Indiana, Invincible: Chapter 2, Part 2

by Maryam in A Land Of Desert And Sun

**A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, AT WHICH INDIANA IS THOROUGHLY FED UP WITH THE 'LR'S CONSTANT EGGING ON**

Hm, hm, hm, hm...
Da dee dum dum dum....
I hum to myself very slightly, doodling on the notepad in front of me.
Jeeze, if people actually want us to be INTERESTED in our country's history, they should pick a good teacher. Sure, I can follow along with her, but the way she gives it is sorta like a lecture, and, well, that ain't too cool, now, is it?
The only way you can really keep along with a lecture is if you're IN university and you HAVE to listen. Besides, American history is... well.... OK. A tad boring, really. 'Pologies to any history buffs, but it could be interestinger.
Actually, it would be, with a better teacher.
I re-focus on the professor; she's talking on about - I focus harder -
Oh, God, she's reviewing.
Don't even tell me. OK, then, she's going back through U.S. history, then; I marvel on how fast she got through Abe Lincoln, the black's emancipation, the disastrous President Bush, Israel....
I look around; the girl named Karen is the only one really focused on the teacher. She's narrowing her eyes at her through yellow spectacles, looking so ferocious I wonder briefly if she's meaning to beam out a laser from her pupils. Enoch behind me to the right, is keeping his gaze on the teacher somewhat tiredly, it seems: Jenny, next to me, is looking at the teacher with wide eyes.
Everyone else is just hunched over on their shoulders. The girl Jamila is inspecting a fingernail. The curly-haired boy in Rheston's 'LR' group (they are really starting to get on my nerves. Honestly, I mean, yesterday, another friend of Rheston's actually suggested I *bleep* off. I didn't respond, just told him to mind his language, and merely ignored him) is scowling through his interlaced fingers. Rheston is also leaning down, but instead of just looking down...
I squint, very, very slightly, and it seems that, though his arms are crossed over the desk, and his face is pretty much hidden by his dark hair, his eyes are peeking out, and he's fixing them on the teacher somewhat candidly.
Hmm. Well.
I turn and go back to the teacher's lecturing.

'So, um, INDIANA,' a voice comes from behind me, and I break off explaining just how Professor Felicity could have improved her teaching techniques to Enoch and Jenny, and turn. I sigh inwardly at the smirking face that is surrounded by other, now familiar, smirking faces. Really it's about the second time in as many days that I'm surrounded by them.
The Girlfriend - Enoch told me her name is actually Gina - is standing there. The smirking faces around her (afore-mentioned) are people I vaguely recognize as being part of the 'L-R' group; Rheston is standing just behind Gina, with a faint smirk on his face.
'Tell me,' my gaze shifts to Gina, who also shifts to the other hip, 'are you reading because the reading lesson is over, or reading just because you're a nerd?'
Ohhh, nerd. I've been called that so many times it doesn't even count. What a joke.
I stuy Gina with narrow eyes: her glossy, dark brown hair is cropped short around her ears, like I've mentioned earlier; her eyes are colored a dark greenish-brownish color, and are glittering. She's wearing a short skirt, with the sort of tights that have thick cloth and are colored - I don't know what you call that, maybe cotton tights? - and a tight, tight, long-sleeved blouse. She's put makeup on several parts of her face(wierdly; it's not allowed here, and for good reason), and left others (like, on her mouth there's like a dark cherry color, and around her eyes it's bright blue), so she looks like an apartment sparsely furnished.
All right. I am getting absolutely FED UP with their not-at-all-subtle digs at me, even if it is only two weeks into the school year.
Got my comeback. Check.
'So, GINA,' I respond, fixing her with my eyes and tilting my head, taking my hat off while making the least amount of movement possible, 'What's with the makeup?'
She blinks once or twice. I see now the blue is actually pretty much caked on. My mouth's corners are dragged upward, but I won't beat the poor girl too much. After all, she must not be used to this; watching her fellow comrades bothering me must have given her the guts.
'Y'know, if you're going to break the rules,' I lean in confidentally, still looking up, and nod, 'you may as well do it stylishly.'
Just as this begins to sink in, I follow this shot with another, speedy one.
'Yeah, THAT. The eyeshadow.' Gina's hand has strayed to her face; she hastily puts it down and replies viciously.
'What would YOU know about eyeshadow?' she hisses, and inwardly, I smile. I've got her.
'Actually, I may not be a reputed user of makeup, but what I am is not a certified color-blind person. That blue does not go in the least with your color. Really, Gina,' I continue a bit chidingly, as her face colors, 'you should know better. Black would actually go better with you, especially with that tan.' I tilt my head, and narrow my eyes further.
'And that lipstick... maybe you should make it a bit lighter in color. Like maybe' -
I speak no more, and merely watch Gina turn on her heel and stalk towards the door of the cafeteria, flinging it open, leaving two startled students to come in, looking behind them, and finally shrugging to themselves.
The 'L-R' quickly disentigrates behind me. I notice Rheston giving me, not a puzzled, but a merely wondering look. Then, he quickly leaves with the rest.
Oh, me. I have no mercy. Yep, I know. Yeah.