Mariano Twins

Talks and Crashes

Jo's POV 

I'm sitting in history. The whole room is silent because we are taking a test. The teacher announces we have 15 minutes left.

I hear the door open, so I glance up. I see Jess peak in and then rush quietly to his seat to the left of me.

"Lane," she ignores him.

"Jo," he tries.

"Lane," she shushes him.

"I need a pencil."

"I don't have one," she replies.

"Then I need a pen."

"You only have 15 minutes left," I tell him.

"Then I need the answers."

"There's a pen in my bag," Lane says.

"I can't go through your bag."

"Yes, you can."

"My mother told me never to go through a lady's bag. At least not until you're a couple blocks away."

She ignores him again.

"I'm just kidding. She never said that. Though it sounds like pretty good advice. Doesn't it?"

"Take it and shut up," she says, handing him a pen.

"Boy, I tell you, it's true. Small towns sure are friendly."

He takes out his book and starts writing in it.

--

When Jess and I get home I do my homework and help out a little before going upstairs where Jess and I start going through our music.

"Oh, good, you're both here," Luke says, walking in.

"Hi," I reply.

He stands there for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.

"So, you file those under the band names?"

"Genre," Jess replies.

"Right. Genre. That makes sense."

"Then band names," I add.

"Right," he repeats.

Jess wanders off and grabs a book, then sits on his bed. Luke follows him over. After some rambling he finally gets to the point.

"I went to see your principal today."

"Huh," Jess replies.

"He says you're flunking out. He says you're not showing up for class," he pauses.

"He says you stole their baseballs," Jess smirks.

"You stole their baseballs? Why would you do that? What could you possibly need 500 baseballs for?"

"Could we talk about this later?"

"Why, you got a big frisbee heist going down at 6?"

They go back and forth.

"What do you wanna be when you grow up?"

"About 20 miles south of wherever you are."

"You have to think about the future. If you don't get through school who's gonna hire you? You're not gonna have any skills."

"Stop."

"How are you gonna work? Huh? How are you gonna eat, pay rent? What're you gonna do, Jess?"