Stereotypes don't exist on the bus. The 15 minutes before school everyday is when you get to sit, talk, and be with anybody without people assuming them your best friend.

Of course, this is all my conclusions after observing it second hand. I sit with Allie. But, like, take JoAnna. She is a total jock,  on the high school soccer team in only 8th grade. Jo sits with Isabelle, who's practically a gothic poster child. They're next door neighbors, and since they're the same age... well, you get the point. At school if the two were to mix, the entire school would be buzzing with the unlikely friendship. Oh yeah, in middle school, unlikely is strange. Strange is awful. Awful is talked about. For some reason.
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"I don't know. What is it?" Our neighbor, Cynthia, groans. Hailey, her bus buddy shakes her head. "The test is today."

Allie and I slide into our normal seat, across from Cynthia and Hailey. They're both in the same grade as us, and I have the same English period as Cynthia.

"Laura," Hailey turns to me. "Help?" Allie sits up and looks over my shoulder. "I can help, too."

Cynthia glances back, "Oh, sure. It's just Laura's the English wiz."

Part of me feels satisfied, to have beaten Allie in something, but I see that my sister's really hurt. I almost catch her tearing up.

"You know, Allie's good too." I shrug. What's up with her?

Hailey hands me the flashcards. "Okay. So, what's personification?"
•••

Third Period English comes, and I'm still reading flashcards for Cynthia. "I'm gonna flunk..." She props herself up on her elbow. "No, you're--"

Before I can finish, my teacher clears her throat. "Change of plans!"

Cynthia's eyes light up.

"Today, our class will have a spell-off. There will be a winner from every English class in every grade, and tomorrow they'll compete. The top three winners of our middle school spelling bee will move on."

Cynthia's hand shoots up. "So... no test?" Mrs. Green smiles, "That's correct. It has been rescheduled for next week."

A spelling bee. Maybe I can win? I am the English wiz, right?

"Now, class, line up."

Cynthia pulls my arm to the line of kids in the back of the room. "Let's start easy, then the words will get progressively harder."

We were at the end of the line. "Cynthia," Mrs. Green began, "Your word is portrait."

"P-O-R-T-R-A-I-T... portrait?" Cynthia tucked a wispy curl behind her ear, uncertain. My teacher nodded and moved on to me.

"Construction. Your word is construction."

"C-O-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N."

The second round began. The words got slightly harder. Cynthia ended up misspelling "phantom". My turn grew closer.

"Your word is mischief."
I spell it flawlessly.

I find myself spelling out harder words, like destructiveness, miscellaneous, translucent, and authority. Then it was the final two.

"Okay, Jillian," Mrs. Green looked to my opponent. "Photosynthesis."

Jillian frowned. "Um..." she closed her eyes. "P-H-O-T-O-S-I-N-T-H-E-S-I-S." I knew she got it wrong. My teacher turned to me. "Salutations."

I knew this word. "S-A-L-U-T-A-T-I-O-N-S." I look around nervously. "Salutations?"

Mrs. Green beams at me. "Looks like we've got our winner."