High School Days [No Good Nick]

Free Period

The last period of the day was a free period. I was going to the French classroom, but when I got to the doorway and stopped suddenly. 

Eric was inside. 

Well, I didn't exactly want to avoid him. The opposite, actually. We hadn't talked since two days ago at his house. 

So I went in. 

Eric was talking, but he stopped as soon as he saw me. 

"Oh... h-hi, Gemma!" Jeremy greeted me. "What are... what are you doing here?" 

"B-being in here?..." 

I narrowed my eyes at Eric. "So, Kelsey..." 

"Listen, Gemma," he sighed, approaching me. "I don't know. I mean, we're friends, but...um—" 

"But what?" 

"But NOTHING!" Eric raised his voice. Jeremy was just watching us uncomfortably from the back of the room. 

My eyes widened. "Waaaait...." 

I shot Eric a horrified look. 

"Does she have a crush on you?!" 

"Why did you emphasize 'she'?" Asked Jeremy. What did he have to do with all of this? 

"I didn't!" I cried, embarrassed. 

"What's going on?" Nick's voice came from outside the classroom. A second later, she entered with Molly following her. 

"Nothing!" I said quickly. "I have to... leave." 

I shut the door behind me. For some reason, I don't know why, I turned back to see what was going on inside. I couldn't hear any sound, but I saw Nick interrogating Eric or something, Molly doodling on the whiteboard, and Jeremy looking very annoyed. 

I opened the door. 

"...the dance..." Nick was saying. 

What dance? 

"Hey," I said. Everyone looked over. "I thought you were leaving," Molly told me. 

"Yeah." Jeremy crossed his arms. "We all thought so." 

"Okay, I'll leave you guys to talk... but why can't I be here?" I asked them. "Are you scared of me or something?" 

"No...." That was Eric. 

"Fine." I stormed out of the room. Nobody stopped me. 

I stopped in the band room to grab my trombone before I went home. The bus wasn't even here yet. Kelsey was there playing "Hooked on a Feeling" on a baritone. She stopped when she saw me. 

"Uh... Gemma?" 

"Why does everyone stop what they're doing when I walk into a room?!" I yelled. 

"Listen... you told me about your crush, I'll tell you about mine," Kelsey continued as I sat down to practice. 

I stood up. "I knew it!" I cried. "You have a crush on Eric!" 

"WHAT?!" Kelsey shrieked. "NO! I have a crush on Jeremy!" 

"You what?!" 

"I have a crush on Jeremy!" 

"Who would have a crush on Jeremy?!" I asked. Kelsey covered her mouth and said something behind her hand. 

"Yeah, I know, you," I told her. "Well, at least you don't have a crush on Eric." 

"Yeah." Kelsey took her hand away. 

Why was everybody acting strange? 

Well, I was going to find out.