Shannon!

I sometimes forget how quickly time passes. Especially in writing...


The holiday break came and Shannon had barricaded herself in her room. She had fallen so far behind on her school work because of the planning committee she was failing two of her classes. She needed to spend the holiday catching up.

Eddie stayed down for the holidays to help her with her History homework. Even on the night of the big Baker get together she spent it in her room studying while the rest of the family mingled. Eddie and his younger brother Xavier played in her room to keep her company. Cousin Derek, newly single, stopped by to say hi, but Shannon kept studying.

Even when Amanda came by to visit Shannon was too busy to study. She ended up spending the day visiting with Eddie more than Shannon. Eddie went back home at the end of the holiday to spend it with his family. Fredrick and Meredith let Shannon study quietly for the final weeks of her winter vacation.

By the time the holiday break had ended Shannon had finally caught up with all her work and was ready to finish the semester with at least passable grades.

As classes resumed the first day back the planning committee had a meeting to discuss upcoming events with the student council president.

"The student council and I, your president, agree that what we need is a dance before exams." Cassie announced. The collective group moaned. "Oh don't act so hard done by. I don't even need to keep this group around, remember." She threatened.

"Thats only two weeks to organize, fundraise, and throw a dance!" Damien cried. "You can't expect us to do that!"

"I expect you to not complain about me allowing you to remain a group!" Cassie rebutted.

"Actually, in this case we can't hold a dance when you want." Ben said.

"Why not?" Cassie shot at Ben.

"Well, for the date you settled on for holding the dance is in the middle of exams. No students will show up, and the cafetorium is being used as a student study area." Ben pointed out.

"What about the week before that?" Cassie asked.

"You mean this week?" Ben asked.

"Fine, the week after that." Cassie said.

"Still a designated study area." Ben pointed out.

"Fine!" Cassie relented. "The week after that!"

"The study week when the school is closed?" Ben asked.

Cassie just glared at Ben but said nothing.

"We could hold a dance the week after school starts up again after exams." Beth suggested. "A return to classes dance?"

Cassie folded her arms and leaned back in her desk chair. "I suppose that'll have to do. I guess you lot get a few extra weeks to prepare for this dance. It had better be awesome!"

"But then we're throwing two dances back-to-back." Damien interjected. "The back to classes dance and the Valentines dance."

"That Valentines dance is happening!" Cassie demanded slamming her hand on the desk.

"But what about the return to classes dance?" Beth asked.

"We'll cancel the dumb return to classes dance then." Cassie rolled her eyes. "But I want my Valentines dance! That's important!" Cassie stood up and stormed out of the room without hearing anything else.

A moment passed before the group breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thank god, now we can study for exams." Ben said as he gathered his books.

"We still need to meet at least once a week to get started on the Valentines dance." Beth said. "It shouldn't be too much work, at least not until after exams."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement and left quickly leaving only Beth, Ben, Damien, and Shannon behind. Shannon remained seated as she tried to figure out what just happened.

"Beth are we still studying at your place?" Ben asked.

"Sure. Damien, you're coming too right?" Beth asked.

"But he's not even in the same grade as us." Ben pointed out.

"Yeah sure, I don't  have anything better to do." Damien said gathering his stuff.

"Wait, before you guys go," said Shannon, "what just happened here? How did you guys convince Cassie to drop a dance without getting our group closed down?"

"We planned this." Ben said non-chalantly.

"Cassie maybe a tyrant but even she has to see logic when its forced in her face." Damien said with a grin.

"Hey, Shannon, wanna study with us?" Beth asked.

"I usually study with my friend." Shannon said feeling a bit awkward. "I haven't seen them a lot since I joined you guys."

"Invite them!" Beth said cheerfully. "My parents have a big house so there's plenty of room."

"I thought this was going to be a small intimate study group." said Ben.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud, Benny boy." Damien jibed. "The more the merrier, right Beth?"

Beth nodded in agreement. Ben just walked out of the room silently.

"Here, I'll give you my address." Beth wrote it down on a small piece of paper and handed it to Shannon. "Our first study session is this weekend!"