!”

“I know…” Audrua sighed.  Alyssa, Annabelle, Ashley, and Rebecca all rushed over.  Alyssa was wearing a frilly pink dress because she was to announce the Freshman Valentine King and Queen.  Annabelle was wearing a pink western dress and cowboy hat; Ashley was wearing a blue helmet, yellow sleeveless shirt, and jeans.  Rebecca was wearing her hair up in a spiky bun, a shirt with a cracked heart, and jeans.

“Audrua,” Lily said, “I need to talk to you.”

“Later,” Audrua replied.  “Here he comes!”  Kyle was walking towards them.  Audrua started forward.  Lily grabbed her arm.

“It’s about Matt,” she said firmly.  Audrua turned.

“What?  Is he alright?”

“Yah, he’s fine, but––”

“Well then,” said Audrua, “wish me luck!”  And with that she hurried off.  Lily glanced over towards Matt who was getting some punch.  She sighed.

“You look really nice tonight,” Kyle said.  The slow song “This I Promise You” was playing.  He put his arm on her back.

“Thanks,” she said.  After a about an hour, another slow song played.  Kyle put his arm on her back again.

“Hey Audrua?”

“Yah?”

“Close your eyes for a moment; I’ve got something for you,” Kyle said.  Audrua closed her eyes.  She felt something run down the middle of her back, and when she opened her eyes, everyone was staring at her, and laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Audrua asked.  Then she realized that she was standing in the middle of a dance floor, with only her tan ugly breaches and tank top on.  She looked at Kyle, and he was laughing.  Tears came to Audrua’s eyes, and she ran out of the room crying.  Lily followed her into the bathroom.

“How could he do that to me?” Audrua wailed.

“He’s a jerk,” Lily replied.  “Matt tried to tell you, but you tuned him out!”

“I know; I was stupid.  Why did Kyle have to rip my dress off?”

“I don’t know.  But I do know one thing: Matt wasn’t laughing,” Lily informed.  “I was trying to tell you earlier that Matt…  He likes you.”

“Duh, he’s my best friend,” Audrua said.  Lily wasn’t going anywhere with this.

“No.  He likes you; he really really likes you.”  Audrua shook her head, ran out of the bathroom, ran out of the school, and ran all the way home.

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“Hey…”

Audrua had been sitting on a bench in the park for a half an hour before Matt showed up.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.  She had of course changed; he, however, was still wearing his black shirt with the yellow cross from the dance.

“I came to see if you’re alright.”

“I’m fine.  I can never go back to school again, though,” Audrua said.  Matt looked at her.

“Sure you can.  People will get over it.”

“No!  Brittany Curtis in her long, flowing blue dress with no zipper had her yearbook camera there.  She was taking pictures and said that I’d get a special page in the yearbook!”  She started crying all over again.

“I don’t think the yearbook teacher would let her,” Matt said.

“It doesn’t matter!  Brittany gets whatever she wants!  It’s not fair!”

“That may be, but it will only get worse if you don’t go to school on Monday.  Brittany will know she’s won.  You’ve got to show her that you don’t care about what happened at the dance, or that you still like Kyle.  You don’t still like him, do you?”

“No…  Matt?” Audrua asked.  Something had just reminded her about what Lily said in the bathroom.

“Yah?”

“Were you jealous that I went with Kyle to the dance?”

“Huh?” Matt stared at the sky.  “Who told you that?  Uh, I’m going to get Lizzie––”

“No.  I should’ve listened to you about Kyle playing that trick on me,” she said.  “You must really care about me…”

“Well, yah…  You’re my friend…  Did Lily tell you…?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me because I should’ve asked you if you were okay about Kyle and me going to the dance together.  Why didn’t you ask me?”

“I was going to, but…  You seemed so happy about the thought of a chance to ask Kyle,” Matt replied.  He was blushing.  They sat in silence, and after a while, fireworks started shooting off in the next neighborhood.

“Matt?”

“Hmm?”

“Promise me something.”

“Okay…”

“Promise me, that when this night is over, when I say I see a cute guy, remind me that the guy I like was sitting right here beside me from the start.”

Matt looked at Audrua.  Her eyes were closed, and her head was resting on his shoulder.  He smiled and put his arm around her.  Then he turned his head back towards the fireworks and closed his eyes.