A large smile spread across his face that lit up his eyes. I gulped. “I did not, did you Madame?” he asked, still smiling at me. My heart fluttered but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. “Of course I did, my parents were having a business party in the living room what else was I supposed to do? Pick my nose?” He laughed. “Go on the computer maybe?” he answered getting up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Our internet was down” I sighed. “Sucks” he said pensively as we braved the halls of our over populated high school once again. I never noticed but I noticed today. Almost every girl was staring at him and checking him out as they passed him in the halls. A very pretty girl smiled at him and I looked over at him to see his reaction but he was staring at me. My cheeks flushed. Embarrassed I randomly blurted out “Do you have a girlfriend?” confused he smiled. “Um no, there are hardly any girls with substance in our school” he replied. You can say that again I thought. Since we were on the subject I asked “Ever had one?” he frowned “Ya I’ve had a few, I dated Michelle before Zach. I was the one who introduced them. I also dated Ashley other than that no one is worth mentioning” he said. Ashley, the girl who wanted to come to the caf with me and Avery yesterday I thought. Then I smiled. No one else was worth mentioning? “You mean you’re embarrassed about the other girls you dated?” I said. He smiled “Yeah you could say that” We arrived at math class to see a yellow piece of paper taped to the door Mr. Felix’s grade 11 second period class please proceed to study hall. No way I thought. Study hall was just another word for an hour and 15 minutes of sitting around on uncomfortable picnic tables doing nothing at all. Ben just laughed “Ya right, I’m in no way ‘proceeding’ to the study hall for mathematics!” Ben exclaimed. “You can’t leave me!” I said. “Who said anything about leaving you? Come with me stupid!” He laughed again. I gave him annoyed look “We’ll get in trouble if we don’t go” I said. “So?” he said raising his eyebrow at me. “I have two weeks detention starting next week! I can’t get into anymore trouble than I already am in!” I exclaimed throwing my hands up in the air. He sighed “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. We go there for attendance then when his back is turned we sneak off.” He said “We won’t get in trouble that way!” I sighed and looked away. Would it work? “Alright” I surprised myself by saying. “Yeehaw!” he said and pulled me towards the atrium. Did he just say yeehaw? I thought. These people got weirder every second. I shook my head and tried to catch up to Ben.
“Alright so what do you want to do?” He asked. We were walking through the halls after sneaking out of study hall. “Let’s see a movie” I said. Our school was right next to a mall. Pretty sweet deal I think. “Alright” Ben said reaching into his pocked and pulling out his wallet, “Let’s see…10, 20, and 25. Alright what do you want to see?” I smiled thoughtfully. “A comedy” I answered. We arrive at my locker and I grab my purse and jacket. “Oh wait! Its cheap Tuesdays! Wahoo!” I exclaim and pump my fist in the air. Ben gives me a weird look and we head out the door. More like the door leading us to the stairs that lead us to the door once were down there…
“Where were you at lunch?” Michelle was asking me as we waited for geo to start. “At the movies with Ben” I said doodling in my book. Michelle added a cute smiley face and asked “Did you have fun?” I sighed. “Yep, the movie was pretty fun and it was cheap Tuesdays so bonuuus” I answered. I did have fun but what kept on pulling at my mind was that weird feeling I had when I was with him. I started randomly scribbling violently on the page. Michelle lifted up my hand. “What’s wrong?” she asked. I sighed “I don’t know I just have this weird feeling when I’m around him” I answered my brow knit in a tight knot. Michelle let go of my hand and rolled her eyes. “Maybe you like him” she said. I grimaced. No I could in no way like him! I liked Sebastian my boyfriend. “Why are you making a face? What’s wrong with Ben?” she asked. I sighed resuming my furious scribbling “Nothing that’s the problem” She looked at me significantly “If there is nothing wrong with him and you feel weird around him you obviously like him!” she exclaimed. “No!” I insisted balling up my fists, I can’t like him! Sebastian is moving here soon! It would ruin everything. Michelle grumbled “I don’t get you Julie” she said clearly exasperated she got up and walked to her seat. I stared straight ahead the rest of the class. How could I? How could I like Ben? It’s not right! Even if I like Ben I like Sebastian a lot more it wouldn’t make a difference. Would it? I mean it’s not like he likes me! Right? The bell rang and I unsteadily packed up my stuff and headed for Chem.
“Hey Wulie!” Avery said as I turned the corner. He had been waiting for me there. “Whoa dere! You look fantastico today!” he exclaimed. I blushed “Thanks” I said. “So we’ll probably have to do our lab after school today” he said. I perked up at the idea of that. “Hiya!” Zack said joining us. “Ellow Wack!” Avery said. Does he have a thing for replacing the first letter of peoples name with w or something? “Hey Zack” I said. I blew his tongue at me “You may call me King Zachary!” he said. I give him a weird look. All of a sudden I wondered what Michelle called Zack. As if reading my mind he said “You may not under any circumstances call me Indoor Lightning Man that’s reserved for Chelle” he said smiling goofily. What a strange bunch I thought and for the first time smiling about that. We got to Chemistry a little early. “Doooode, no ones here!” Zack said. “They’ll be here in a sec” I told him. The other students slowly filed in. “Julie get to your spot” Mr. Palahniuk told me. I sighed and dragged myself over to my desk. “You three shall be doing the lab after school today” he said pointing at me, Avery and Zack. “What did I tell you?” Avery said.
The lab had to do with fire so it’s safe to say we enjoyed ourselves. Toward the end Ben came into the class. “Avery hurry up I wanna get home” I swallowed the large lump that had already formed in my throat. He looked at me with his big brown eyes. I stared back he smiled that huge smile again and I felt faint. I turned back to our lab and tried to concentrate.
After we were finished I quickly packed up and started to head to the door. “Wulie! Wait, do you wanna hang out today after school?” Avery asked with a lopsided grin on his face. I smiled back, “I have a lot of homework” I answered even though it wasn’t true. I just couldn’t be around Ben until I figured out what it was I felt. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Avery nodded somewhat perplexed. On the way out I heard Ben say “So I told Ashley that she should stop phoning me today” “Good on ya” Zack answered. “What?” I whispered. Ashley still phoned him? When did they go out? Did they just recently break up? I got to my locker and started shoving my homework binder into my bag. “Maybe he doesn’t like me then, he’s still trying to get over his ex” I liked that thought and decided to stick to that theory. As I was locking up my locker I noticed something engraved on the front of it. It was a heart that had Ben and Ashley’s name in it. Underneath it had the word 4 ever. I traced that heart with my finger. Guess not...I thought and stood there silently for several minutes. Suddenly I heard footsteps and jumped. It was two teachers talking about their day “I heard theirs going to be a new student coming soon!” The tall and thin one said. She tossed her pin straight grey hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, I hope he fits in. I hate seeing outcasts during the lunch breaks sitting all by themselves it’s pretty sad” The short and plump one said she shook her head and grasped her coffee mug tighter. I looked at the clock behind them. Holy crap! It was 5:30! I slung my backpack over my shoulders, shoved my hat on and scurried out the door.
“Mom? I’m home!” I yelled as I got in out of the cold bitter November day. “Julie! Where the hell were you! I was worried sick” she yelled appearing at the top of the stairs. I look at the guiltily “I’m sorry I didn’t phone I had to stay after school to do a lab that I missed the other day” I took off my jacket and flung on the chair. “Oh okay, well next time call me!” she said walking back into the kitchen “And hang that jacket up!” she added. I rolled my eyes and hung it on a hook. I need to lie down on my bed and think for hours.
So I’m settled in. I fluffed my pillows, got into my PJ’s, got under my covers and put my hands behind my head. I looked up at ceiling. So this is what has happened over the last 2 days. You pondered who the hell you would spend the last 3 days of your life with. Which is not normal even thought you seem to think of yourself as a normal person. You successfully chose that person. His name is Ben. Who is very attractive, funny and I guess you could call him nice? He also just might have a crush on you but that doesn’t matter because you have a boyfriend. Who you could usually forget about during the year until you spent your summer with him. Except now that has all changed because he is moving to your city and just might be going to your high school. Now you are pondering whether or not you like Ben. This is not a good thing to ponder, because the more you ponder the more you realize you just might and that is not good because may I remind you once again YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!, Who you love, very much. Or do you? No, no my love of Sebastian is not in the question. I obviously like him. I mean people have liked more than one person before? It’s not like I can act on my crush on Ben because of me having a boyfriend and all. Over the last 2 days you have also made another 3 friends. Avery, Michelle and Zach. Michelle thinks you like Ben and you just might agree with her. She also thinks I’m a weirdo probably because obviously to her I like him and I refuse to like him and she’s probably “What the hell is wrong with her? It’s not like she has a boyfriend to worry about?” Except I do. Oh wait I haven’t told any of them I have one. Why haven’t I? I had a chance to tell Avery that time in the caf? What am I ashamed of Sebastian? Another thing that has come to your attention that has complicated your life further. Something happened with Ben and Ashley but what? I mean I should not care but that funny feeling I get when Ben smiles at me has made curious about why he told her to stop phoning him. Of course the most obvious answer could be they dated and he broke up with her and she won’t go away, or the reverse, which I sincerely doubt.
