Chapter Text
Sophomore year
Penny lived a charmed life. She had always been pretty; she had always been popular; she had always been blond. She was the first one called for play dates and the last one anyone ever wanted to leave.
High school brought more of the same. She was a cheerleader so she moved with the crowd who ruled the school, chaired the dance committees and organized the pep ralleys. If, sometimes, the other cheerleaders were unnecessarily catty towards a new girl, Penny would always try to talk to her later. When the football players tripped the president of the chess club in the cafeteria, Penny would run to help him up.
Daddy told her on a daily basis, "Be nice to the people you meet on the way up. They're the same ones you meet on the way down." Mom was quick to remind her that "You always could have been a little nicer." Her mother knew her golden daughter was riding a wave only a select few ever get to experience; it was inevitable that it wouldn't last.
If Penny's social success came effortlessly, academic success required more input. It's not that Penny was stupid. Far from it; it's just that knowing who Susie was dating or helping to make balloon bouquets or volunteering for the can drive seemed so much more important that the square root of nine or why the Aztecs were a relevant civilization. So Penny's high school experience was tempered by grades that were less than stellar. If her social status ever equaled her GPA, she'd be slouched in the back of the class listening to grunge music on her headphones. Penny's one saving grace were electives. She always excelled in gym or drama. Sophomore year, Penny took art. Sophomore year, Penny met Jeremy.
Jeremy Langton's social circle was much narrower than Penny's. Often it comprised of himself and his brother but usually it was just Jeremy. He didn't mind- his schoolwork, voracious reading and Star Wars collection kept him well-occupied.
There was no reason Jeremy didn't have friends. He was tall for his age, slender just bordering on skinny. His dark hair had a very slight wave and his hazel eyes were very expressive behind steel frame glasses. He was very intelligent to the point that as a sophomore, he was already enrolled in junior AP math and science classes.
He took art as a way of maintaining his GPA and also because of his passion for comic books. He was late to class that day because he had been arguing a proof with his math teacher. The poor woman had finally thrown him out in despair because her knowledge of the subject was no match for Jeremy's. He slid into the only available seat at the back table.
"Hi. I'm Penny."
Penny smiled broadly at her new neighbor who returned her greeting by giving her a cold stare.
"What's your name?" she pressed on.
"Jeremy Langton." he mumbled.
"Are you new here?"
He sighed, "No. I'm a sophomore like you."
Penny was confused. She knew everyone at least by sight.
"I've never seen you before."
Jeremy took in the high blond ponytail and the pom-poms sticking out of her bag. Cheerleader. He rolled his eyes.
"We don't take the same classes." he told her.
"Oh." Penny said then lowered her voice." Are you in the "special" classes?"
That did it. His arm shot up in the air, "Mr. Gill, may I have a new seat?"
The art teacher paused in his monologue about the importance of light and shadow. He looked at his roster.
"I'm sorry ah…Jeremy.. but, as you can see, we have a full house."
Jeremy slumped in his seat. He'd have to transfer to another elective after school.
Penny continued to stare at him. Who peed in his cornflakes? She reached into her purse and pulled out some gum.
"Truce?"
Jeremy took the piece without a word. Mr. Gill gave instructions on perspective. Put a dot on the page. Use a ruler.
Penny set about doing the appointed task. She loved being creative- drawing, cheering, acting. They were all a chance to get outside herself. She especially enjoyed discovering she could do something no one ever expected she'd be able to do.
"You're doing that wrong." Jeremy pointed out.
Penny gave him a cool green eye.
"It's not going to come out right." he insisted.
Penny dropped her pencil, "Oh and yours is perfect, I suppose."
Jeremy pushed his glasses up and surveyed his paper.
"Actually, it is." and he held up a perfect line drawing of a street lined with buildings.
Penny decided Jeremy Langton would be the first person she would ever hate.
XXXX
Art class occurred three times a cycle and it happened Penny didn't see Jeremy for four days. He was seated at their table when she came in and flung her bags down..
"Good afternoon." he greeted.
What was he wearing? It looked like some kind of Star Trek shirt and were those spectator shoes?
"Hi." she said shortly then commenced with her silent brooding.
"Something troubling you, Penelope?"
"Only my Grammy calls me that." she replied. "Yes. I got a D on an algebra test. If I don't keep my average up, I'm off the squad. Coach is real strict about that."
Jeremy said nothing just continued to mix various shade of gray.
"I mean, who cares about algebra?" Penny went on swiping bright yellow paint onto her paper. "It's not like I'll ever use it."
Jeremy chuckled, "People use algebra every day, Penelope. Let me see your test."
"Why?"
"I can't help you if I don't know the mistakes you made."
She fished out her paper. He scanned it noticing most of the mistakes were due to carelessness and inattention. Penny had drawn little flowers around the margins of the paper.
"Floral border aside," Jeremy said. "You have the concepts down. These are all careless mistakes. Will Mr. Whitney let you make corrections for partial credit? He did when I had him freshman year."
Penny nodded encouraged by his assessment that she understood algebra.
"Problem solved." Jeremy remarked swirling a realistic storm cloud on his paper.
XXXX
Penny hadn't walked home from school since fifth grade. She always had a ride from either one of the older cheerleaders or football players. Today, she told her friends she was staying after and they could leave without her. She ran to the hallway where Jeremy's locker was but it was empty. She spotted his black sweatshirt cutting across the baseball field .
"Jeremy! Wait up!" she called. He kept walking.
When Penny finally did catch up to him, she realized he had headphones on. She tapped his shoulder. He was genuinely surprised to see her.
"What are you doing here?
"Walking home with you." Penny said easily. "I have a favor to ask."
Jeremy studied this blond bubble prancing alongside him. She was very likeable in a Disney sort of way.
"I have another algebra test on Friday and I thought you could help me study."
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Impossible. Today is Tuesday and my time is both limited and valuable."
Penny was not stupid- foolish, easily distracted but not stupid. She'd done a little investigating and found that Jeremy would probably be valedictorian if he didn't graduate next year. He was also a loner who had acquaintances more than friends. Even his teachers were lukewarm about him simply because he wasn't afraid to show he knew more than they did.
"Oh please." she begged blocking his path. "A smart guy like you, it'll be a piece of cake. You'll get to show off and I really need to pass this test."
The late fall sun gave Penny's eyes a mossy cast. She looked so helpless and Jeremy was secretly flattered that Miss Popularity(he done his homework, too) wanted help from him.
"I'll meet you tomorrow after school." he relented.
She clapped her hands then her face fell, "I have cheering practice. How about Thursday?"
"You can't study for a test the night before." he reprimanded.
"Really? Okay. How about you come over to my house Wednesday after dinner? We can study till 9:30."
Jeremy knew Penny lived on a farm which was twenty minutes from his house. It would be a long bike ride.
"Very well. How is 6:45."
"Great. Thanks Sweetie. I'll see you in Art tomorrow." She scampered away ponytail bobbing.
Sweetie? Where did that come from?