#1 Crush
Brittany sat on the folding chair, having a bad time. Although the DJ was pumping out really good mixes, not a whole lot of people were dancing. And she couldn't talk with her pals, since noone could hear anything else but the loud beats. She looked around. Some of the more outgoing girls were dancing near the DJ booth, huddled together in a tight group.
A couple of girls had gotten a couple of guys to dance with them. They always danced together. Food was being served somewhere, but Brittany was too depressed to get up to get sugar.
Then, remembering the recent picnic the school had for the eighth grade, she scanned the less mobile crowd, remembering that her latest crush was actually at school.
There he was. Jake. Wearing baggy cargo shorts, white t-shirt, and a light plaid, short-sleeved, button-up over that. His hair had been recently trimmed, adding to his appeal. He also seemed to be enjoying himself, being able to hear what Marco said. He laughed, Brittany taking a full view of a real, gorgeous smile.
Although she had been offended when he couldn't remember her name, she secretly forgave him at the picnic barely a week ago. The picnic grounds included a swimming pool, and even though May was a spring/summer month, the weather had been a bit cold.
Noon had been warm enough for 30 kids out of 150 to take a dip, Jake being one of them. For some reason, he had gone in with his t-shirt on. Brittany didn't go in, instead, she walked around the pool taking pictures.
By the time Jake got out, he was shivering. Someone threw him his towel, and he sat on the stone bench wrapped up in it, his shirt drying in the weak sun. Allison gave her some Rold Gold pretzels, and she offered Jake some. Not wanting to move from his warm towel, he ate one out of Brittany's hand.
She was suprised, and then Marco sat down next to him and asked Brittany to take a picture, which she accomplished with several pretzels falling out of her hand. She became infatuated with Jake from then on.
She still had that picture, now memorized in her mind. Jake had looked so cute in that picture, like a baby.
Allison came up to her, then dragged Brittany outside.
"Whoo, finally, I can hear myself think," Allison said.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to talk. You like Jake?"
"How'd you know?"
"You were staring at him. He's gotten real cute, hasn't he? Great body."
"Uh, yeah." Brittany had a flashback of Jake stripping off his wet t-shirt.
"Wonder what he does. He's got some built muscles. He's gotten bad at basketball because he's more of a linebacker, but the school doesn't have a football team. Wait, I know he doesn't play that, too."
Brittany looked at Allison. She shrugged. "I told you, he's gotten real cute. It's a shame neither of us can have him, though."
"What do you mean?" Brittany asked.
"Cassie, remember?"
"I've never even seen them together. They don't have an official relationship."
"Brit, their relationship became official the day before the picnic. He was waiting by her locker. Sweet, isn't it?"
"I started really liking him the day of the picnic."
"Me too. Wish I could've actually asked him out to the dance two months ago. I hate Rachel with a vengeance now."
Rachel, Cassie, and Tobias came around the corner right then.
"Did I hear someone say my name?" Allison shook her head, giving a glaring look at both her and Cassie.
Jake came out, put his arm around Cassie, and kissed her. They group went inside.
The DJ took a break.
"Were they talking about me?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah," Jake answered. He had been behind them part of the time, hearing most of the conversation.
"Good."
The DJ got back on, starting off with a slow song.
"Want to dance?" Jake asked, and Cassie let him pull her onto the floor.
Brittany and Allison watched as Jake and Cassie twirled around, gone in their own little world as #1 Crush by Garbage reverbrated through the building.