"Gwen." I stood a few feet away, feeling extremely uncomfortable. I was
never one for confrontation, though...your little performance in the locker
room might say something different, eh? said a tiny voice in my mind. I
felt a little smile flicker at the corner of my mouth, but it disappeared
when Gwen turned around. We stood there for a few minutes, completely
silent. Neither of us wanted to be the one to start the conversation. The
bell rang suddenly, making us both jump. We laughed in unison, and both
sprang forward.
"Oh, I'm sorry Gwen!" I blurted, at the same time she said, "Oh, Jess, I was so stupid!" We both burst into laughter again, and hugged each other. I pulled away, uncontrollably.
"You know me," I said with a grin. "Nothin' too corny." She smiled widely.
"Get your stuff, we'll go eat lunch," she said, leaning against the locker. As I twisted the combo on my lock, I turned to talk to Gwen, but her attention was elsewhere. I followed her smirking gaze and was shocked to find that it led to none other than Jay Murphy, the stereotype of a high school football player. Out of all the guys in our high school, Gwen was attracted to the one 'most likely to go pro'? It didn't make much sense. I elbowed her subtly as I closed my locker. She jumped and looked embarrassed. I had never seen Gwen like this. She was acting like a normal teenage girl.
"Got a little crush, have ya?" I said, wrinkling my nose. She shoved her hair, which was completely black and hanging down past her shoulders, behind her ears and pretended to search for something in her bag.
"No, of course not," she said unconvincingly. She started to walk to the cafeteria, and I trotted to keep up with her. I grinned maliciously.
"I think you do-oo," I teased. She pushed open the double doors and purposely let one swing into my face. I caught it before it did any real damage and skipped to catch up to her again.
"It's okay to have a crush," I informed her knowledgeably. She glared at me and I smiled at her placidly. "It's not like you're in love or anything. Just a little like-like action goin' on," I said, my smile growing. I looked around for Jay, so that I could point him out and tease her some more, but stopped when I bumped into Gwen. She had slowed down, staring toward our table in the corner of the room. I followed her gaze and was shocked to find Nick sitting in my spot near the wall. I started panicking, but then remembered that he had wanted to talk about something. I was suddenly distracted by a light bulb above my head. I now had a connection with Nick. Nick was Jay's best friend. A smile slowly grew on my face as the plan formulated in my head. Nick, mistaking it for a smile of greeting, grinned back. I plopped down comfortably at the table, and looked up at Gwen. She was staring at me blankly.
What is this, said her eyes. I glanced quickly at the bench, and back to her. Just sit down, I replied. She shrugged and sat down cautiously. Nick smiled at her.
"Hi, I'm Nick," he said genially, reaching a hand across the table. Gwen glanced at me, smirking. She looked back to Nick, a polite expression settled on her face.
"Gwen. Nice to meet you," she replied, shaking hands lightly. There was an awkward silence. Gwen looked from my face, to Nick's face, and back to mine again. She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm gonna go get some lunch," she said. She caught my glance, snorted slightly, and walked away. Nick looked at me appreciatively.
"That was cool," he said, grinning. I frowned, confused.
"What?" I said.
"You know, that whole, best friend, I-know-what-you're-thinking-and-don't- have-to-talk-to-communicate-with-you," he replied. I laughed.
"Well," I said expansively. "Some people, ya just have-"
"That connection with," he finished, grin widening. I smiled, my head feeling prickly. I turned my eyes down and pretended to be extremely absorbed with a pin on Gwen's bag.
"You wanted to talk to me," I said suddenly, looking him in the eye. He blinked for a few moments, then settled, remembering.
"Yeah, I-" he began, but I cut him off.
"Oh wait!" I said, remembering my earlier thought. Nick looked bewildered, but I ignored him, leaning forward confidentially. "Listen. Gwen's got a slight infatuation with your friend Mr. Bodybuilder over there." I nodded at Jay, who was laughing at something at the prep table. Nick raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes. "I want, - I'd like it," I corrected myself, "very much, if you would be a bit of an influence, if you know what I mean?" He grinned and looked at Jay thoughtfully.
"Well, I don't really know what his type is," he said. I kicked him under the table, but he didn't flinch, his grin only widened. "I could probably set up a date," he said honestly. I nodded, heartened. "But see, the thing is, I mean, even though Jay looks like a pretty confident guy, he has girl trouble." I must have looked skeptical, because he said, "I mean, we start talkin' about girls and he sort of, clams up, or starts stumbling over words. To be perfectly honest, it would probably be a disaster." He sat back against the wall and folded his hands meditatively. I frowned.
"Well, I would say that Gwen wasn't like that, but today before lunch she was acting, so, so," I searched for a proper word, then gave up. "Girly." Nick chuckled. I looked at him. "What would you suggest, oh great and wise MacKenzie?" He sat up straight and closed his eyes. He stayed there for a moment, and then slumped in his seat. He shrugged.
"I dunno," he said, and I narrowed my eyes at him. I let out a huge sigh, folded my arms, and lay my chin on them on the table.
"We could always go with them," I said without thinking. Nick raised his eyebrows. After realizing what I had said, I decided not to make a big deal of the fact that I had just unpurposefully asked him out on a date. "You know, like coaches." I tried to act nonchalant, but I could feel my face starting to redden. He looked at me for a few moments, bemused, then got up from the table.
"Sure," he said casually. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, looked it over, and set it on the table before me. "Write down either one of your addresses down, be there at seven on Saturday, and we'll be there to pick you guys up." I did so, in a bit of a haze, and he stuffed the card back in his pocket. He touched his head lightly and was gone. I stared at the wall until Gwen sat in front of me with wide eyes and a huge grin.
"So," she said expectantly. I raised an eyebrow. "SO," she said again. Suddenly, I felt a small pressure on my big toe, and realized that the heel of her boot was threatening to crush my badly protected, sneakered feet.
"Okay, okay!" I said urgently, pulling my foot out of reach. She leaned forward earnestly. "What do you want to know?"
"What did you guys talk about?" she asked, completely ignoring the salad and water she had stood in line for.
"Oh, that's an easy one," I said happily, taking the bag of chips I had brought from home out of my backpack. "You." She gaped at me.
"You talk to Nick MacKenzie alone, and the topic of conversations is me?" she said incredulously. "My god, Jessi, you really are a nerd." I looked indignant.
"Am not," I replied. "And don't be so conceited," I joked, "we weren't talking about only you." She looked at me suspiciously. I grinned maliciously. "Jay's name came up a few times." Her eyes widened.
"Jessica Parker, you didn't," she said dangerously. I smiled pleasantly.
"Yes I did," I replied. Before she could yell at me, I rushed in with, "They're picking us both up Saturday at seven, at my house." I closed my eyes, pretending to defend against an attack. When I opened them again, cautiously, Gwen was staring at me blankly, her mouth hanging open slightly. She got up slowly and walked around the table to my side. I got up to meet her, still on the defense, and looked at her warily. She reached me and threw her arms around me. My eyes flashed with surprise. "What are you doing?" I asked her pointedly.
"Thanking you without words," she said, voice muffled slightly by my shoulder. I grinned.
"Okay, well, you're welcome," I said uncomfortably, prying her off of me. She practically skipped over to her seat and plopped down happily.
As she started to eat her salad, she told me, "You know, we have got to do something about that hair of yours." I sneered at her.
"And why is that?" I asked, munching on Doritos. She grinned.
"It's not only my date," she said formidably. The lunch bell rang and we got up. I thought about what she had just said. The full meaning of it hit me suddenly in the stomach as we were walking out the door. No way, I thought. This was Gwen and Jay's date, not mine and Nick's. I realized that he never told me what he wanted to talk about. It had seemed pretty urgent at the time, but we had discussed Jay and Gwen, and he never mentioned it again, he never got an answer from me for whatever question he had wanted to ask. Or did he?
"Oh, I'm sorry Gwen!" I blurted, at the same time she said, "Oh, Jess, I was so stupid!" We both burst into laughter again, and hugged each other. I pulled away, uncontrollably.
"You know me," I said with a grin. "Nothin' too corny." She smiled widely.
"Get your stuff, we'll go eat lunch," she said, leaning against the locker. As I twisted the combo on my lock, I turned to talk to Gwen, but her attention was elsewhere. I followed her smirking gaze and was shocked to find that it led to none other than Jay Murphy, the stereotype of a high school football player. Out of all the guys in our high school, Gwen was attracted to the one 'most likely to go pro'? It didn't make much sense. I elbowed her subtly as I closed my locker. She jumped and looked embarrassed. I had never seen Gwen like this. She was acting like a normal teenage girl.
"Got a little crush, have ya?" I said, wrinkling my nose. She shoved her hair, which was completely black and hanging down past her shoulders, behind her ears and pretended to search for something in her bag.
"No, of course not," she said unconvincingly. She started to walk to the cafeteria, and I trotted to keep up with her. I grinned maliciously.
"I think you do-oo," I teased. She pushed open the double doors and purposely let one swing into my face. I caught it before it did any real damage and skipped to catch up to her again.
"It's okay to have a crush," I informed her knowledgeably. She glared at me and I smiled at her placidly. "It's not like you're in love or anything. Just a little like-like action goin' on," I said, my smile growing. I looked around for Jay, so that I could point him out and tease her some more, but stopped when I bumped into Gwen. She had slowed down, staring toward our table in the corner of the room. I followed her gaze and was shocked to find Nick sitting in my spot near the wall. I started panicking, but then remembered that he had wanted to talk about something. I was suddenly distracted by a light bulb above my head. I now had a connection with Nick. Nick was Jay's best friend. A smile slowly grew on my face as the plan formulated in my head. Nick, mistaking it for a smile of greeting, grinned back. I plopped down comfortably at the table, and looked up at Gwen. She was staring at me blankly.
What is this, said her eyes. I glanced quickly at the bench, and back to her. Just sit down, I replied. She shrugged and sat down cautiously. Nick smiled at her.
"Hi, I'm Nick," he said genially, reaching a hand across the table. Gwen glanced at me, smirking. She looked back to Nick, a polite expression settled on her face.
"Gwen. Nice to meet you," she replied, shaking hands lightly. There was an awkward silence. Gwen looked from my face, to Nick's face, and back to mine again. She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm gonna go get some lunch," she said. She caught my glance, snorted slightly, and walked away. Nick looked at me appreciatively.
"That was cool," he said, grinning. I frowned, confused.
"What?" I said.
"You know, that whole, best friend, I-know-what-you're-thinking-and-don't- have-to-talk-to-communicate-with-you," he replied. I laughed.
"Well," I said expansively. "Some people, ya just have-"
"That connection with," he finished, grin widening. I smiled, my head feeling prickly. I turned my eyes down and pretended to be extremely absorbed with a pin on Gwen's bag.
"You wanted to talk to me," I said suddenly, looking him in the eye. He blinked for a few moments, then settled, remembering.
"Yeah, I-" he began, but I cut him off.
"Oh wait!" I said, remembering my earlier thought. Nick looked bewildered, but I ignored him, leaning forward confidentially. "Listen. Gwen's got a slight infatuation with your friend Mr. Bodybuilder over there." I nodded at Jay, who was laughing at something at the prep table. Nick raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes. "I want, - I'd like it," I corrected myself, "very much, if you would be a bit of an influence, if you know what I mean?" He grinned and looked at Jay thoughtfully.
"Well, I don't really know what his type is," he said. I kicked him under the table, but he didn't flinch, his grin only widened. "I could probably set up a date," he said honestly. I nodded, heartened. "But see, the thing is, I mean, even though Jay looks like a pretty confident guy, he has girl trouble." I must have looked skeptical, because he said, "I mean, we start talkin' about girls and he sort of, clams up, or starts stumbling over words. To be perfectly honest, it would probably be a disaster." He sat back against the wall and folded his hands meditatively. I frowned.
"Well, I would say that Gwen wasn't like that, but today before lunch she was acting, so, so," I searched for a proper word, then gave up. "Girly." Nick chuckled. I looked at him. "What would you suggest, oh great and wise MacKenzie?" He sat up straight and closed his eyes. He stayed there for a moment, and then slumped in his seat. He shrugged.
"I dunno," he said, and I narrowed my eyes at him. I let out a huge sigh, folded my arms, and lay my chin on them on the table.
"We could always go with them," I said without thinking. Nick raised his eyebrows. After realizing what I had said, I decided not to make a big deal of the fact that I had just unpurposefully asked him out on a date. "You know, like coaches." I tried to act nonchalant, but I could feel my face starting to redden. He looked at me for a few moments, bemused, then got up from the table.
"Sure," he said casually. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, looked it over, and set it on the table before me. "Write down either one of your addresses down, be there at seven on Saturday, and we'll be there to pick you guys up." I did so, in a bit of a haze, and he stuffed the card back in his pocket. He touched his head lightly and was gone. I stared at the wall until Gwen sat in front of me with wide eyes and a huge grin.
"So," she said expectantly. I raised an eyebrow. "SO," she said again. Suddenly, I felt a small pressure on my big toe, and realized that the heel of her boot was threatening to crush my badly protected, sneakered feet.
"Okay, okay!" I said urgently, pulling my foot out of reach. She leaned forward earnestly. "What do you want to know?"
"What did you guys talk about?" she asked, completely ignoring the salad and water she had stood in line for.
"Oh, that's an easy one," I said happily, taking the bag of chips I had brought from home out of my backpack. "You." She gaped at me.
"You talk to Nick MacKenzie alone, and the topic of conversations is me?" she said incredulously. "My god, Jessi, you really are a nerd." I looked indignant.
"Am not," I replied. "And don't be so conceited," I joked, "we weren't talking about only you." She looked at me suspiciously. I grinned maliciously. "Jay's name came up a few times." Her eyes widened.
"Jessica Parker, you didn't," she said dangerously. I smiled pleasantly.
"Yes I did," I replied. Before she could yell at me, I rushed in with, "They're picking us both up Saturday at seven, at my house." I closed my eyes, pretending to defend against an attack. When I opened them again, cautiously, Gwen was staring at me blankly, her mouth hanging open slightly. She got up slowly and walked around the table to my side. I got up to meet her, still on the defense, and looked at her warily. She reached me and threw her arms around me. My eyes flashed with surprise. "What are you doing?" I asked her pointedly.
"Thanking you without words," she said, voice muffled slightly by my shoulder. I grinned.
"Okay, well, you're welcome," I said uncomfortably, prying her off of me. She practically skipped over to her seat and plopped down happily.
As she started to eat her salad, she told me, "You know, we have got to do something about that hair of yours." I sneered at her.
"And why is that?" I asked, munching on Doritos. She grinned.
"It's not only my date," she said formidably. The lunch bell rang and we got up. I thought about what she had just said. The full meaning of it hit me suddenly in the stomach as we were walking out the door. No way, I thought. This was Gwen and Jay's date, not mine and Nick's. I realized that he never told me what he wanted to talk about. It had seemed pretty urgent at the time, but we had discussed Jay and Gwen, and he never mentioned it again, he never got an answer from me for whatever question he had wanted to ask. Or did he?