The girl was nothing if not confident, it takes some manner of cocksureness to recover from a trip and still manage to come across as Little Miss Badass. I find it telling that she is so adamant about being able to handle herself. My grandma is a fan of cinema and in watching some with her, there's a trend where the loner main character inevitably learns to rely on others. Movies are grandma's forte, mine is literature. Sighing after Alena's pun fully works its way through my brain, I give a small nod of understanding to Sarah. I may not necessarily agree with the growing sentiment and potential use of Hana, but it's in my nature to be the negative one. I blame the part of me that over thinks and over analyzes things. Every idea is a bad idea except for the one that works. 

"You know," I say, grabbing my backpack and attaching it - yes, I'm a two-strapper, cliche I know - and I approach the exit into the school building where Hana is currently leaning, "I once said that I'd never get anything less than an A, but then I took a class in Impressionist art and got a B." I contemplate tapping Hana on the shoulder but decide against it. I don't have her confidence to directly touch a stranger. However, I do look in her general direction, not making eye contact per se, but not looking away. "Point is, I doubt your conviction will hold up when attacked from all sides."

I turn and look towards the other Cliqueless members and I remember Hana's earlier words about going it alone, going it solo like Mario Van Peebles. Wait. Bad analogy. Solo was an android. Thanks, grandma. 

"Look, I'm not going to stand here and try to win you over because honestly I know I'd be wasting precious breath. If you want to go off and be on your own, that's your deal. But how are you on your metaphysical allusions?" I don't even have to turn and look at the others to know at least one of them is probably scratching their heads. "[i]'No man is an island entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.'[/i]" I knew those Friday nights reading classical poetry would pay off one day, and not just on tests and essays. 

"Just think about that for a while, it'll sink in. But until it does, I admit to being slightly curious as to what you have planned, so I guess I'll take a look."

Short of punching out every single clique down in the gallery below, I doubt Hana's statement can live up to the hype. Call me a lover of schadenfreude, but I want to watch this go up in flames. It'll be like the Hindenburg, only without all of the casualties. 

I've been hanging around Jake too long. I'm getting morbid.