F Block Friday

F Block Friday was perhaps the worst block of the entire week. No one had patience or energy for another block of the day. But alas, every week the dreaded hour would come. The student body crawled through the hall at a snail’s pace. That is, of course, until the second bell rang at which point everyone raced into his or her classroom. The threat of an “N” is what drove the students to their rooms.

                  Maryellen did not move as the pack did. She continued her pace past the bell and scorned the rushing students. At this point in the week, she could think of nothing more than leaving school and enjoying a restful weekend. The teacher had begun by the time she walked into class. “…Marc Antony’s speech is crucial, is it not?” the teacher was saying. Maryellen dropped in her seat, her eyelids immediately growing heavy.

                  “Psst…hey,” a voice whispered. Maryellen looked to her left and saw Jimmy, his eyes directed straight to her. “Can I borrow a pen?” he asked. Maryellen tried to play it cool; she rolled her eyes and passed him a pen as if she was annoyed at his asking. The truth was, she was more than happy to give him her things. After all, it was the thought of him that would allow her to survive the hour long block. When the class began their note taking, Maryellen’s eyes drifted to Jimmy. She loved the face he made when he concentrated. She loved the way his hand moved as he wrote. In fact, it would not be an understatement to say that she loved everything about him.

                  “Maryellen, you want to write this down, do you not?” The teacher was addressing her. Maryellen saw Jimmy look at her, and figured the rest of the class must have too.

                  She blushed in embarrassment, “Yes, Ms. C, I’m getting it all down.” She began feverishly writing to catch up. Oh man, she thought, I blew it now. This day just could not get any worse. It was impossible to focus on the class. Her eyes closed instinctively and her head lay on the desk. She tried to stay awake, but it just was not going to happen.

                  Jimmy tapped her arm. When she turned around he tossed her a note. She unfolded it, curiously looking at the messy handwriting. In the pen she had lent him, it read:

                  “HEY, are u busy tonite?”

                  Suddenly she was filled with energy. Her heart lifted. The teacher’s drone became as a song, the feel of the paper as silk. The feeling was unbelievable. She knew they had flirted a little in the past, but she had no idea that he liked her. She was ecstatic. Just as she picked up her pen to respond, he slammed his hand on the paper.

                  “Hey,” he said, “That’s for Jenny.”

                  Maryellen was crushed. It was a moment of despair. She kept her cool, as any teenager would, and giggled as she passed the note to Jenny. As she passed it, she could not help but notice Jenny’s perfect skin and nice clothes. If only I looked like her, Maryellen thought. Pretending to return her attention to the teacher, Maryellen was swept away in a wave of jealousy.

                  Jenny on the other hand was also upset. Jimmy was her friend, but she did not want to see him. She, like every student in the class, knew of Maryellen’s desires, and she did not want to interfere; especially not for him. But then, she did not want to hurt Jimmy either. In her pink gel pen, Jenny responded to Jimmy’s note:

                  “Sorry I can’t tonite; I have plans.”

                  She wrote another note to Maryellen:

                  “No hard feelings, he’s all yours.”

                  But nothing could soothe Maryellen’s broken heart. The clock seemed to have stopped. Maryellen could not escape the agony of her life. She wanted to cry. How could I be so stupid, she thought, as to think he would have gone for me! I must be out of my mind.

                  Eventually the class did pass, and Maryellen jumped from her seat. She wanted to make it out of the room before anyone had time to stop her. But as she ran, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Jimmy’s. “Maryellen, wait. I need to talk to you.”

                  Maryellen was not sure she could talk to him; the tears were already collecting in her eyes. “Not now,” she began, but he cut her off.

                  “The reason I was asking Jenny if she was busy is because I need to babysit my little brother. I was hoping she could do it for me so I could ask you to a movie. But, it looks like I’m stuck home tonight. Do you think we could do something tomorrow?”

                  Jimmy’s words were like a dream. She paused a minute to be sure she had not imagined his interest. When she spoke, her words came out rushed and full of excitement, “Really? I’d love to do something. Give me a call.”

                  The horrors of F block had passed and Maryellen was home-free for the weekend. As she sat on the bus, she started counting the minutes until he would call. She could not imagine her wishes had come true. Jimmy had really asked her out! Tonight, she thought, I will go out in celebration and buy myself a new outfit for the date.