Chapter 5 – Her Crying Stall

Amanda and Aonghus walked up the stairs and over to her locker. She lined opened up the locker and out popped the school newspaper. Aonghus jumped out from behind a trash can and shouted, "SURPRISE!" Amanda gave Aonghus a look asking him why.

"Don't tell me you have forgotten already. This is your first official paper as editor of the School Newspaper!" Amanda smiled and looked inside the locker. She saw that the inside of the door was lined with the newspaper. Aonghus saw her studying it and smiled. "Yup." I had them make a bunch of extra copies so I could line your locker. I also had it like a gazillion time. So that way if it rips," Aonghus said reaching in and tearing off a whole layer of the 'wallpaper', "you still have some wallpaper left on. It took me forever. I was after school for about an hour. We are on the same bus" Amanda smiled and gave him a hug. He felt so comfortable.

"Also," Aonghus added, leaning in, "At the end of the year, when the janitors go around and take down all of the junk inside the lockers... they will be here for hours trying to rip it down." Amanda smiled at him. She looked at the paper the popped out at her when she first opened the locker. She took another look at the title. She groaned.

"What?" Aonghus asked her.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just, I think I should have used a different article as my front page," Amanda said. Aonghus took the paper from her and saw the title. It read New Unidentified Body Found in Nearby River.

"Yea, doesn't exactly scream inviting," Aonghus said, patting her on the back, "but hey, at least people are getting real news instead of crap like new basketball floor." Amanda laughed.

"Ok, well I need to get my stuff out of my locker, so I'll see you at lunch, ok?" Amanda nodded. Aonghus walked down the hall, and Amanda processed to unpack her bag. She got everything she needed for the next two classes and turned around, and that gasped, dropping all of her books.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Lara said, bending over, picking up some of the books that Amanda dropped. Amanda bent down, picking up the rest of the books, and when the two of them stood back up, Lara handed Amanda the books she picked up.

"It's ok. I get scared easily," Amanda said.

"Yea, well I came over to ask you a question," Lara said.

"Shoot."

"Do you know if... ummm...," Lara started.

"Yea?" Amanda asked.

"Do you know if we have a test today in Lit?" Lara asked.

"Yea, on Romeo and Juliet," Amanda said, knowing full well she knew the answer to that question.

"Also, is there a newspaper meeting today?"

"Yea, why?" she asked.

"No reason." Lara said, "Thanks, I'll see you after school." Lara started to walk down the hall, but then stopped and turned. "And thanks for putting my story on the front page."

"No problem," Amanda said back and watched Lara walk into the stairwell. Amanda closed her locker, and walked into her homeroom as the bell rang. Lara was pretty, she had to give her that.

Aonghus walked down the hall to the lunchroom entrance, and over to the table where Angie said Lara usually sat.

"Hey," he said to her, and sat down.

"Hi," said, smiling. Little did they know, that they were being watched by Martha. She was standing on the lunch line, watching him talk to her.

"Ok, I'll see you Friday," he said. "I have to go now, I promised my friends I would spend at least half of lunch with them and I still have to get my food." Aonghus got up and spotted Martha waiting on line. He waved and got stood next to her, cutting half the line.

"What's this? A date?" Woohoo hoo hoo," she teased. The whole time they spent waiting on line she kept bothering him with questions. When they were finally heading back to their lunch table, Martha went parading around singing, "Aonghus has a date, date, a date, Aonghus has a date, for which he can't be late." Amanda looked up, knowing that this would happen eventually, and tried to hide her feelings, but failed.

"Excuse me, I have to go get some help for my Romeo and Juliet test," she said, getting up.

"I thought that was last block," Dave said. Amanda ignored him and kept on walking and ran upstairs into the nearest bathroom.

"Yea, I heard her crying too. It was Amanda right?" Lara heard Natalee ask her friend in the hall.

"Yup. I feel sorry for her. I dunno why she is crying, but to be crying that bad, whoa," the friend said. Lara looked up from her plate. She felt bad, too. Now that she was going out with Aonghus, Amanda's best friend, she felt she should do something.

"I'll be right back," she said, getting up and walking out of the lunch room. She threw out her lunch and went upstairs to where the girl said Amanda was. She walked in and saw all the stalls open except one. She knocked. "Amanda? Are you ok?" She heard a sniffle come from inside.

"You know, I have been crying for about 20 minutes in here, and you are the first to ask me if I am ok." Amanda said back, sniffling.

"You ok?" Lara asked again. "You want to talk?" The stall door opened and Lara walked in and joined her, closing the door behind her. She didn't know what to say except, "Cramped." Amanda nodded.

"What is the matter?" she asked, looking into her eyes. Amanda looked up at the girl she wanted to hate so badly, but she was to perfect to hate. Should Amanda tell her the truth?

"Well, it's this guy I like..."