I WASN’T REALLY GOING TO do anything besides sit there and hide for the rest of the lunch period. So when I made it to the restrooms, I opened a stall and just sat on the lowered toilet seat with my chin on my knees. For the rest of the hour.
Maybe I’m overlooking the situation a little too dramatically. Let’s see, I only humiliated myself in front of almost the entire student body, I spilled my delicious lunch on Brooke’s Prada shirt, my best friends are constantly bickering about my love life, and the worst of all, the guy I’m in love with is my best friend. Much worse, he has a girlfriend. So I guess my problems are sensible enough for me to hide in here.
It was three minutes later when I heard the sound of three heels clacking against the granite floor and the door being locked.
“Oh, crap! I can’t get the stain off! That Kelsie girl owes me big time! Doesn’t she know this shirt costs, like, twice her allowance for a month?” Brooke said through clenched teeth—at least, that’s what it sounded like.
“Isn’t she that girl who is Jared’s best friend since Pre-K or something?” a voice that sounded like it came from Casey Lawton, Brooke’s best friend and a fellow member of the cheerleading squad. She has one of the most beautiful faces that male eyes have been following for the past year. Though rumors said that she had plastic surgery but they were never proven true. Casey has short blond hair with a bit of pink tint in the strands and blue-gray eyes often covered with a thick application of mascara.
“Yeah, and so?” a familiar voice which could only be Amanda asked in an irritated-impatient voice.
“Well, aren’t you scared that Jared might like her?” Casey asked innocently.
Brooke and Amanda broke into hysterical laughter, echoing off the tiled wall.
“Casey dear, I never thought you can be such a crack-up!” Amanda said breathlessly.
“Well, I never thought it was funny.” Casey said—a smile clear in her voice.
“There is no way that Jared could like Kelsie!” Amanda said, the laugh starting out again. As much as it hurts, I could only agree that Jared won’t like me more than a friend. “First of all, that girl is lacking in the hip area, she never seems to wear the right clothes, and she is simply unattractive if you compare her to me.”
I felt a murderous rage sweep right through me. It took all I had to stop myself from bolting through the stall doors and rip her hair out of her pretty little head. Lacking in the hip area? Not the right clothes? Unattractive? I admit that my hips aren’t shaped very well but I KNOW that I wear the right clothes. I shop at Forever 21 for crying out loud!! And I wouldn’t call myself unattractive. People have been telling me that my brown eyes compliment my brown hair very well and that I look pretty.
“Besides, if Jared was supposedly to break-up with me, I have back up.” Amanda said casually. “Which is, like, a very unlikely thing to happen, so I don’t really worry about it.”
“I don’t mean to bounce back to Kelsie, but,” Brooke added, enjoying the conversation. “She has those two psychotic girls as her best friends! Sure, they might have snagged the two most sought-after guys in Apple Valley , but please, give me a break! The Chinese one really needs lotion around her elbows, and the volleyball player needs to even her tan.” She said in horror.
“I heard that Abby’s father left her and her mother when she was born.” Casey exclaimed.
“No surprise there, I also heard from a friend’s cousin’s sister that Abby’s mother was two-timing her father that’s why he left her.” Brooke said.
“No, I think it’s because her father fell for a super-hot model and left her.” Amanda interjected.
What’s the matter with these people?? I know for sure that these rumors are one-hundred-percent untrue.
I have about half a mind to scram out the door and practice my karate skills on them.
“Hey, do you think this shade of lipstick—Ruby Red—looks good on me? Or should I put on Pale Pink?” Casey asked.
“Go with the Pale Pink. It looks good on you.” Brooke assured her.
“Hey, Brooke,” Amanda said, “I have my Iceberg t-shirt in my locker. I can let you borrow it if you want.”
“You mean the t-shirt you wore last week?” Brooke said worriedly. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want to wear anything that you’ve already worn before. Don’t get me wrong though, I like that t-shirt.”
“Brooke, how could you accuse me of such a thing? Of course it’s not the same one. Besides, what I wore was a dress, and what I have is a t-shirt.” Amanda reasoned with her. “I’d be caught dead if I have to wear the same outfit again!”
“Unlike those other girls who keep on wearing the same thing over and over again” Casey said. “Seriously, just because they like those tops of them, doesn’t mean you have to wear it AGAIN.”
Brooke sighed in disgust. “A total violence of fashion”
So what if people wear the same thing? Excuse me, but not all of us have tons of money stashed away for the next century!
“Come on, it’s almost time for the bell. We better not be late. I’m meeting Jared out on the hall so that we could walk to Gym together.” Amanda said, her voice kind of lovey-dovey. “He really is a sweet boyfriend.”
“You sure are the luckiest girl in the world.” Brooke said sarcastically. “A catch like Jared is impossible to find these days.”
“I wonder when I’ll be lucky with love.” Casey wondered.
The doors closed and the three of them disappeared into the hall.
The fury reared the devil inside me again. I wanted to hit something. But my mom would ground me forever if I ever break school property.
I put my feet down and unlocked the stall door. I pulled the hood back from my head and secured my hair in a pony tail again.
I guess I shouldn’t repeat their conversation to Abby and Precious because if I do, I’d wind being the gossiper and I’m sure that it’ll hurt their feelings.
Ugh. If only Jared didn’t have to leave five years ago. Then I wouldn’t have met Amanda and my life would just be brilliant. Not to mention, Jared MIGHT have fallen in love with me the second we stepped into high school.
Yeah, right.
The bell rang and I found myself running through the halls to Gym class.
“No running in the halls, Ms. Lewis.” Mr. Estevez reminded me when I passed him. I slowed down to a brisk walk, feeling like a penguin.
When I finally made it to the gym, I ran to the Girls’ Locker Room to change, where everyone else was changing too.
Precious and Abby doesn’t have gym with me but Casey, Brooke and Amanda does. Oh great, just great.
On the far side of the gym, the boys were already playing basketball. My heart suddenly lurched when I saw Jared’s familiar blonde hair whipping around in the air.
He caught me looking at him and waved with a dazzling smile in his sweaty face. I waved back, and then stopped when I saw Amanda glaring at me from the other side of the court.
“All right, girls,” Coach Michie clapped her hands. “I will divide you into two teams, and we’re going to play DODGE BALL!”
Oh no, not dodge ball! Anything, just not dodge ball!
We were then divided into teams; the three popular girls were in the opposing side. This could not get worse.
Jessie, a large girl with red hair and freckles, handed me a big red ball and placed it in my trembling fingers.
Coach Michie blew her whistle and giant red balls were flying everywhere. I tried as much as possible to dodge balls that were coming at me. Because those red balls can actually cause pain to body parts.
It was like that for the rest of the period, flying balls and screaming girls and all of that. I was lucky enough that no one had hit me. Yet.
I took another glance at Jared from across the gym. Big mistake. He had taken his shirt off and the perfect panes of his muscles were beaming at me like a big neon sign. I could only swear that he has a six-pack thing going on there! I was unable to tear my gaze away from his glorious chest. I suddenly felt light-headed; it took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t breathing—even though my heart was slamming into my chest.
I watched him steal the ball and throw it into the basket. Nothing but net! His team mates jumped up and down alongside with Jared.
“One thing’s for sure, we’re gonna have a chance for Championship this year!” Seth said, his voice so loud that it echoed off the gym. “As long as Jared’s around”
“Jared! Jared! Jared!” the boys cheered. “Go Sullivan!”
He caught me looking at him again and I blushed, biting my lip. He smiled at me and I almost lost my train of thought.
Out of no where a ball hit me in the head and I fell back, landing on my butt. Ow, that hurt!
I completely forgot that we were still playing dodge ball.
Everyone who saw it laughed, even most of the basket ball players. I was only aware of vigorous laughter coming from Amanda, Brooke and Casey and another blush silently creeping into my cheeks. I could only be sure that my face should have been as red as a full-ripe tomato now.
“Now, now, Kelsie,” Amanda said in a teasing voice from the other half of the court, “This is dodge ball, dear. No need for hard feelings.” And they laughed again—joined by other witnesses in the gym.
Seething rage filled my entire body and I swear my vision turned vivid red. I stood up, grabbed my big red ball and held it between my hands.
It’s about time Amanda had a taste of her own bitter medicine.
Gathering all the strength from my muscles and all the rage in my body, I threw the ball at her as hard as I could.
It hit her in her arm, and she staggered on her feet before falling back on the gym floor.
“Ow!” Amanda screamed while gripping her arm, I could’ve sworn there was a mark. Everyone was laughing, even Jared who was stifling his own laughter so as not to hurt her girlfriend’s feelings.
I walked five long strides until I was looking down at her. “Now, now, Amanda,” I said, using her own words in the same sickly-sweet tone. “This is dodge ball, dear. No need for hard feelings.” Everyone howled with laughter until they were rolling on the floor.
Coach Michie was just shaking her head and rolling her eyes.
I turned around and walked straight to the locker rooms where I was met with hi-fives from the other girls.
I quickly changed back to my faded, denim pants and my purple blouse.
For the first time in my life, I was pleased at something that has Amanda written all over it.