Books, Boys, and BFF's: Sophomore Year

First Kiss

I look away when Courtney and Drew kiss. It isn't until I look around the table that I realize Trisha, Patrice, and Em's eyes are on me. I bug my eyes out at them to tell them to cut it out and they laugh at me.

"You should come sit with us," Courtney tries taking Drew away from our table. "Sitting with these Brainiacs will tarnish your rep."

"Right, because being stupid is so much more attractive," I blurt out without missing a beat. I surprise myself with ow short my fuse is right now. Still, I continue by flashing her a fake smile and saying, "Well, if anyone would know it would be you."

"I'll be right there." Drew shoots me an incredulous look.

Courtney kisses him one last time to rub their relationship in my face, then heads back over to the jock table to glare at me. Glancing over at Drew, I wonder if he thinks hanging out with us will tarnish his rep, as she put it.

"Since when does hanging out with us tarnish your rep?" I ask.

"Come on Sid, you know how it goes." He replies. Playing it cool with that mega-watt, heart-stopping smile of his.

"No, I don't know how it goes," I look at him like he's crazy. Only, he's not crazy. He's sexy. But I'm not about to tell him that or give away what I'm really thinking. So, I say, "Why don't you break it down for me?"

Drew stares at me like I'm overreacting or something. He looks around the table at everyone else and they all shrug. They look just as surprised as he is, and I wonder if I'm being too sensitive.

"You're all Brainiacs and I'm a jock. As much as I hate clichés, our kinds rarely cross paths unless you're helping me with my homework." He chuckles. "That's just how high school goes."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard and the Drew I knew wouldn't care about clichés."

"I was eight," he reminds me. "People change."

We're locked in an intense stare down. I can't for the life of me figure out why his casual diss bothers me so much, but the urge to gouge his eyes out grows more appealing by the second.

"I'm going to go. I'll see you after school."

"Whatever." I wave him off.

Drew walks over to the jock table and I'm so angry with him, but I don't know why.

"Are you okay?" Trisha asks me.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Maybe because you just bit Drew's head off for wanting to sit with his friends." Em chimes in.

"I don't think it's Drew wanting to sit with his friends she has a problem with." Patrice smirks.

"Wow, Sid. This crush has you bugging out." Trisha sniggers.

"She's such a... witch. I don't get what he sees in her." I shake my head.

"Don't, or don't want to?" Em asks what everyone else is thinking.

"I'm going insane, aren't I?"

"Yes, but you can hardly tell." Trisha teases.

Everyone bursts into laughter and I feel exposed for the crushing fool I am. After lunch, my fifth and sixth period classes fly by. Josh and Em leave after fifth period for some other thing they have to do together. Yet another thing I'm not invited to because I've been irrelevant for seven years. So, I wait out front for Drew to show up.