Forget- Me- Not

Unwanted Unexpected Unintentional Experience

“Carrie, are you all right?” Ally asked worriedly as she waved a hand in front of my face. I gazed at her, not responding, and quietly looked next to the beef steak on my plate as I forked it.

The steak served to be a rather dashing company than the people around me who were connoisseurs at making and breaking promises.

“If you’re mad at me for skipping fourth period,” she explained, “It was because Coach Finnegan kidnapped us to practice for Saturday’s game.” I rolled my eyes, and she sighed. “Now what, do you have an eye problem?”

I didn’t reply and continued eating. Anger heated up her cheeks. Then she glowered and looked away, pissed. She turned to Kate Wilson and Lisa McKinley to chat—one of the many ways she does to infuriate me. Indeed, what a lovely way.

She knows how I hated hearing their infantile and futile conversation.

But I ignored her and plopped the last steak on my mouth as my teeth shredded it into pieces. I swallowed it down to my stomach for it to be digested later. Disgusting? Not.

I just prefer talking to myself about the pertinent process of absorption in science rather than to listen to any of the pointless discussion about the hotness of boys, trendy clothes, and ten ways to tell who’s popular or not. I mean, seriously? I talk of those things once in a while as well, but never constantly. What’s so important in knowing Ten Ways to Tell Whose Popular or Not?

That was too racist. Terrorist, even, if viewed in a wider speculation.

I swear I could only hear sentences like: “Totally awesome. I also have that cute pink thingy from somewhere in Europe” from Kate. And then Lisa would squeak as she responded, “Ooooh! That is so pizzazz. And did you see the new guy? He is so hot. Hot as in supermegafoxyhot.” There goes Ally’s antics asking, “Oh yeah. What’s his name again?”

Suddenly, the other cheerleaders in our table shrieked and shouted, making the table erupt in chaos, “OMG!!! That’s him! He’s coming to our table!!!” Ally, Kate, and Lisa turned their heads in their direction and saw that they were looking, screaming, and drooling at the “supermegafoxyhot” guy, in that order. They gaped, mouths open; but I didn’t bother—nor was I tempted—to glance, for I was busy gulping my soda.

Then Kate, with all of the fairness of a cheerleader screamed at the top of her lungs, “OMG! OMG! OMG!!!! Okay, I so know his name now.”

Ally and Lisa turned, intrigued and surprised at the abruptness of Kate’s bounciness. Then again, Kate Pink- Thingy- From- Somewhere- In- Europe Wilson was always bouncy.

“What’s his name?” Ally asked yet again.

“Tadashi Kawano!!!” Kate answered with a squeal and smiled widely. “Isn’t he such a cutie?”

I nearly choked over the can of Royal Orange I was drinking when she said this. It was a good thing Ally overcame her over- sensitiveness to help save my life from endangerment by tapping by my back. She never can stay mad at me for long, and I can never either. We’re like that kind of friends. We’re solid.

“Whoa, Carrie, chill,” she consoled me as I slowly recovered from my near- to- death experience. When I’ve finally recuperated, I drew three long shallow breaths. After that, Ally asked yet again, “Are you okay now?”

I gazed at her, and this time, I smiled. I owe it to her. I had not the face to roll my eyes for the second time. Cheerleader and over-sensitiveness aside, she’s still my best friend.

“Yeah, thanks,” I answered, “a lot.”

She grinned back, and replied, “You’re welcome.” Then she turned back to Kate, who was dramatically sighing longingly at the sight of Someone-I-Would-Never-Consider-Cute.