Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Be-
Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I reached over and slammed the snooze button. Silence.
"Jasmine, time for breakfast," my mom yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
"Coming!" I groggily shouted from the comfort of my own bed. Even though I knew I had to go to school, I just wanted to live in my dreams. I suddenly sit up, realizing it wasn't a dream. Yesterday was, in fact, reality. And it felt to much like a dream to be real.
Yesterday...
"So you coming to the auction, Jasmine?"
"What?" My thoughts were interrupted as I looked up to see who was asking.
"I said, are you going to the auction?"
Sighing, I said, "Uh, yeah. I was forced to be in it."
Lindy laughed and shook her head. "Oh man. Really?"
"Yeah. As part of student council, I'm obligated to participate. It is a student council fundraiser after all."
"Do you think anyone will bid on you? Oh my gosh, what if Parker bids on you?"
Sighing, I smiled softly. "Gosh, I hope so. It would've taken him long enough. How long does it take for a boy to take a hint?"
"Well, after the note you left in his locker, and that thing you did with the basketball, and the way you keep flirting with him every day, I'd say quite awhile."
"I just don't get it. Can't he see that I like him?"
"Like who?" Turning around in my seat, I come face-to-face with Logan.
"Just some guy." I reply and turn back around. Logan plops down in the empty seat beside me.
"Is it that guy Parker? Because, believe me, you're not missing much." He laughed and fiddled with the pen he was holding.
"Logan, you don't know anything about him," I say, furious at his assumptions.
"I just think you deserve better, that's all," He points out quietly.
"Thanks Logan, but I don't need your approval of who I can and can not date," I spit out, standing up from the table and heading for the lunchroom exit. That boy can get on my last nerves. I love him, sure, but he's not my big brother. He needs to find himself someone else to pester.
Growing up, Logan and I had been the best of friends. Along with Lindy his twin sister, Delia, and Garrett, we were inseparable. Our moms would call us the "fierce five," mainly because we'd always fight about the stupidest of things. We were all close, but Logan and I had a special relationship. I was an only child, so Logan was the brother I never had, and sometimes never wanted. He would pick on me constantly, but only because he loved me. I was like a little sister to him. Recently, though, he changed. He began to pick on me less, and he started to compliment me more. It was almost like he was being nice to me. Weird, right. And don't get me wrong, age has been well for him. He wasn't the short chubby kid I used to know. His voice got deeper, he grew a couple inches, and he started working out. If he wasn't like a brother to me, I'd be all for him. Of course, I'd never say that out loud to him. It'd only boost his ever growing ego.
Later that day, I headed for the auditorium where the date auction would be held. I groaned as walked down the hallway, regretting getting into any of this mess. Why I suggested this idea was beyond me. At first, it seemed like a fast and fun way to raise money for the student council. Everyone seemed iffy at first, but I managed to persuade them. Of course, I had no intention of actually being in it. So when they all voted for me to be in it, I was shocked. Actually, more like disturbed.
Opening the doors to the auditorium, I found that it had been completely transformed. The lights were dim and spotlights moved around the stage. A runway had been brought in for the girls to walk down as they were being bid on. A huge banner reading "Date Auction" was floating across the top of the stage. I ran over to where Elizabeth, the student council president, was setting up some balloons.
"So how long do you think this is going to last?" I asked.
She turned and looked at me. "I don't know. It could be and hour, or it could be four hours. Depends on how fast the bids go."
I groan inwardly. Great. What a way to waste a perfectly good afternoon. I could be halfway to the mall right about now.
"Okay, I think we're set. Go get ready, Jasmine. Doors open in 10."
I head to the dressing room, slip on the dress I'm supposed to wear, and briefly fix my makeup. I have to at least try, right? I can hear the chatter in the auditorium as I realize it's about to start.
The lights go dim.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our first ever date auction! On behalf of the student council, we thank you for coming. Students, you know how this works. Each of you have a stick that you raise when you want to make a bid. The bid only goes up. If no one places a bid ten seconds after you, you win a date. So let's get this party started! First up, Debbie Smith!"
One by one, each of the girls gets bidded on. As time goes on, my boredom increases. Finally, it's my turn. I take a step onto the stage. The lights are so bright, and I can see no one in the audience.
"Okay people, here we have Jasmine Blythe. She loves shopping and watching romantic comedies. Her favorite desserts are donuts and cheesecake. We shall start the bid at ten dollars."
"15!" Someone yells from the audience.
"20!"
"30!"
"45!"
"One hundred dollars!" Surprised, I crane my neck to see who made the bid. It was Parker. I grin as I think to myself, Finally. It's about time.
"Wow! One hundred dollars! Going once, going twice..."
I look at the announcer, urging him to continue. Just as the announcer opens his mouth to close the deal, I hear another familiar voice from the audience.
"Five hundred dollars."
Oh. no.
"Well then! Five hundred dollars it is! Going once, going twice, sold! To the man in the green hoodie!"
As soon as I had heard his voice, I knew it was him. Was this some sort of joke? To get back at me for what I said to him in the lunchroom? I was going to kill him.
According to the rules, the auctionees couldn't talk to their dates until after the auction was over. As soon as it was over, I headed straight for the door. I couldn't face Logan after what he had done to me. He cost me my only chance at a date with Parker. I heard his voice as stormed down the empty hallway, but I didn't turn around.
"Jasmine, wait up!" I continue down the hallway, without a glance back.
I felt a hand grab my arm and whirl me around.
"WHAT, LOGAN?!" I'm pretty sure I was on volcano mode, ready to explode.
"Look, I'm sorry okay? I don't know what happened."
I was furious. "You don't know what happened?! You just cost me something that was super important to me, basically my only chance at Parker! I don't care how much you apologize to me, it's not going to make a difference. Nothing you say will." I try to turn away but he pulls me back.
Running his hand through his hair he retorted, "I said I was sorry, okay! Why can't you forgive me?"
"Logan, you've changed. I thought we were friends, and we always had each other's backs. But now you're just acting like selfish, jealous child." With that, I turn on heels and walk away.
"So maybe I am!" He calls after me, and I stop in my tracks. Did he just say-
"Maybe I've changed. So what? You've changed too!"
I turn around and walk back up to him. "What does that have to do with anything?"
He sighs and shakes his head. "You don't get it."
"Get what, Logan?! That you totally screwed up everything?" At this point, I was just getting frustrated.
"No! That you are totally blind to everyone around you! Ever since you got back from New York this past summer, you've seemed different. You aren't the same girl I used to know."
"Yeah well, I grew up. I'm not a little kid anymore."
"I know. That's what scares me."
"What?"
"When we were little, you used to be dorky and I would always pick on you because I was your best friend and I was allowed to do that. But now, I can't do that. Because your not that dorky little kid anymore. You're beautiful and smart and funny. And I guess I just got jealous of Parker. Because you saw him in a way you would never see me. I can't compete with him."
I stare in shock at his face, trying to comprehend what he just said. As much as I want to tell him he's stupid for saying what he just said, I can't bring myself to say it. And that scares me. Cause deep down, I like him too. In fact, I've think I've liked him all along. I just never realized it.
Interrupting my thoughts, he asks, "Jasmine? Are you okay? Look, I'm sorry for telling you all this. You probably think I'm crazy, so I'm gonna go now..." As he starts to walk away, I say,
"No."
He turns around and looks at me, waiting for me to continue.
"You're not crazy. The only one who's crazy is me. I don't know what's come over me but I guess I just didn't see it before. Or maybe I was just so caught up in myself that I didn't take the time to notice. It all makes sense now. Gosh I'm so stupid. I can't believe-"
I never got to finish my sentence, for at the moment, Logan walked over and cupped my face, placing his soft lips on mine. I sank into the kiss, fireworks going off in my head. It didn't last long, and he pulled back, placing his forehead against mine. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, and I felt him breathing heavily.
"So I guess this changes things," He whispers softly to me.
"I guess so." I smile and grab his hand, intertwining his fingers with mine.
"You know, you really need to work on your kissing skills."
I gasp and slap him in the arm. New us, same old Logan.