p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"Betty: A sidekick/p
p class="MsoNormal"I remember the first time I laid eyes on him. He had jet black hair and electrifying blue eyes. He was carrying boxes into the house next door as I was getting dropped off by my mom, Reese. He wore a light blue cardigan because it was August, and the orange leaves splattered our gardens and our front porches./p
p class="MsoNormal"He seemed to sense someone watching him so I jolted out of my enchantment and busied with unpacking my hockey stick and kit from the car. The next minute I'd turned around and he smiled widely at me, "Hey I'm James. I'm moving in next door. Nice to meet you." He held his hand out and I shook it gently, "Nice to meet you. I'm Betty."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I wore our school's hockey uniform and he smiled, "Nice gear," he commented. Before I could reply, my mother was in our conversation and introducing herself, "Hi James, I'm Reese! Lovely to meet you. Welcome to the neighbourhood." He smiled at her kindly, "Thank you, Mrs. Peters. It's nice to meet you too."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mom get going on about how she had wanted to come over and officially introduce ourselves but hadn't had a moment with school starting this week. I smiled shyly at him and he caught my eye again. I felt my heart flutter and I turned to mom, "Hey mom, let's leave him be. They look very busy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"At that moment, his mother came running down the sidewalk and introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Alex. Lovely to meet you." They carried on jabbering until my mom asked, "Would you like to come inside for some tea?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"They accepted readily and we went in, I dumped my hockey gear off at the front door and turned to James, "I'm sorry I need to go freshen up quickly. Do you mind waiting?" He shrugged and replied with a grin, "Sure, but I don't smell anything." I laughed and replied, "You're just being nice. I stink." He beamed a charming smile and replied, "It just means that you played a good game."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I mockingly punched him in the arm, "Hey! You said I don't smell." He chuckled and replied, "Well...it's not too bad." I stuck my tongue out at him and then he laughed loudly as I blinked in shock, "Did you just...?" I nodded and stared at him in disbelief, "Sorry! I just don't know what came over me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He grinned and replied, "Go change. I'll get us some tea. How do you like it?" Wow, he made himself comfortable quickly, didn't he? I kind of liked it though as I rushed up the stairs to get dressed and showered. I really did stink and running up the stairs didn't help./p
p class="MsoNormal"When I came downstairs, I was surprised to find my best friend, Karlie, downstairs. They were all in the kitchen and she was busy chatting to Ryan. I jolted in surprise and asked, "Karlie?" She turned and grinned at me, "Hey, Betty! Remember we were doing our project together after school?" I grimaced, not too happy with the thought of doing homework when we guessed. James jumped in, "What's the project about?" Karlie beamed at him, "It's a natural science project on life cycles. We must choose a life cycle and make a PowerPoint to present it to the class."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Karlie was so charismatic that she could pull anyone in without a blink of an eye. Before you knew what she was doing you could be in love with her and not even have realized what happened or how you got there. It was both magnetic and terrifying being her best friend in this way./p
p class="MsoNormal"James' face lit up, "Excellent! I did a similar project last year. I can help you!" Karlie flattered her naturally long lashes at him, "Really? What grade are you in?" He chuckled and replied, "Ninth. You guys?" She nearly balked and I'd never seen Karlie look so flustered, "Seventh," I answered./p
p class="MsoNormal"She turned slowly to look at me and whispered, "Betty, your tea is getting cold." I knew already that I'd overstepped her, and she was she was not impressed that I'd answered for her. That's how Karlie was...charismatic but also dangerous to be on the wrong side of./p
p class="MsoNormal"I walked between them, grabbed my tea and said firmly, "I think let's leave the homework for tomorrow. We have guests." Karlie took the message and finished her drink in the awkward silence. She stared at me irritably and said, "Alright. See you then, Betty. Bye James." James glanced between us awkwardly as the bleach blonde haired girl flounced out of the room./p
p class="MsoNormal"James exhaled sharply, "Did I say something?" I shook my head and replied, "Nope, that's just Karlie for you." He frowned and asked, "You guys are best friends, I'm guessing?" I laughed, "Yes, we are, but Karlie always wants it her way or the high way."/p
p class="MsoNormal"James shook his head, "Sounds like a handful." I chuckled and replied, "Tell me about it." He replied, "I'm happy to help with the science project though." I smiled softly at him, "Thanks, but I'm actually quite a nerd. I like to research and find out these things on my own."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He raised an eyebrow at me and grinned, "Really? That's cute." James blushed as if he hadn't meant to say it but it slipped out. I blushed profusely because I just couldn't hide my emotions at all. I swallowed and said awkwardly, "Thanks. Nerdy isn't usually a compliment.' He laughed and replied, "To me, it is."/p
p class="MsoNormal"From that day on we spent every day together, James and I. we quickly became best friends, to the point where Karlie and I became more and more distant from each other. She didn't like how much time we spent together and sometimes I couldn't blame her. But in other ways, I needed this independence. This freedom, to be liked for who I was not for who someone else wanted me to be: a sidekick./p
p class="MsoNormal"I remember the first time I laid eyes on him. He had jet black hair and electrifying blue eyes. He was carrying boxes into the house next door as I was getting dropped off by my mom, Reese. He wore a light blue cardigan because it was August, and the orange leaves splattered our gardens and our front porches./p
p class="MsoNormal"He seemed to sense someone watching him so I jolted out of my enchantment and busied with unpacking my hockey stick and kit from the car. The next minute I'd turned around and he smiled widely at me, "Hey I'm James. I'm moving in next door. Nice to meet you." He held his hand out and I shook it gently, "Nice to meet you. I'm Betty."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I wore our school's hockey uniform and he smiled, "Nice gear," he commented. Before I could reply, my mother was in our conversation and introducing herself, "Hi James, I'm Reese! Lovely to meet you. Welcome to the neighbourhood." He smiled at her kindly, "Thank you, Mrs. Peters. It's nice to meet you too."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mom get going on about how she had wanted to come over and officially introduce ourselves but hadn't had a moment with school starting this week. I smiled shyly at him and he caught my eye again. I felt my heart flutter and I turned to mom, "Hey mom, let's leave him be. They look very busy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"At that moment, his mother came running down the sidewalk and introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Alex. Lovely to meet you." They carried on jabbering until my mom asked, "Would you like to come inside for some tea?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"They accepted readily and we went in, I dumped my hockey gear off at the front door and turned to James, "I'm sorry I need to go freshen up quickly. Do you mind waiting?" He shrugged and replied with a grin, "Sure, but I don't smell anything." I laughed and replied, "You're just being nice. I stink." He beamed a charming smile and replied, "It just means that you played a good game."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I mockingly punched him in the arm, "Hey! You said I don't smell." He chuckled and replied, "Well...it's not too bad." I stuck my tongue out at him and then he laughed loudly as I blinked in shock, "Did you just...?" I nodded and stared at him in disbelief, "Sorry! I just don't know what came over me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He grinned and replied, "Go change. I'll get us some tea. How do you like it?" Wow, he made himself comfortable quickly, didn't he? I kind of liked it though as I rushed up the stairs to get dressed and showered. I really did stink and running up the stairs didn't help./p
p class="MsoNormal"When I came downstairs, I was surprised to find my best friend, Karlie, downstairs. They were all in the kitchen and she was busy chatting to Ryan. I jolted in surprise and asked, "Karlie?" She turned and grinned at me, "Hey, Betty! Remember we were doing our project together after school?" I grimaced, not too happy with the thought of doing homework when we guessed. James jumped in, "What's the project about?" Karlie beamed at him, "It's a natural science project on life cycles. We must choose a life cycle and make a PowerPoint to present it to the class."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Karlie was so charismatic that she could pull anyone in without a blink of an eye. Before you knew what she was doing you could be in love with her and not even have realized what happened or how you got there. It was both magnetic and terrifying being her best friend in this way./p
p class="MsoNormal"James' face lit up, "Excellent! I did a similar project last year. I can help you!" Karlie flattered her naturally long lashes at him, "Really? What grade are you in?" He chuckled and replied, "Ninth. You guys?" She nearly balked and I'd never seen Karlie look so flustered, "Seventh," I answered./p
p class="MsoNormal"She turned slowly to look at me and whispered, "Betty, your tea is getting cold." I knew already that I'd overstepped her, and she was she was not impressed that I'd answered for her. That's how Karlie was...charismatic but also dangerous to be on the wrong side of./p
p class="MsoNormal"I walked between them, grabbed my tea and said firmly, "I think let's leave the homework for tomorrow. We have guests." Karlie took the message and finished her drink in the awkward silence. She stared at me irritably and said, "Alright. See you then, Betty. Bye James." James glanced between us awkwardly as the bleach blonde haired girl flounced out of the room./p
p class="MsoNormal"James exhaled sharply, "Did I say something?" I shook my head and replied, "Nope, that's just Karlie for you." He frowned and asked, "You guys are best friends, I'm guessing?" I laughed, "Yes, we are, but Karlie always wants it her way or the high way."/p
p class="MsoNormal"James shook his head, "Sounds like a handful." I chuckled and replied, "Tell me about it." He replied, "I'm happy to help with the science project though." I smiled softly at him, "Thanks, but I'm actually quite a nerd. I like to research and find out these things on my own."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He raised an eyebrow at me and grinned, "Really? That's cute." James blushed as if he hadn't meant to say it but it slipped out. I blushed profusely because I just couldn't hide my emotions at all. I swallowed and said awkwardly, "Thanks. Nerdy isn't usually a compliment.' He laughed and replied, "To me, it is."/p
p class="MsoNormal"From that day on we spent every day together, James and I. we quickly became best friends, to the point where Karlie and I became more and more distant from each other. She didn't like how much time we spent together and sometimes I couldn't blame her. But in other ways, I needed this independence. This freedom, to be liked for who I was not for who someone else wanted me to be: a sidekick./p