(DECEMBER 2010)

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ZOEY RIVERA

Jenny's Hall was full of energy during breakfast—except for our table, which was awfully quiet.

Mallory, Bond, Charlie, and Conan looked well-rested. But not Rich. With his pale skin and baggy eyes, it was possible for someone to mistake him for a zombie.

"Bond, it's not even that serious. Can you please just accept Rich's apology?" Mallory asked.

"Exactly." Rich wrapped his arm around Bond. "I may have taken it too far, but I'm sorry that I called your driving slow."

Bond downed his chocolate milk, grabbed the empty pitcher, and left.

"How do you mess up apologizing?" Conan criticized. "Bond's not even old enough to drive!"

Rich shot a look upwards. "I don't know. Whose memories are these?"

"I bet that sip of coffee from Mr Darley's cup kept him awake at night. He's acting drunk now."

Mallory chewed angrily. "You guys are supposed to be best buds. I can't go on with Bond pretending you don't exist."

Bond returned with a refilled pitcher and slid a steaming cup to Rich. "I accept your apology. Now, drink up."

Rich took a sip and cringed.

"Thank you," Mallory said. "I thought you were gonna give him the silent treatment for life."

"He's sleep-deprived, so I can't judge him based on how he acted. I know he didn't sleep last night."

"I told him not to drink any more hot chocolate!" I said.

"Wait, how'd you know I didn't sleep last night?" Rich asked.

Bond smiled. "You've dropped the act and you're acting more like the Rich from before. It's sort of Mallory's fault why you became a mess."

"Me?!" Mallory questioned.

"He was nice to everyone, but once you started teasing and irritating him, he put up a shield and became stingy."

Rich wrapped his arm around Bond. "You can see through me like that? I guess we are best buds."

Bond dropped his cool face and held back a smile.

Rich took a sip from the coffee and cringed. "Eck. This tastes so bad."

"Because it's pure black," I said, adding cream and sugar. "I don't drink coffee, but try that."

Rich took a sip. "That's more to my taste. Thanks."

"You guys are starting to act like husband and wife," Mallory added.

"Hey!" Rich yelped. "Between you two, Zoey would make the better wife."

I didn't know how to respond and stuttered, "T-thanks?"

"Whoever marries you is a lucky man."

The others slapped their foreheads.

"How can someone be this dense?" Mallory asked.

After breakfast, we headed back to the cabin and did our chores which consisted of vacuuming and organizing the lounge area, mopping up the mudroom, and wiping down our respective bathrooms.

We had forty minutes to spare before the morning activity so Mallory, Annie, Lauren, and I rested in our room.

Did Rich actually mean what he said about me or did he just say that because he's sleep-deprived and not thinking straight?

Rich shuffled into the room and dropped onto Mallory, who was on her bed trying to sleep.

"Get off of me!" Mallory wiggled herself free and stood up. "If you wanna sleep, go to your own bed."

"Thanks, Mallory, but I'm not really here to sleep. I'm here to ask you girls if you know how to apply makeup."

"Yeah. Where are you going with this?"

"I checked the mirror and I look like a raccoon. Could you please use everything in your power to make me not look sleepy?"

"Oh, that we could do." Mallory turned to us. "Can one of you ask Penny for her makeup bag?"

"On it," Lauren said, running to the other room.

I hopped off the top bunk and joined in surrounding the snoring Rich.

"He fell asleep that fast?" I said.

Lauren returned, bringing Penny and Illiana along.

Mallory took the bag and searched through it.

"Mal, those are highlights," I pointed out.

"And? He simply said don't make him look sleepy."

"He came to us asking for help. But since I can't discourage you from putting highlights on him... I call dibs on his left eye." I attempted to grab the brush from Mallory.

She held it above her head. "Relax! We'll all get a chance."

Mr Darley stood at our doorway. "Did you guys just drug Rich?"

Annie and I jumped to Mr Darley, signalling him to keep his voice down and explaining the situation.

He entered the room and studied Rich who began to look feminine.

"He really does look sleep-deprived," Mr Darley laughed.

"If he asks, are you gonna let him sleep?" I asked.

"Of course. He needs it. But that won't happen. Rich isn't the type of person to stay behind while you guys trek on ahead."

"How can you tell?"

"I can tell everything about you. From what you're like, what you need, and what your secrets are. It feels nice knowing I'm having an impact on your lives. I'm nothing without my students and I'll do everything to help, starting from getting to know you." He rubbed me and Annie's heads. "That's what it means to be a teacher."

"If you know our secrets, who do I like?" Illiana asked.

"The name's Bond."

Illiana's face went red.

Mr Darley chuckled and left the room. "Vivi will be here soon. Hurry."

Bond, Charlie, and Conan walked past.

"Did Mr Darley say my name?" Bond asked.

Illiana covered Mallory's mouth. "Nope!"

Mallory pushed away Illiana's hand. "Charlie, get your camera."

Charlie broke into a sprint towards their room.

Conan chuckled as he and Bond approached the bed. "Rich passed out on your bed and you're doing that?"

"Objection," Mallory said. "He asked this voluntarily."

Annie grabbed the bag. "Let's put lipstick on him next."

"Don't use Penny's lipstick," I said. "That's an indirect kiss."

"Because even if it's an indirect kiss, you still want Rich's first to be with you, right?" Mallory asked.

"Stop it!"

Conan grabbed the camera from Charlie, who collapsed on the floor. "Why are you breathing so hard?"

"Because of a Middle Eastern country," Charlie wheezed.

"Huh?"

"Because Iran." He pressed the laugh track button in his Sound Machine.

"Stop doing that!"

Once we finished putting highlights, we took a few pictures of Rich before waking him up.

Mallory shook him gently. "Wake up, sleepy-head."

Rich opened his watery eyes. "Was everyone watching me sleep?"

"No, they just came to tell us that Vivi is almost here."

Rich got on his feet. "How do I look?"

"I mean, you don't look like a raccoon anymore," Bond told him.

"That's all that matters."

We headed downstairs and I followed Bond to the kitchen, where he was getting a cup of hot chocolate.

"Oh, hey, Zoey, do you want a cup too?"

"No—actually sure. But I wanna ask if you know anything about psychology."

"I've watched a few documentaries about Sigmund Freud. Does that count? He's the father of psychology."

"Yeah, that works. Do you know anything about revealing a person's true self? Like how they're a completely different person after they dropped their guard?"

"Yeah, I think it's called id and ego. Let's just say that you like someone and when another person finds out, you deny it. You liking that person is your id and you denying it is your ego. If the ego is removed, say you're drunk, all that's left is the id; the desires. And you're not gonna think twice about confessing."

"I get it. So whatever they say is what they want deep down?"

"There's a chance. I don't fully understand this id and ego thing myself so don't take my word for it. I don't want you embarrassing yourself."

"Okay. Thanks a lot."

Bond smiled. "Don't mention it. I'm just glad I can be of some help."

"Pair up," Mr Cranston instructed when everyone gathered downstairs. "You'll need a partner for this activity."

Bond paired with Rich. "I'll babysit him if you guys don't want to."

No one argued and I didn't have any objections to that.

Mallory pulled me to her. "Let's partner up, Zoey. With our combined feminine prowess, these boys will be toast in this war."

Charlie went to Conan and said, "Let's win this time. As a German, I'm tired of losing wars!"

"Are you okay, Rich?" Mr Cranston asked. "There seems to be something on your eyelids."

We attempted to keep Mr Cranston quiet. Even Mr Darley was signalling for him to cut it out.

"I asked the girls to put makeup on me so it won't look like I'm tired."

"I mean it's technically makeup."

Rich's suspicious expressions let us know we'd been caught.