The Reason (1)

Chapter: 1 Friendship

It all started on the morning of the first day of school. When I strolled into my first class, I came to see a boy with brunette hair and deep brown eyes. I have known that face for years but something felt different about him, maybe it's because I haven't seen him all summer I thought. I decided to take the seat right beside him. We were sitting in silence for a couple of minutes until I decided to speak up and say "Oh hey David, how was your summer?"

David looked at me with and flustered face and then said "It was fine." I just wanted to start a conversation, but since that wasn't getting me anywhere I just got on my phone and decided to play one of my games. The awkward energy between us was evident. From the corner of my eye, I see him steal glances at me. Though I was confused I decided not to say anything to not make the situation any more awkward.

As my friend McKenna walked into the class she decided to sit at a different table but then spotted me. As she looked over to call me over she saw David and froze, her face was turning a scarlet red. I then notice what was happening, McKenna, somebody I knew that never had a crush on anyone had a crush on David. David was our childhood friend, a weird kid that used to follow us around on the playground in elementary school. Knowing that she was probably embarrassed I decided to get my stuff and leave to go sit by her instead.

As I picked up my stuff to move David then grabbed my arm and looked at me with a pleading look in his eyes, and said "wait-" Then a mysterious, but familiar, someone came in between me and David grabbing David and saying "yo leave Amelia alone." I then looked into his mysterious eyes and then said, "James, what is the issue?" James looked at me fiercely and said "why did you let him grab you like that?" I just stood with no expression just confused, McKenna mustered up all her courage to come over to me and pull me out of this awkward situation, leading me out of the classroom to discuss what just happened.

"What. was. that. girl," McKenna said choking with laughter. I looked at her for a moment, my thoughts still trying to catch up to me. "You know I don't know, I'm as confused as you right now," I said as if I was high. As Mckenna and I were discussing the events that just happened, my other friend Malia, a bystander to the events, walked up to us. As Malia walked up to us I notice the huge grin on her face. I then put my head down, knowing what is going to happen next.

"Heyyyy guys, so what was that back there?" Malia said in a tone with which I know she was trying to annoy me. "You tell us," McKenna said with the reminiscing with laughter in her voice. "Well all I saw was David grabbing Amelia's arm and then James coming up, grinding his teeth and clenching his jaw-" Malia said and then I cut her off by saying "let us not talk about what just happened." Leaving them to go back to class, when I went back into the classroom I walked past David and James and sat at a different table. McKenna and Malia then followed shortly behind me trying to look like they haven't been laughing at my situation.

As the class went I notice David looking back at me,  and then I saw James, but he wasn't looking at me he was looking at McKenna. I then felt my chest becoming heavier, "what was this feeling?" I thought to myself while the lesson was going on in the background. And then it hit me, I was JEALOUS. I couldn't even imagine it, I was jealous of James looking at McKenna. I then came to a sicker realization, I liked James, never in a million years would I would've thought I would like James of all people.

James and I had been friends for years, he was a cool guy but not boyfriend material. Because of my "mid-life crisis", I couldn't pay attention to the rest of the class. I was practically a zombie until we got to lunch. At lunch when I was walking over to my friends to sit down I saw James which just made my face turn a little pink. I just started nervously laughing when I sat down. Everyone looked at me weirdly but knew not to question my sanity because I did stuff like this all the time.

Then I realized McKenna was sitting right next to James, which made my heart sink. I just sat there staring out them, for a tad bit longer than accepted because James then gave me that confused look he always gave me. He then remembered something he wanted to tell me, "Oh, hey Amelia can I talk to you for a second." I nodded my head not speaking and making as little eye contact as possible. He then began by apologizing for what happened earlier in the day to which I respond with "it's water under the bridge."

Once we got the misunderstanding cleared up he started once again "So I've been meaning to ask something," my heart stopped, was he going to ask me out? The next words that came out of his mouth were "can you help me get McKenna to like me?" I stood there for a second not knowing what to say then I said "sure" which I wanted to say "no" so bad but all I wanted was to make him happy and if McKenna made him happy so be it, I would help him get McKenna. And McKenna was a wonderful person and wouldn't hurt him, but the thing was she already had feelings for David, which I failed to mention to him. Just because I didn't want him to feel the way he made me unintentionally feel.

Now that I look back it would have made life a little easier.

We went back to the lunch table, when we got back I sat there eating my food. As I ate my food I felt someone take the seat right beside me, when I looked over I saw David. McKenna was staring at David with this sparkle in her eyes. He then started to talk but I wasn't listening because I had too much on my mind.

As the bell rang to tell us to go to our next class I got up and started walking to my class. David caught up with me and asked "so, what class are you heading to now?" I said "just geometry, you?" "I'm going to geometry too! Wanna walk together." I looked at him with this look hinting to what he just asked was a dumb question because we were already walking together but I didn't think he knew what it meant so I just said, "well we are already walking together so why not."

We continued to walk to class together but did not say much because there was nothing to talk about. As we walked into our next class I saw McKenna and James already sitting next to each other talking about something. David and I took the seats across from them and then the class started. During the class I observed McKenna staring at David, then I realized this is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Why should I help James get McKenna when she liked David, as I sat there thinking the bell rang again.

Before anyone got up to talk to me I took McKenna's arm and ran out of the classroom. I told her that James liked her, which made me feel terrible but I had to tell her. She and I have been friends for years and I couldn't keep a secret like that away from her. She then sighed and looked at me, "What am I going to do, I don't like him, Amelia, I like David." "I don't know but maybe you should give him a chance," I said with a nervous smile on my face.

McKenna then smiled and said, "I don't know Amelia, I'll think about it." I then smiled and then we continued to walk to our bus.