I felt nervous beads of sweat form on my forehead as I searched for the video clip on my laptop. I knew that most of my English was sleeping or daydreaming and couldn't care less whether my video worked or not, but I could also feel Ivory's judging gaze boring into the back of my head.
Of course, her part of the presentation had gone perfectly. Her heartfelt speech about the definition of love had Mr. Danner tearing up, and now I felt the extra pressure to hold up my end of the project. I had refused to show Ivory the video I made because... I didn't want her to hate it.
I rolled the curser over the video clip and sucked in a nervous breath as I hit play. Here goes nothing.
The video opened with a clip of a young couple walking hand in hand along a forested path. After a brief muffle of static, my voice over kicked in. I cringed as the sound of my voice filled the classroom.
"Love, as we all know, is a complicated thing. It's not as simple as yes or no, black or white. It can be interpreted differently by everyone, and everyone sees it in a slightly different way. That's what makes it special."
Aubrey's face filled the screen. She flicked her dark hair over her shoulder and smirked into the camera. "I've been in love lots of times before. I mean, just ask the football team." She winked, and a couple giggles were heard throughout the classroom.
J appeared onscreen next. "Love is when you are willing to put someone else's needs above your own. When you don't have to do anything except get coffee and laugh to have fun, you know you're in love."
"I knew I was in love the moment I laid eyes on her," the custodian, Mr. Rowley, said as he gazed at his wife onscreen.
"I've never been in love." Hailee smiled, her eyes staring slightly off-camera at something unknown. "Love sounds scary though, because you're depending on someone else to be happy."
"One day I'll fall in love." Sacha nodded confidently. "They call it falling in love for a reason. Once you fall down, it's hard to get back up."
Jack's head took over the screen next. "I'll tell you I love you. I'll tell you whatever you want, if you swing by my place tonight." He winked, and more giggles filled the class. Mr. Danner glared at me disapprovingly.
"Basically, what I learned while doing this project..." I cringed again as my face filled the screen. "...was that love is not only different to everyone, but there are different types of love. Most people in this video only talked about relationship kind of love, but there is so much more than that. We love our family, and our friends. Sometimes, we even love people we haven't met yet. No matter who you love, how you love them or why you love them, never forget that no matter how complicated it is, love is a gift. A gift that is meant to passed on and shared with everyone.
"Don't abuse it, don't misuse it. I-" I paused and looked down at the ground. "I've screwed up too many times in the past, and I've hurt too many of the people that I love. Don't make my mistakes. And for one final, and public time, I want to say that I am truly and deeply sorry for all the mistakes I've made. I love you.
"As William Shakespeare said and demonstrated in his plays, the course of true love never did run smooth. But without love, can we ever truly live?"
The screen went black, and the class applauded half-heartedly. I closed my laptop hurriedly, unable to even look in Ivory's direction and gauge her reaction. That video had been my last chance to get her to forgiven me, and I had already convinced myself that it hadn't worked. No amount of apologizing could fix what I had done; my mom had been wrong.
"Thank you, Ivory and Kennedy, for that wonderful presentation on love and the complications that go with it," Mr. Danner said as the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. "I'll see you all tomorrow!"
"Kennedy." I knew right away it was Ivory who said my name. I turned to face her instead of packing up my laptop. "Kennedy, thanks for putting that video together. You did a great job."
I shrugged and stuffed my laptop and cords into my bag. "It was no problem. Your part was awesome too."
I swung my bag over my shoulder and headed out of the class. I was halfway down the hall when Ivory appeared beside me again.
"Listen," she began. "I'm not saying I trust you, but I'm just saying I forgive you and I'm not mad at you anymore. Your video made me realize that it's kinda stupid to waste time fighting. But you still did some stupid shit, don't think I've forgotten." She nudged my shoulder playfully.
I let out a laugh of relief and felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. "You have no idea how much I needed you to say that!" I grabbed her and hugged her tight.
"I'm serious though." Ivory looked at me seriously. "You can't mess up like that again."
"Trust me, I know," I assured her. "I hurt way too many people. But I didn't know who I was, Ivory. I was caught between a nerd and some crazy party chick. Now I know that I'm not either of those, but I don't have to be just one thing, you know? I can just be Kennedy, Ivory's best friend."
"Please, you are a lot more than that."
"Oh really? Like what?" I challenged.
"You are the only girl to emerge from Aubrey's clique semi-sane."
I wrinkled my nose. I wouldn't say I was exactly sane.
"You are an amazing writer."
I shook my head. Mr. Danner was the only one who really thought that.
"And most of all, you are the girl who made out with a wall at Sacha's party." Ivory grinned deviously.
I gasped. "Would you let that go? I thought we were over that!"
Ivory laughed. "I am never going to let that go. That is a story I am going to tell my grandkids when they ask about my high school friends. And use it to teach them what not to do, of course."
"Well, at least some people will benefit from my embarrassment." I rolled my eyes. "I'm just glad everything is back to normal again."
"Well, almost everything." Ivory gestured to two tall guys walking down the hall in our direction: Patrick and Javier. "Maybe you guys can work things out."
"I doubt that," I whispered. "Last time we talked, he basically said he didn't want anything to do with me."
"Give it another chance. What's love without a few complications, right? Trust me, J and I have been there," she assured me.
"Javier." I shook my head. "I cannot believe that's his name."
"Shut up!" Ivory nudged me again. "Just go figure things out with your man."
The closer Patrick got, the faster my heart began to beat. By the time he was two feet away, I was at a serious risk of having a heart attack and I had no idea what to say. I looked to Ivory for encouragement, and she just gave me a look that said say something, dumbass. God, was I glad to have my best friend back.