Try and Guess

Balls

I rushed to Jake's house literally putting on my left shoe while I ran across the street.  I could swear that our neighbor, Mr. Hank, was wondering why a kangaroo with sloppy clothes was hopping across the street.  We were late.  It happened at least once a week at least.  But with Jake's maniacal driving, we got to school on time.  It was all good if you put the little problem of headaches and the urge to hurl aside.

My fist pounded on the doorway.  No answer.  "Jake!  We're late!  Hurry your butt up will you?"  Looking down I noticed the shoe I hastily put on wasn't laced.  I bent down to tie the white lace when the door opened.  "Thank God," I muttered.  "You weren't sleeping with another girl, were you?"

"No, the same one," a girl replied.  I froze up in embarrassment.  Slowly pulling the half-finished bow on my shoe tighter, I stood up and noticed how hot my cheeks were.  Julia was leaning on the door frame with her hands in her jean pockets.  "What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.  "Jake didn't tell me he was expecting company in the morning."

I blinked twice.  "Err, I always come by in the morning.  We carpool together."  Julia ran her fingers through her reddish brown hair as if there were invisible knots she had to brush out.  It came down long past her shoulders like a fiery waterfall.  She was really pretty not in a bombshell way, but an earthy innocence that both Jake and I knew was not so.  He himself called her feisty.  Gross.

"You carpool together?" she asked, shaking her head.  "I feel so bad for you.  One time I had to take some Advil for the headache I got on the way to the movies."  Julia rolled her eyes and laughed at a memory I had no part in.  "Well anyway, let me get Jake for you."

She was turning to go back inside but I asked, "Do you need to come with us?"

"Yeah, sorry."  Her voice sounded strained, like I shouldn't be there at the moment.  Which was probably true.  It's like Jake tagging along with Brayden and me.  I wanted to slap myself.  Of course she needed a ride!  How dumb was I to ask a question that made everything so awkward?

She left that time and I slung my blue backpack in the backseat where I would sit.  I was pretty sure that Julia would not be happy if I sat shotgun.  Why did girls have to be so jealous of each other?  I probably shouldn't get to ahead of myself.  I was not a girl who was envied often.  I guess that was a good thing because envy resulted in gossip, and I didn't like people talking about me behind my back.  Still,they should be in the front together.  The ride would be way worse that day for me sitting in the back.  And there were no barf bags in the car . . .

I checked my phone for the time after a while of pacing around the car.  It was 7:24 and no one was ready to go but me.  "School starts on six minutes," I half sang to myself impatiently.  If there was one thing I hated, it was being late.  Anna was probably at fault on that one.  She was a human alarm clock.  One day we broke the rules and had lunch break at the nearest Taco Bell which was five minutes away.  She didn't even have to look at a clock to drag me and my half eaten cheese burrito (with extra cheese) back into the car.  Of course we were back in class right when the bell rang.  Anna was awesome.

 "Sorry!"  I already knew he was there before Jake even opened his mouth.  I grumbled and hopped into the worn backseat.  "I asked her out to Winter Ball last night."

"That's really sweet but it's not going to cut it.  Mr. Hank thinks I'm crazy for nothing," I muttered.  "Where is Julia now?"  Craning my neck out the window, I saw a shape through an upstairs window.  "Oh, of course," I threw my hands in the air, "She's in your bedroom."

Jake looked at me through the rearview mirror with exasperation written clearly on his face.  My face showed the emotion better at that moment.  "What do you want me to do then?"