Economics Notes
Too Hot To Handle
Ch. 1
The Santos Residence
Manuela Santos awoke to find her best friend Emma Nelson rifling through her closet as though she was looking for something of dramatic importance. The girls had spent the night at Manny's the previous night, watching videos and gossiping, just like old times. Manny was grateful that their sleepover had gone so smoothly, because since her transformation from lovable sidekick to Miss Popularity, their previously uncomplicated relationship had encountered some stormy weather. Manny groaned, stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to wake up. "Em! It's, like, 9 o'clock in the morning. Why are you going through my stuff?"
Emma dropped the mini-skirt she had been examining and gave her friend a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snoop," she insisted. "I was just wondering whether you still had any of your old clothes in here." She fingered Manny's newest tube top, her eyebrows raised. "I figured if you hadn't thrown away all of your old clothes, that would mean that some of the old Manny was still here. hidden underneath the Victoria's Secret lingerie and Clinique make-up."
Manny sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was too early to have this conversation. "Listen Em, we've talked about this. I know I acted like a pain last week and I'm sorry. But just because I've decided to spice up my appearance a little doesn't mean that I'm not the same girl."
Emma, who had just finished folding the last article of clothing, walked over to the bed and sat down on the corner, avoiding her friend's eyes. "I know what was said, I guess I'm just a little worried, that's all."
"Well stop worrying!" Manny exclaimed, giving Emma a dazzling grin. "And relax. It's the weekend; we're young, cute, and finally in high school. This year is going to be incredible." And with that enthusiastic proclamation, she threw off the covers and hopped off the bed and onto the floor. "Let's get dressed," she said, slipping her arm around Emma's shoulders. "I hear the mall calling our names."
Joey's apartment
"Mmm. I could get used to this," Ashley Kerwin murmured as she ran her fingers through her boyfriend Craig's curly hair, kissing him softly on the lips. Craig laughed, pushing her down on the couch and slowly crawling over her so that he was looking directly down into her face.
"Me too," he sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. He loved her eyes. A few months ago, he could only dream about being this close to Ashley, being able to touch her and kiss her. In those days, a simple smile from her would cause him to feel butterflies and his stomach and his palms would get all sweaty. I was such a dork, he thought with a smile. He and Ash had been dating for four months, and they had been spending nearly every day of the summer together. The butterflies were pretty much gone, but Craig figured that was normal with a relationship. Ashley reached up again, pulling his face down towards hers, and he responded to her eagerness by cupping her face and kissing her fully. But after awhile he pulled back, inexplicably distracted, and scooted over to the other side of the couch. Ashley didn't seem to notice his lack of enthusiasm, and after straightening her hair, she leaned rapturously against his shoulder and sighed.
"Craig, there's something I've been wanting to tell you." He obligingly put his arm around her shoulders, though he had become suddenly fascinated with a random object across the room and didn't look at her as she spoke. " I think. I mean I know. that I love you. And I just wanted you to know that." And with that, she pulled back so she could see his face, looking at him expectantly with those big blue eyes. Craig's mouth had suddenly gone dry, and he nervously ran a hand through his dark hair.
"Wow, that's. wow. I'm really.flattered. Because you mean a lot to me, and I just.thank you," he stuttered. She frowned, then got up off the couch and stood in front of him, looking suddenly very intimidating.
"That's all you have to say? After I make myself completely vulnerable, all you can say is 'thank you'?" Craig, having recovered from the initial shock of her admission, grabbed her hand before she could turn away.
"Ash, I'm sorry. It's just that I kind of have issues with saying those three words. When I say them, I want it to be completely right, and I want to know without a doubt in my mind just how strong my feelings are. My dad." he trailed off, but Ashley squeezed his hand encouragingly. "My dad would always say that he loved me after he hit me or hurt me, and those were the only times I ever heard it. It was his way of gaining back my trust after doing something unforgivable, so over time, I kind of lost faith in the significance of those words." He felt his eyes grow watery, and he looked away from Ashley's sympathetic face. "So I can't say them until I'm ready, you know?"
He felt Ashley sit back down, felt her lace her fingers with his, and heard her soft whisper in his ear. "I understand. You don't have to say it until your ready." Craig gave her a small smile, but continued to avoid her eyes. He couldn't help but feel guilty. What he had told her was only partially true; he did have an issue with saying "I love you", but the fact was, Craig didn't think he was in love with Ashley, and he wasn't sure he ever would be. Something was missing. Ashley was his best friend, and she had a piece of his heart, but the rest of him was still searching for something more.
Too Hot To Handle
Ch. 1
The Santos Residence
Manuela Santos awoke to find her best friend Emma Nelson rifling through her closet as though she was looking for something of dramatic importance. The girls had spent the night at Manny's the previous night, watching videos and gossiping, just like old times. Manny was grateful that their sleepover had gone so smoothly, because since her transformation from lovable sidekick to Miss Popularity, their previously uncomplicated relationship had encountered some stormy weather. Manny groaned, stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to wake up. "Em! It's, like, 9 o'clock in the morning. Why are you going through my stuff?"
Emma dropped the mini-skirt she had been examining and gave her friend a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snoop," she insisted. "I was just wondering whether you still had any of your old clothes in here." She fingered Manny's newest tube top, her eyebrows raised. "I figured if you hadn't thrown away all of your old clothes, that would mean that some of the old Manny was still here. hidden underneath the Victoria's Secret lingerie and Clinique make-up."
Manny sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was too early to have this conversation. "Listen Em, we've talked about this. I know I acted like a pain last week and I'm sorry. But just because I've decided to spice up my appearance a little doesn't mean that I'm not the same girl."
Emma, who had just finished folding the last article of clothing, walked over to the bed and sat down on the corner, avoiding her friend's eyes. "I know what was said, I guess I'm just a little worried, that's all."
"Well stop worrying!" Manny exclaimed, giving Emma a dazzling grin. "And relax. It's the weekend; we're young, cute, and finally in high school. This year is going to be incredible." And with that enthusiastic proclamation, she threw off the covers and hopped off the bed and onto the floor. "Let's get dressed," she said, slipping her arm around Emma's shoulders. "I hear the mall calling our names."
Joey's apartment
"Mmm. I could get used to this," Ashley Kerwin murmured as she ran her fingers through her boyfriend Craig's curly hair, kissing him softly on the lips. Craig laughed, pushing her down on the couch and slowly crawling over her so that he was looking directly down into her face.
"Me too," he sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. He loved her eyes. A few months ago, he could only dream about being this close to Ashley, being able to touch her and kiss her. In those days, a simple smile from her would cause him to feel butterflies and his stomach and his palms would get all sweaty. I was such a dork, he thought with a smile. He and Ash had been dating for four months, and they had been spending nearly every day of the summer together. The butterflies were pretty much gone, but Craig figured that was normal with a relationship. Ashley reached up again, pulling his face down towards hers, and he responded to her eagerness by cupping her face and kissing her fully. But after awhile he pulled back, inexplicably distracted, and scooted over to the other side of the couch. Ashley didn't seem to notice his lack of enthusiasm, and after straightening her hair, she leaned rapturously against his shoulder and sighed.
"Craig, there's something I've been wanting to tell you." He obligingly put his arm around her shoulders, though he had become suddenly fascinated with a random object across the room and didn't look at her as she spoke. " I think. I mean I know. that I love you. And I just wanted you to know that." And with that, she pulled back so she could see his face, looking at him expectantly with those big blue eyes. Craig's mouth had suddenly gone dry, and he nervously ran a hand through his dark hair.
"Wow, that's. wow. I'm really.flattered. Because you mean a lot to me, and I just.thank you," he stuttered. She frowned, then got up off the couch and stood in front of him, looking suddenly very intimidating.
"That's all you have to say? After I make myself completely vulnerable, all you can say is 'thank you'?" Craig, having recovered from the initial shock of her admission, grabbed her hand before she could turn away.
"Ash, I'm sorry. It's just that I kind of have issues with saying those three words. When I say them, I want it to be completely right, and I want to know without a doubt in my mind just how strong my feelings are. My dad." he trailed off, but Ashley squeezed his hand encouragingly. "My dad would always say that he loved me after he hit me or hurt me, and those were the only times I ever heard it. It was his way of gaining back my trust after doing something unforgivable, so over time, I kind of lost faith in the significance of those words." He felt his eyes grow watery, and he looked away from Ashley's sympathetic face. "So I can't say them until I'm ready, you know?"
He felt Ashley sit back down, felt her lace her fingers with his, and heard her soft whisper in his ear. "I understand. You don't have to say it until your ready." Craig gave her a small smile, but continued to avoid her eyes. He couldn't help but feel guilty. What he had told her was only partially true; he did have an issue with saying "I love you", but the fact was, Craig didn't think he was in love with Ashley, and he wasn't sure he ever would be. Something was missing. Ashley was his best friend, and she had a piece of his heart, but the rest of him was still searching for something more.