SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

Jaq Locke stared at her iPhone resting on the table. Every minute of waiting was a minute of boredom. The screen flashed, but it was just a dude from the next town.

"Hey, whatcha doing?"

Jaq responded without even thinking.

"Waiting a guy in the food court. You?"

There was a pause. Mentioning that she was meeting up with a guy probably didn't sit well with her suitor.

Whoops

The screen lit up again. She smiled upon seeing his contact name. "Danny Wrestler." She'd considered making it "buff Danny" or "Danny Pectorals," but both seemed shallow, even for her. The guy was nice, but awkward to talk to. She was smoothish at texting, but who wasn't?

She quickly forgot what she read, and typed that she missed him, followed by a winky. A meet up would be nice to see if he'd gotten any more charismatic.

She focused back on her phone, playing temple run until the next interruption. Temple Run always helped her patience.

((Zubin Wadia continued from We Rule the School))

One hundred feet. Zubin looked ahead, and then at his watch as he took a deep breath. It was funny, really. An interview for a promotion, fine. The upcoming fight regarding his job? Completely prepared for that. But asking a Jaquilyn Locke to the prom? That made his stomach turn for some reason.

Thirty feet. He licked his lips as he approached, wondering what the hell he was going to say to her.

Fifteen feet. He slid his backpack off his back and into his left hand. How was it that one simple question needed so much forethought?

Zero. Zubin sat down in the unoccupied chair, smiling. "Hey, Jaq. How ya doing?" He leaned back in his seat, starting the social competition against himself.

Jaquilyn sat up slightly to greet him. He seemed to be a little less confident than he usually was. She normally felt flattered when guys seemed intimidated, but this seemed a little different.

"Oh, hello, Mr. President."

The least she could so was reassure him, slightly. Flattery often deserved repaying.

She glanced back at her phone, and punched in a quick "Haha" to Buff Danny's allusion to the last time they hung out. She was impressed he remembered so much.

The phone was set back on the table. If it was rude, Jaq didn't care. Zubin had left her waiting in the food court, he could return the patience.

"I'm getting by, what's new with you?"

"Oh, hello, Mr.  President." Zubin had to chuckle at that. He'd lost the election, but it had been, for the most part, a joke, so he didn't feel too bad about it. "I'm getting by. What's new with you?"

Zubin smirked. "Nothing really. Following up on some leads for a summer job." Okay. The swag was back. "You got anything going on?" Zubin thought for a second. "Well, other than the food fight today. Lot of people got caught in that one."

"You got anything going on?

It seemed like a weird question, even if he was just making conversation. She had come to the food court to meet him, she'd assumed dinner would be "going on."

Now he was talking about the food fight she'd heard about. There had been talk at school, but she hadn't fished for details or listened keenly. Unless the starter had been a studly rebel shouting, "fuck the system," she didn't really care.

"Yeah, I missed it. Too bad too, I got an arm."

She pictured a tray of spegatti sparing through the air and hitting Mara in the face. A smile crept across her face.

"Speaking of food, I could really go for some." She stood and turned toward a vendor. "Chipotle alright?"

"Yeah, I missed it. Too bad too, I got an arm."

Zubin smirked at that. Given the fact that she was on the cheerleading squad and took self-defense classes, it didn't seem like too much of a stretch.

"Speaking of food, I could really go for some. Chipotle alright?" Jaquilyn got up and turned towards one of the vendors. Zubin had never actually eaten Chipotle, having only heard of it through that South Park episode, but it didn't seem that bad. Zubin stood up and reached for his wallet.

"Sure." He paused. Now or never "You doing anything for prom?"

"You doing anything for prom?"

Ugh. She still wasn't sure. She'd meant to ask Tim about it, but se hadn't actually spoken to him in awhile. Prom wouldn't be his scene, but she'd meant to bring it up.

"I actually have no idea."

She wanted to go, but she didn't know who she would hang out with. With her best friend in a relationship, she couldn't even make it a girls' night.

"Bianca's got a guy now, so I dunno who I'd hang with."

Maybe Travis was still dateless. Jaquilyn glanced up at the menu and began the mental debate. Burritos were delicious, but gigantic. Tacos were more manageable. Even their salads were tasty, but who was she eating light for? Putting off the decision, she looked to the fillings, wondering if Zubin would order beef. He seemed like a more liberal Indian, but she was curious.

"I actually have no idea."

That was mixed. All that Zubin could get from that was that Jaquilyn didn't have a date, which he guessed was a good thing. Zubin just looked at the menu, deciding what he wanted to eat. Maybe a soft taco.

"Bianca's got a guy now, so I dunno who I'd hang with."

Zubin glanced at Jaquilyn. Bingo. She had no date, and she was planning on going. Given that the two of them were actually on decent terms with each other, he was now giving himself a pretty good chance that the answer to his next question would be a good one.

"Well, would you like to go with me if you don't have anybody?" And now I'm at the point of no return.

"Well, would you like to go with me if you don't have anybody?"

Jaq almost stopped in her tracks. It was completely out of nowhere. And the wording just seemed so unconfident. She was suprised. Supristhat a kid who ran for class president sounded so nervous, and suprised that he'd asked at all.

He wasn't at all her type. Pysically, at least. But he was chill, and he was fun, and he was a date. And like he had said, she didn't have anybody. Her and would have the shock effect of McCain chosing Palin, but Jaq didn't play politics. She wanted to go to prom, and she didn't mind the kid.

"Sure."

She had a date, and she was happy with him.

She reached the counter, where the first of the burrito assembly line looked up to her wordlessly.

She pursed her lips in thought for a moment, "I'll have a chicken salad."

(Jaquilyn Locke continued elsewhere)

"Sure."

Zubin smiled to hide the OH MY GOD I'M TAKING JAQUILYN LOCKE TO THE PROM OH THANK YOU GOD.

"Sweet. I'll keep you updated."

Jaquilyn ordered something and left.

"I'll see ya!"

As Zubin walked away, he pumped his fist. Mission accomplished.

((Zubin Wadia continued in No One Talks About It))