Two Years From Today

Nine

As the new year began, it brought changes. The first was my schedule. I had more classes with Johnson now, much to my delight. He seemed excited about it too, and as the first dance of the year, Winter Formal, started to come, I hoped Johnson would ask me. We still weren't an official couple yet, because of Johnson's reservations about getting into a relationship. I didn't have any--I wanted Johnson to be my boyfriend.

There were still problems that I didn't tell Johnson about. He hadn't even talked to me about the dance, and I wondering if he didn't want to go with me. He told me himself he liked me, but maybe I was just insecure. The other problem was Jenna. She seemed to be avoiding me completely, and every time I did talk to her she didn't talk long.

One day, after seminary, I found her in the hallway, furiously scribbling in a notebook and copying page numbers from a class book. Probably cramming before a big test.

"Hey," I said, making her look up.

"Huh? Oh, hey Reagan." She said nonchalantly, looking back down to her notebook.

"Just, 'Oh, hey'?" I said sarcastically, trying to joke with her.

She ran her hand through her auburn hair and clicked her tongue, not responding. I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked. No response. "Are you mad at me, or something?"

Her eyes finally met mine. "Reagan, I'm not mad. I get it--you have Johnson. He's the best, I'm sure. But it was never like this with Connor. You aren't even talking to me anymore! I just feel like maybe Johnson is changing you."

I suddenly got defensive. She could be angry with me, but Johnson? What did he do? "Look, Jenna, I know it's hard for you that it's not me and Connor anymore, I mean, we were like the three musketeers, but--"

Jenna stopped me. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You think I care about that?The Reagan I know would never act like this toward me."

I furrowed my brow. "Jenna, I--"

Jenna shut her notebook and stuffed everything into her backpack and quickly stood. Her eyes were cold. "You know what? It's fine. Just don't forget to send me your wedding invitation."

"Jenna!" I called as she stalked outside. But before I could follow her, Johnson, Kate, and Juliet turned around the corner. I looked at my watch. We needed to leave now, or else we'd be late for school. I would have to talk with Jenna later.

"Ready to go?" Johnson asked, brushing a fallen piece of my hair that had fallen from my ponytail from my forehead. I nodded. He looked at me with a questioning look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, only half lying. "Let's go."

---

When we got to school, Johnson walked me to my first period. It was the only class of the day I didn't have with him, history.

"Bye," He said, smiling tenderly.

"Bye," I replied, leaning forward just a little bit, hoping to kiss him. Instead, he turned his head. It didn't seem planned, and he probably didn't like to show too much PDA anyway. But it still felt weird.

I walked into history in an already terrible mood. Our lesson made it worse.

"Who can tell me what role Cleopatra played in Ancient Rome?" He asked, leaning on his desk. No one responded. He clapped his hands as if to move us along. "Come on, people."

Marina, from my seminary class, raised her hand. Even though we had been in the same stake all our lives, and she was the only person besides my sister and the Bailey's that I knew was openly LDS at my school, and I never really spoke to her. Johnson did, they were doing a project in English together.