A World Apart

Chapter III, Dawson

I grab my phone and text my best friend Alex, he is the one person that I can count on to not make fun of me and still tell the facts. 

Dawson: u there?
Alex: sure, whats up?
Dawson: u have 2 swear not 2 tell any 1
Alex: dude i would never for sake u
Dawson: seriously?
Alex: sorry dude, whats up?
Dawson: have u seen the new girl?
Alex: yeah, she's hot dude
Dawson: she is
Alex: got a crush man?
Dawson: maybe
Alex: have u spoken 2 her?
Dawson: yep
Alex: and...
Dawson: she can't stand me
Alex: tough break dude
Dawson: do u think i can change her mind?
Alex: dunno, u have 2 try
Dawson: y?
Alex: cause u need a girl
Dawson: huh?
Alex: i'm tired of being your only friend
Dawson: u suck
Alex: thanks man
Dawson: so what do i do?
Alex: buy her gifts, do nice things, complement her etc.
Dawson: don't think that will work 4 me
Alex: y not?
Dawson: cause she is not stupid
Alex: ur stupid
Dawson: dude
Alex: what?
Dawson: what do u mean what?
Alex: ok ok
Dawson: do u have any suggestions or what?
Alex: real suggestions?
Dawson: duh!!!!!!
Alex: b ur self, try 2 b her friend
Dawson: does that work?
Alex: can't hurt
Dawson: unless she punches me
Alex: well yes there is that
Dawson: yep u suck
Alex: glab 2 b ur friend 2
Dawson: i guess so
Alex: just try it and if i'm wrong i will buy u a pony
Dawson: shut it

I stare down at my phone. Alex did give me some good advice, I guess I'll just have to try harder. Ugg. Now I sound like a fortune cookie!

I flop down on my bed, sure I've had the short romances that being young has but I don't know this feels different. AHHHHHHH!! I'm going to be stuck in a romance novel now!

I open my laptop and search the name Amelia Holden. Nothing. Not a facebook page or a tweet. Nothing. With a capital N. I sigh, it's almost as though she never existed before now. Or she changed her name. Ha! Amelia might be a fugitive! Oh god, I need more sleep. I'm thinking overly stupid things. Like even more stupid than usual. I am a teenage boy after all.

I sigh and close my laptop and sit at my desk staring at the wall. I sigh and stand up, I pace around my room for a moment. Does Amelia really hate me? What did I do wrong? Shit. I'm becoming that guy who obsesses over a girl he likes. 

I sit on my bed and pick up the book we're suppose to read for English, but I can't concentrate on the words. I sigh and put the book down. 

"Dawson!" My mother yells up the stairs. "What?" I yell back. "There's someone here to see you." I sigh and stand up. I freeze at the top of the stairs when I see that it's the neighbor girl Penelope standing on the porch. I give my mom an exasperated look. She winks at me. "S'up." I say.

Penelope smiles at me, she is like eleven and she has a crush on me. Let me just say that I really don't like her, she sucks. Like for real, not the fake sucking that I accuse Alex of. But honest to goodness sucks. I want to slam the door in her face.

"So what do you want?" I ask again. "I was thinking you could take me for a walk." I sigh and close the door in her face. I turn and find my mom snickering, I make a face at her and then walk back upstairs. Penelope is a bratty little monster. I used to babysit her when she was even littler than she is now. 

Some people just seem to be born annoying, we all have it in us but she has like extra annoying power. I shake my head and then Amelia's face flashes before my eyes. Crap. I cannot get this girl out of my head.

I run over to my desk and grab a pencil and paper. I sit down and I'm drawing. I've never been good at art but Amelia appears on the page. 

It's actually perfect, it's her. There is no way I'm this good at drawing all of a sudden, it's just not a thing! But the drawing is perfect.

I press the picture between the pages of one of my favourite books (Lord of the Rings). I can't let anyone see that drawing.

I take a deep breath and draw something else.

Two hands linked together.

Mine and Amelia's.