Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock…

That was the only sound we paid any real attention to; just the ticking and the tocking of the clock. In fact, that was almost the only sound in the room besides the low rumble of our teacher babbling on about something or other; probably about or Junior Certs.

I was, just like the other six people in the class, staring at the clock trying to will it to move faster. It was futile, I know, but anything to get summer break started any faster...I rested my chin on the table in front of me with a sharp exhale. Why wouldn’t those hands move just a few more centimeters?

“Miss Jacobs!” my head shot up at the mention of my name. “If I could kindly have your attention when I’m telling the class about something so important? Or is that too difficult for you?” Miss Swanson jabbered on, her Irish accent thick.

“Yes ma’am,” I replied rather sheepishly. I quickly straightened my posture and sat up on the stool.

She gave me a piercing but soon continued on with what she was talking about before she so rudely interrupted my though of moving time…Well, no matter, I can still daydream without catching her hawk-like eyes.

“And so class—,” Miss Swanson went on to say, but was soon interrupted by the dismissal bell. Well, serves her right…

“Class, remember that your summer camp trip begins this weekend. Meet in my classroom by 6:00 a.m. sharp if you plan on attending.”

Oh great, she’s chaperoning that. So that’d be reason number one-hundred-seventy-four why I don’t want to go on that trip…

I quickly gathered my things and started towards the door when someone came up behind me and tapped on my left shoulder. I slowly turned around and saw that it was Laura, my best friend in the entire world.

“I see you’re leaving without me,” she said.

“I guess so,” I said fighting the urge to grin. Laura always had that effect on people, even if she wasn’t happy with someone it was really for them to open up to her and usually end up smiling. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she always seemed so; what’s the word? Empathetic. Whatever the reason I couldn’t help but smile.

She rolled her eyes with a smile, “Come on,” she said and linked her arm with mine.

“So,” I asked after a moment of silence after we had exited the school and entered the small courtyard, “what was it like going back to America to see you’re mum?”

“It was weird,” Laura said, “I mean, I know I’ve only lived here for like three years, but it feels like a lifetime,”

I smiled. The day that Laura Reid moved into to the country was probably the best day for my life to date. She and her Dad, freshly separated from her Mom who was a severe alcoholic, moved into a large town home just two or three blocks down from where I live. And quickly we became joined at the hip, we never went anywhere without each other. Best friends, for life.

“But enough about that,” she said, “Did I miss anything while I was gone?”

“Like what?”

“Oh I dunno. Did you actually talk the man who haunts your dreams?

Ah yes, Theodore Carter. Theo, the guy I’ve been lusting over since we were eight. Well, I’m pretty unoriginal in that sense, since almost every girl in our grade has a crush on him. Who knows why even? Well, it’s probably because he’s easy on the eyes with his blonde hair, icy blue eyes and just over all suave-ness.

“Well, not in so many words, but—,”

“So in other words you haven’t said a single word to the boy,”

“No,” I said sounding defeated.

“Oh come on Quinn,” Laura said, “how’s the guy ever gonna know you like him if you don’t tell him? And besides, I’m sure he’ll like you, I mean, what’s not to like?”

Oh I can name a few…I mean, how about how my hair is an ugly mousy shade of brown and never falls in the right place? Or maybe my dull blue-grey eyes? Not to mention Theo is like a head taller than me.

We stopped walking when we got to Laura’s townhouse.

“You know, I hate it when you’re right,” I said knowing not to bring up my bad self image or else suffer a scolding.

“Well, at least you realize I am right. So, I’m going to make you talk to him on the camping trip this weekend and—,”

“Now wait a second. There is no way I’m going on that! Miss Swanson is the chaperone for Christ’s sake! And she hates me!”

“Oh come on Quinn,” Laura said in a voice that sounded like the real message behind the words was ‘I know what’s best for you’. “It’ll be no fun without you,” she added and put on her best ‘pout face’.

I groaned, “Oh fine, I’ll come if you just stop making that face.”

“Aww, but it works so well!” She said smiling, “Oh well, I’ll survive somehow. You won’t regret coming!” She quickly hugged me.

“Oh, I probably will…,” I muttered.

We said our “Gooodbye!”’s and our “See ya’ later”’s and Laura went inside. As I turned and walked away I began to second guess my decision to go on that trip.