"Would…you…kindly…let…me…through?!" I struggled through the thick crowd, no different from any other Monday morning at my "wonderful" high school. I was getting no where. Every time I thought I'd found a way out of the huddled mass, I was blocked by yet another person. Finally I yelled as loud as I could, "LET…ME…THROUGH!"

Miraculously, the crowd separated. When I reached my locker, I was met by my friend Jenni who was just reaching her own locker. "Nice tactic," she commented, grinning as she opened her locker.

"Thanks, I thought so," I replied, grinning back.

"So did you hear what happened between Miranda and Jeff?" That was Jenni…always up on the gossip of the weekend.

I rolled my eyes. "Jenni, I could truly care less."

Jenni sighed. "You really need knew friends…did you spend all weekend hanging out with that…Bryan guy?"

I sighed and ignored her. Opening my locker, I sighed as a weekend's worth of unfinished homework came spilling out at me. "Good thing that I have a study hall today," I sighed, bending down to pick up the papers and book that had been spread out along the floor.

Jenni stared at me. "OK, who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Um, I'm talking about the fact that you don't have your homework done. That is so unlike you!"

I shrugged. "Everyone's allowed to have a non-homework filled weekend every once in awhile, right?"

Jenni fixed me with her super-ultra-yeah-right look. "Not you. I remember you once saying that your mother should have been named 'Homework Queen.' So why is it that you don't have your homework done?"

I ignored her, preferring to search through my locker for my English book. "Ugh, where is that damn book? Can I borrow yours for class today?"

Jenni pulled her book out of her locker, and was about to hand it to me when she stopped. "No."

"No? Why not?"

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

"Nothing is going on! Why does everyone think that something is going on? Can't I have one weekend where I don't do my homework? It's not rocket science - I wanted one weekend to myself! GOD!"

Jenni took a step back. "Ok, seriously now. What - is - going - on?"

"JENNI!"

"ALEXIS!"

"WHAT?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Just thought yelling back would be fun."

"You are such a moron sometimes." I shook my head, and then held out my hand. "Now give me the book."

Jenni looked at me like I had three heads. "No."

"Why not? What did I do now?"

"Nothing. And that's exactly it. You did nothing. You didn't do your homework, you haven't cleaned your locker in four months, you didn't answer the phone this weekend, and you won't tell me what's going on. So no, you can't have the book. Not until you tell me what's up."

"Nothing is 'up.' All I wanted was one weekend by myself…is that too much to ask?"

"In your case, yes. You never want 'one weekend by yourself.' So why now? Why this weekend?"

"Look, it's none of your business, so butt out. Are you going to give me that damn book or not?"

"It is to my business. You're my best friend. So spill it. Why this weekend?"

I sighed. "Look, if I tell you will you leave me alone about it?"

"Yes."

"Ok, fine. My dad is out of town this weekend, and my sister had another skating competition, and of course, my mother HAD to go with her, so I was stuck home alone, all weekend. I didn't feel like doing homework, and no one was there to make me because I'm just little-old-Alexis. Little-old-Alexis who no one cares about. So yeah, that's why I wanted one weekend and why it was 'this weekend.' Now give me the damn book so I can go to class."

Tears were welling up in my eyes, but I swore to myself that I wouldn't give into them. Not here, not now. I kept my gaze on the floor as I held my hand out for the book, willing myself not to look at Jenni. I felt her place the book in my hand, and then she said, "I'm sorry."

That was it. The dam broke, and the tears came flowing down my cheeks, unchecked. "S'not your fault. Don't be sorry."

"But I am sorry."

"Well, don't be. If anyone wants to be sorry it should be them. But they'll never be sorry, never, because I am the forgotten, unwanted child. That's me. Hidden in my sister's shadow, never to be found."

"Don't say that."

"Don't say what? The truth? God, what do you want me to say?!" I stopped looking at the floor and turned my gaze to Jenni. "Do you want me to say that my life is perfect? That I live in the best house, that my parents are wonderful, that I never wish for anything else?" The tears came faster now, rolling down my face like two little rivers. "Dream on, Jenni. Not everyone has a perfect life!"

"I never said they did!" Tears were coming to Jenni's eyes now. "And I never said that I didn't want you to tell the truth. What I don't want you to do, to say, and to think is that you are worthless. In your words, that you are the 'forgotten, unwanted child.' Because you aren't, Alexis, you aren't! Look at me, look at our school. Alexis, you are the freshman class president. You didn't get there by being unwanted and forgotten. If you were unwanted and forgotten, you wouldn't be my best friend! Stop degrading yourself!"

We were both sobbing at this point. "Do you mean that, really mean that?" I asked.

"Yes!" she cried. "You should know me well enough by now to know that I only say what I feel is the truth!"

I reached for her and pulled her into a gigantic hug. "You are my best friend in the entire world," I said.

"I know," Jenni replied. "And I will always be there to help you navigate yourself through the crowded hallways of life - whether we use your tactics or mine."

I grinned. We separated, and I added the English book that I'd been holding to my backpack. "How about you start now, and we navigate ourselves to homeroom?"

Jenni grinned back. "Ok then." We linked arms, and walked down the hall way together. Jenni asked, "Are you sure that you don't want to hear about Jeff and Miranda?"

I sighed. "Will you shut up and about it and go on navigating?"

"Yes."

"Fine then…spill." As I listened to her ramble on about the "fight" Jeff and Miranda had apparently had, I couldn't help but wonder if this time would be different.