• Next Saturday
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    It’s the day I meet Elizabeth and Lisa for their project. I sleep in for an extra hour and a half, which surprised me. I get out of bed and take a short shower. As I get dressed, I check the time on my phone. 11:27; Nina said we were meeting at twelve. I decide to watch a little television to pass time when Mom comes to the doorway.

    “What time do you need to meet the girls?” Mom asks.

    “Around noon; Nina said she’d pay for me if I needed her to,” I didn’t want Mom to have to give me money. Since she lost her job, money has been tight.

    “It’s ok, kiddo,” Mom says as she studies my expression. “We’ll leave shortly and stop by the bank by your school on the way.”

    We left around 11:45, and as Mom said we went to the bank first and withdrew twenty dollars for me, then told me not to spend it all. We had to search for a parking spot when we pulled into Steak N’ Shake. I text Nina to tell her that I was coming in and she met me outside. I wave goodbye to Mom when I get out of the car and run to Nina to hug her.

    When we get inside, Elizabeth and Nina’s boyfriend JT are at a table. I wave happily and sit down next to Elizabeth while Nina sits next to JT.

    “Hi, Jasmine!” Elizabeth says excitedly and a little loudly over the chatter of the other people inside.

    “Hey, Elizabeth!” I almost yell back and we hug tightly. Elizabeth is one of the few people that call me Jasmine on a regular basis besides my teachers. The only other times I’m called by Jasmine are when I get in trouble or when Le says something serious to me. After a minute, I look around the table curiously and ask, “Where’s Lisa?”

    “She couldn’t make it,” Nina answers sadly.

    “Oh. That sucks,” I say just as sad.

    I look to JT and smile warmly, trying to make a good first impression and be nice, “As Elizabeth said, I’m Jasmine, but people call me Jaz. It’s nice to meet you.”

    “You too,” JT says as we shake hands.

    “Oh! I forgot, aren’t you Charolette’s cousin?” Nina gives me a sort of angry look as I ask.

    JT looks to Nina to calm her down, then back to me, “Yeah, I am. She’s mentioned you once or twice.”

    It gets quiet for a few minutes besides the chatter of the other people enjoying their Saturday lunch. Elizabeth hands me two sheets of paper with Japanese writing on the top that says “Gokusen Part One” and “Gokusen Part Two”. I skim the front of the first sheet and notice eraser marks where names were for lines. More people were involved than I thought, but it might have been inconvenient for some. I think to myself.

    Elizabeth breaks my chain of thought, “It’s the script for my and Lisa’s project. There’s a part where someone gives someone else a poisonous apple-”

    I cut her off quickly, “Watashi? Onegai? (Me? Please?)” I ask in my cutest anime girl voice.

    We all can’t help but laugh. Afterwards, Elizabeth smiles, “I was gonna have you give the apple.”

    I hug Elizabeth excitedly then mess with her adorable and perfect elbow-length curls. I then saw the waitress come with our food. As we ate, we talked more about the video and other random things. Overall, we just enjoyed our time together. I watched as JT tickled Nina and wished I could’ve brought Le with me somehow.

    After we all finished, I look to Elizabeth who was stirring her drink with her straw. She looked like she had an idea. And apparently, something was running through her head; she grabbed a bottle of ketchup on the table and squirted some into her glass.

    “What in the world are you doing?!” Nina asks, obviously worried for our friend’s mental stability.

    “I’m bored and I feel like mixing stuff,” Elizabeth answers as she grabs a bottle of pepper sauce, puts some in the glass, and stirred. I noticed that as she put in the pepper sauce, the ice melted where the sauce landed.

    Soon enough, everyone looked around for things that could be added to Elizabeth’s creation. Nina poured in some of her own coke. I added salt, as JT added pepper. After it was complete, the four of us just stared at the glass.

    “I bet no one’s going to drink it,” Nina taunts with a grin.

    “Look who’s talking,” I tease back. I smile bravely thinking about the challenge that just got thrown to the table. “Perhaps someone will. Depends on what the person gets.”

    “This,” Nina pulls out a fifty dollar bill, “You have to take a long sip though.”

    Everyone eyes the dollar. I consider taking a drink, but I remember the pepper sauce Elizabeth added. I decided to back out and just watch. Elizabeth pulls the glass close to her, puts the straw to her lip, and takes a three second sip. After struggling to swallow, she shakes her head slightly.

    “I have made some weird things with food, but nothing compares to THAT,” she says as she points to the drink.

    I look around on the table and notice sugar packets. I pick one up and say, “I think it might’ve been better with this.”

    As we all laugh, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text message from Mom.

    I’m here.

    We all head outside after Elizabeth and I pay for the food. Everyone says a quick goodbye as we go our separate ways, anxious for the next time we get to hang out again.