Chapter 2: Troubling Factors

"Late again, huh, Vortex?"

"Oh, please, Nerdtron. The LAST thing I need is YOU confirming ANYTHING!"

I had ran into Jimmy after I put the foundation on, wrung my hair out and fixed it. I've known Jimmy since middle school-I was eleven; him, ten. And through these past four years, I had but one secret kept to myself...I secretely liked him...and not as a friend.

"Hey, girl!"

Enter Libby Folfax, my best friend-actually, my girl for life! Me and Libs did EVERYTHING together in middle school.

Yeah, and we still do.

One of the things we LOVED doing was teasing and embarrassing Jimmy and his two best friends, Carl Wheezer, and Libby's now boy friend, Sheen Estevez.

No, we hardly do that anymore...although Jimmy still tends to throw comments at me.

"What's up, Libs?"

"Not much. Me and Sheen are going to the movies tonight."

"Oh...nice. Have fun!'

Libby looked at me worridly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Liar. OW!"

"Shut up, Neutron."

"Did-we have plans tonight?"

"No! Not at all!"

"Lying again. NO!"

I glared at Jimmy as he held my wrist.

"Libby, don't listen to him. Go. Go and have fun. And don't worry about it. We'll get together another time, okay?"

"Sure...if YOU'RE sure."

Jimmy let go of me, and I put both hands on Libby's shoulders.

"Look at me, Libs."

"Okay."

"GO tonight! I'm busy, anyway."

"Okay, okay. I love you Cind! You're the best! I owe you big time."

Suddenly the bell rang, and I saw Libby take off down the hall, meet Sheen, and went with him to their next class. No, I wasn't jealous. I mean, after four years, she got the boy SHE loved, and well, I didn't, so, yeah, I have NO reason to be...um, yeah, jealous. I'm perfectly fine.

I went to my next class, Advanced Algebra 203 with, of course and unfortunately, Jimmy. And to make it worse, we were partners for a Algebra project. Although I was thrilled to be working with the boy I like, I had to make it so he didn't know that.

I walked in and rolled my eyes as I sat next to Jimmy at "our" marble stone table.

"Wow, Dorktex. I haven't seen you in days."

"Keep your mouth clamped shut, Nerdtron. I am NOT in the brightest of moods today."

"Are you ever?"
"Don't make me give you a fat lip."

Jimmy sighed in fustration.

"You want to tell me what exactly is going on?"

Should I? Part of me told me to do it, but the bad part got the better of me.

"Yeah, right. That's what I have Libby for."

"You mean HAD Libby."

I snapped my head around and stared at him.

"What are you talking about, Nerdtron? I still have Libs."

"That's where you're wrong."

"What?"

"I'll tell you later."

"NO! NOW! TELL ME NOW, BRAINIAC!"

" Miss Vortex..."

Oh, snap. I turned around to be face-to-face with my teacher, Mr. Williamson.

"Um-hi. I was just-"

"We're all waiting for you to get ready, Miss Vortex."

"Sorry, I-um, got off to a bad start this morning."

"Well, then I suggest you get off to a good start tomarrow. Or you'll be staying after with me."

I felt the entire class' eyes on me as they said-

"Oooooo..."

This was turning out to be the worst day of my life. And it was just going to get worse...