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I walked in the door, trying to stop myself from jumping to conclusions about why she wasn't heading back home… maybe she had to go get gas, seeing as the station was a little ways away in that direction. Maybe she needed to go to the grocery store… or CVS…or…or…
"Hey mom." I said, kicking off my heels in the entry way, thus shrinking two inches.
My mom looked up from where she was reading, most likely, some sappy romance novel on the couch. "Hey, sweetie; you're back soon."
"Soon?" I asked confusedly.
"Yeah, I told Ethan to tell you to be back around five. And speaking of him…when on Earth is that boy going to ask you out on a date?"
I blushed. "Mom…it'll happen when it happens and not any sooner." I groaned, and went up to my room.
I honestly couldn't figure out why that woman had to always be so concerned with my personal life… I mean, really. It was like she knew something I didn't.
Although I had to agree with her on the fact that she was curious as to why he hadn't asked me out…
"Stop it." I commanded myself aloud as I shut my door with my back pressed against it. "Just because you imagined it while you were deluded with pain meds doesn't mean it happened. He likes you no more than a friend."
I flung my bag against my egg chair with a bit more force than necessary, and sank down on my bed.
My mind wouldn't shut up about Ethan. I had to have been going crazy, because no matter what I tried to think about that might set my mind on another train of thought, the tracks always led back around to him.
I grabbed my pillow and thrust it against my face, hopping to smother the thought of him away.
But it was no use. I sat up and flung my pillow against the wall and stormed over to my stereo and flipped it on, turning it up.
"There's a strange exhilaration…In such total detestation…It's so pure, so strong!" I was singing at the top of my lugs, and soon there was a knock at my door.
"Katey? Are you okay?" Mom asked as she came in.
I hit the pause button.
"Yes, mom; I'm okay, just practicing for when I make it big." I flashed a hundred watt smile that was a hundred percent fake. Mom looked a little hesitant.
"Well, keep it down, your father's trying to work." She said, backing out of the room "And you're just a tad bit off key." She added before closing the door.
I waited for a moment before exhaling and turning back on Wicked, continuing on with singing at the top of my lungs.
Not that it worked, keeping him out of my head.
I made it to the beginning of 'Dancing Through Life' before dad opened my door.
"Katey… I'm trying to work here!" he said over Fiyero, making it sound like he was yelling.
I sighed and grabbed the knob, turning it down to where I usually had it.
"There you go, dad." I said with a little edge to my voice. I hadn't meant it to come out that way, but sometimes it slipped out when I was a little irritated.
"Katey Anne Douglas, don't use that tone with me." He said. Evidently I wasn't the only one here who was irked.
I checked my words before they came out.
"Sorry, dad. I'm just a little agitated." I said, and he didn't respond, only shut my door with a snap.
To tell the truth I had no reason to be agitated, and I couldn't think of one. It wasn't my time of the month…I had no project from school to feel any pressure from… and I couldn't fathom anything else.
And then Ethan came to mind.
I let out a yell of frustration.
Now I knew what I was frustrated about: liking Ethan.
I fell back down on my bed flat on my stomach and tried to bat the image of Ethan's face out of my inner eye. Not that it was helping. I'd need a super vacuum to suck out all of my thoughts of him…but the vacuum only made me think of the Scary Movie night and when I had cuddled against him.
I blindly reached out and grabbed my phone from the night stand, dialing Clair's cell phone number from heart.
It rang four times before her answering machine came on with her message.
"Hey! It's Clair!" right after that in the back round you could hear me yelling 'Clair, why the hack do you have a used tampon on your nightstand?' and then Clair trying to cover up the phone saying "shut up! I'm recording!" then Clair continuing like nothing happened "So anyway, leave a message when this thing beeps, got it? And no stupid messages, Aaron." And finally the beep.
"Clair… I know you're there…pick up pick up pick up! I want to talk to you about something. It's REEEALLY bugging me, so call. Back. When. You. Get. This!" I said, annoyed that she hadn't picked up.
I saw her not twenty minutes ago, and now she wasn't answering her phone. I hung up, and dialed Abby, knowing she was my next closest friend who could tell me what was going on with my emotions, seeing as she was going through the same thing with Brad, and I knew this because she told me the fourth week in the hospital.
The phone rang twice before a childish voice answered.
"Hewo?"
"Hey Gabby, its Katey." I said to Abby's younger sister Gabriella, who was six.
There was a pause and then "HI, KATEEY!"
"So, can I talk to Abby?" I asked pleasantly, already smiling at how she made my name longer.
"Yeah. ABBEEEE! IT'S KATEEY!" she yelled, and I heard another line click on.
"Gab, you can hang up now." Abby said, and there was a click from Gabby hanging up.
"Hey Katey, what's up?" She asked, but I remained silent.
"You there?" She questioned, and I quickly said I was.
"Abbesses…" I said, using her long nickname that I made up for when I was at mad her before I realized her real name was Abigail.
"Uh oh… this has to be big…" She said, and in the back round I could hear a door shut, most likely her bedroom door. "Continue Katerine." She said, using the name she made up for me.
"I think I'm going crazy…" I gulped.
"You mean even more crazy than you normally are?" she teased.
"Yeah." I agreed.
"Well…how so? Are you walking into walls, talking to yourself or seeing little garden gnomes everywhere who are trying to…"
"Abby, I'm not going crazy like the delusional old spinster cat lady way." I said, cutting her off.
"Then like how? You aren't giving me much to work with here." She said.
I chewed on my lip for a second, wondering how to say it.
"Wait a second…" Abby said slowly "does this have anything to do with Ethan?"
"Yes." I admitted, glad she was the one who said it and not me.
"And does this have anything to do with that day he stayed behind in the hospital room and came out blushing a little?"
"Yes!" I moaned, wondering why I was so transparent.
"And are you going to tell me what happened to make him blush?"
"I…I don't know!" I wailed, keeping my voice down so that mom and dad couldn't hear me.
"Well, it's either yes or no, and it had better be yes, otherwise I can't help you at all." She said sternly.
"But I don't know whether I was just delirious and dreamed it up, or if it really happened! I mean, I was so messed up on pain meds that it could have been just my imagination!"
"I can't help you if you don't speak up!" she said again.
"He kissed me." I whispered.
There was a long silence from the other line and for a moment I wondered if she heard me, but them I heard the giggles.
"He did? Wow! Then why are you freaking out so much! He kissed you! Was it on the cheek or just the lips?" She demanded, eager to hear more.
"Lips…" I uttered, and then started to cry "But he hasn't said anything since, and hasn't done anything to let me know if he likes me! It could have just been a friendly kiss… or maybe nothing had actually happened but I did something stupid and embarrassing like pucker my lips…"
"Well…that does put us in a tight spot, now doesn't it…" she said, and I knew she was thinking of some way to fix this. "But you haven't done anything that said you knew it happened. I'm willing to bet that you haven't told anyone before me, so maybe he's waiting for you to make the first move."
"But…I'm too shy to make the first move!" I stammered.
There was another pause.
"Then how about this; you flirt with some other guys, and see what he does."
"You mean see if I make him jealous?" I marveled.
"That's exactly what I mean." She finished triumphantly.
"Abby, you're a lifesaver!" I said happily.
"No problem, babe; just remember: you owe me one."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lemme guess, a date with you and Brad?" I asked teasingly.
"Well, yeah, that might be nice…" she mused, and I laughed.
"See you tomorrow, Abby!"
"See you tomorrow, Katey." There was a click on her line, and I pressed the End Call button, already knowing my plan for tomorrow.
Graham Davis, I thought, you're all mine.
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Oh boy, Katey, my girl… you might be in for a world of hurt.
Please Review, lovelies!
