Not The One

Ch. 6

#HELP Series

Anonymous said:

This is gonna sound really cheesy, but there's this girl I like that I've known for a while, and I have to admit I'm freaked out about telling her how I feel. We're not even friends exactly...but I want to get to know her...and hopefully she'll feel the same...#help

lifeisforliving said:

Second piece of advice: Friendship buddy. it's a darn good place to start! Don't just jump into a relationship, even if she's down for it (if she is, then God help us all, you of all ppl) start with the basics: find common interests, don't let awkward pauses into conversations, listen to her if she has something to say...this all leads to trust later down the line, and "trust" me, this little word can make or break your world

Maybe I couldn't fool Antoinette that I was over Matthew's news of supposedly moving on, but I'd convinced myself pretty well. Or so I thought. I planned to go to Jazzy's house right after sixth period ended, but not before a too close encounter with my worst fear. "Eeeeeaaaahhhhh!" I shrieked, jumping at least a mile away from my opened locker. Some way, somehow a bunch of roaches has squeezed through the cracks of my locker and taken over a bag of moldy Skittles I did not remember putting there. I didn't even like Skittles! Bystanders laughed at my predicament as I held back tears, but I noticed nobody would come anywhere near my locker or offer to help me. Typical.

As I swiped at my face and tried to get a grip, Anderson came down the stairs with a group of people, and rather than wait to see if I recognized anyone else, I quickly turned my head away embarrassed. It wasn't quick enough, and I overhead Anderson tell them not to wait up for him. "I'm good," I sniffed, when I sensed he was closer. "What the heck?" I turned around to see Anderson gaping at my mess of papers and a textbook, along with the roach party just above it. "I was just freaked out, that's all," I shrugged, but didn't move to retrieve my things. He sensed my hesitation and laughed. "Do you care if you have a huge dirt print on your stuff?" I titlted my head slightly, confused by the question. "Obviously what I care about doesn't matter since they decided to take over," I gestured madly toward the cockroaches. A particularly big one must not have liked what I said and picked that moment to come charging towards me. "Aww shit!" I screeched, diving behind Anderson. I gripped his shoulders so hard it hurt my own hands more than it hurt him.

I felt him shake with laughter as he turned to place a reassuring hand on my back. "Go see if you can find a teacher with insect spray or maybe a janitor." I nodded shakily and ran off, not needing to be told twice. When I came back from rummaging through the janitor's closet, which people happened to snoop in on all the time, teachers included, I came back to find all my stuff in a pile far away from the lockers and a half-shoeless Anderson coming back from the trash bin. "Thanks," he nodded as I handed him the Raid spray and he gave my locker and the one next to it a heavy coat of the stuff. "Yeah no, thank you," I sighed and shook my head. I didn't deal with anything that crawled, leaped, stung, or bit, and I had my dad to blame for my extreme phobia of bugs.

Fifteen minutes or so had gone by since school had ended and by this time I would have been not too far from Jazzy's house. "You sure you gonna be okay?" Anderson joked as I mean mugged the locker next to mine, also known as the possible source of all my problems. I ignored the question and all the choice words I'd have for the owner tomorrow, and stuck my hands in my pocket. "Literally if you hadn't been a decent human and killed the roaches," I watched him slide his boot back on, "I would have passed out. Dead. Right there," I pointed to the spot where I'd been before Anderson had arrived.

"I seriously doubt you of all people would have died from being a little scared."

"You're too kind," I thought aloud, "and right. A panic attack is what really would have gone down." Anderson looked me over skeptically. When the simple gaze lasted a moment too long, I looked away first, clearing my throat. I gave his shoulder a friendly pat, and tried to ignore the weird vibe I couldn't describe. "I'm guessing I didn't break anything from when I hid behind you in my moment of weakness," I joked, and Anderson made a face. He pretended to rub his shoulder, groaning.