365 Stories Adventure: Part 2

1/18/12

         I got to the library, still red from embarrassment and sweat from biking away so fast. I couldn't be positive, but I thought that Noah had just asked me out.  A movie? With Noah Blake? Alone?

         There were at least two problems with that. My mother would never agree to it. She insisted that she was lenient when it came to rules that we had around the house, but really, that was just to make herself feel better. When it came to me and boys, my mother had no rhyme or reason to her madness. She was fine with Ryan. She wouldn't let us go places alone, or when he got his license over the summer, I couldn't drive alone with him. Despite this, she would let me hang out alone with him at one of our houses. Which, without her realizing it, may have been possibly worse than going somewhere alone on a date. I tried not to think about such things anymore, though.

         The second problem with me going out to a movie with Noah Blake was that I wasn't sure if I liked him yet. I didn't want to give in so easily, only to be dumped a few weeks later. Was I just another girl on his parade of girls? He had some sort of reputation...maybe reputation wasn't the right word...image, I suppose, of a player. I was almost certain he was just a big flirt, and I didn't think that he really truly liked me. It was just a game to him. Noah knew just how to get a girl to fall for him, fast. I would know. It was taking every fiber of my being to not fall for his smile, his eyes, his flirting. I knew, though, that he was only luring me in just to toss me back, probably with a whole lot less self-respect.

         The major problem was that I really wanted to go out with him. I really wanted to be in a relationship again. I really just didn't know if it was that I liked him, or if it was that I wanted to prove to Ryan that I was better than the trash he threw me out with, that was compelling me to accept his offer to go to that movie, to find his number on that note he gave me and call him like he'd suggested. Was it me I was afraid of hurting, or was it him? I think it was a little bit of both.

         My mind meandered around thoughts and fantasies about Noah. I couldn't concentrate. I was finally finishing my chemistry homework when I saw Luke walk through the doors.

         "Hey! What are you doing here?" he said, plopping down in the seat next to me.

         "Just doing some homework. I thought I might be able to concentrate better here, but I was most definitely mistaken."

         "What's on your mind?"

         "Oh, just this guy."

         "Oh, really? Would I know him?"

         "Probably. Noah Blake, ring a bell?"

         What was wrong with me? He didn't need to know about my Noah Blake problem.

         "Yeah, he's in band with us, right?"

         "Yeah..."

         "Why's he bothering you?"

         "He practically asked me out, and he keeps flirting with me. I'm just not sure I feel the same way about him."

         "Oh? Really? Wow, you're a hot commodity around here, huh."

         Well that sure took me by surprise. "Excuse me?"

         "There's a lot of guys going after you, right?"

         "Nah, only one. Noah."

         "Make that two." He winked.

         I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I changed the subject.

         "So what are you doing here?"

         "I'm just printing something out. Our printer at home ran out of ink."

         "Oh, that's too bad."

         "Yeah, I know. Hey, what are you doing later?"

         "Nothing, as far as I know." I felt butterflies in my stomach.

         "Would you want to catch a movie? I hear that new romantic comedy is pretty good."

         "Oh, you mean the one about the girl who has to choose between two guys, and ends up choosing the wrong one?"

         "Yeah, that's the one."

         "Sure, I'd love to. Let me just ask my mom really quick."

         I stepped out of the library to call her on my cell phone. I got her answering machine, so I left a message.

         "Hey, Mom, just wanted to let you know that I'm going to a movie with some friends, see you later."

         I hung up. Maybe it was a little bit of a lie. It would just be me and Luke, but hey, who cares? My mom's a stick in the mud anyway.


         Luke and I drove over to the theater. The movie was great, and I had a really good time. He took me out for ice cream after. He even paid for everything, just as if it were a real date. I was thrilled. Luke was definitely someone that I wanted to be with like this.

         "That really happened?" I laughed.

         "Yeah, it did. And the teacher never noticed."

         He had the best stories. I didn't know why I was laughing so hard, it wasn't even all that funny. I thanked him for the ice cream and the movie, and he offered to drive me home.

         We arrived at my house, and I knew that I was in the clear when I realized my mom's car was missing from our driveway. Luke was really gentleman-like. He came to the other side of the car to open the door for me.

         "We'll have to do this again sometime," he said, walking me up to my door.

         I pulled out my keys, and thanked him again. As he was about to turn away, he caught himself.

         "You know what, here."

         Then, he kissed me. Full on the lips, he kissed me. I was taken by surprise, even if it was short and meaningless. I waved as he pulled away in his car. I was about to go inside, when I realized Noah was standing by the driveway, his bike next to him.

         "Um, hi, Emma. Sorry, I thought you would be home already... I d-didn't realize..."

         "Oh, um..." I was embarrassed when I realized that he must've seen the kiss and everything.

         "Here's your helmet. You left it on the bench earlier."

         "Oh, thanks."

         "And I wrote this after you left, I thought you might like to read it. You can keep it...if you want to, that is."

         "Oh...thanks."

         "Yeah, um, no problem."

         "Listen, Noah-"

         "See you, Emma."
         
I didn't even really know what I was about to say. That I was sorry he caught me kissing somebody? He didn't even really like me, I knew that. He was just a flirt. Maybe now his game was over, seeing as I was almost catapulting into a relationship with a guy that I knew absolutely nothing about.

1/19/12

         My mom asked me how the movie was when she got home. I said it was good, but she could tell something was bothering me. I didn't know how to respond when she asked me what was wrong. What was wrong anyway? It's not like Noah had caught me cheating on him or anything. We were never even going out. It wasn't a capital offense, and I hadn't done anything wrong. For crying out loud, I had just kissed the guy I'd been chasing since the beginning of the year. Of course, that was only a few weeks, but still, I should have been bouncing off the walls with excitement. It just wasn't normal to be so distraught over something so fantastic.

         "Have you ever had to deal with liking two guys at once, and wondering if you picked the right guy?"

         "Yeah, I have. But you should be..."

         I zoned out. Great. I was about to experience yet another infamous lecture about boys from my mother. I just didn't listen anymore. She and I weren't always like this. I used to actually love to hang out with her. I treasured the mommy-daughter stuff we used to do, but now, it seemed that whenever I was with her, she lectured me. I didn't want to be around her anymore, or tell her anything about my life because I knew that a long lecture usually ensued my confessions. All I had to do was mention a guy and she went into a long tangent about the dangers of boys and how I needed to be careful. She told me what I could and couldn't do, which possibly bugged me even more. It was like she didn't trust me to make good decisions anymore.

         The worst part was I needed someone to talk to. I think that Isabelle was getting tired of me asking her questions about what I should do about Noah, mainly because her answer was usually the same. Her consensus was that me and Noah should date. One way or another, that was her advice. I wasn't so sure.

         I still viewed him as the guy with everything. I didn't like that, and I didn't want him to hurt me. Honestly, I was afraid of him in some ways. I was afraid that I would fall really hard, which may happen whether I dated him or not, and then he would dump me. I didn't think I was his type. I thought he went for the hot popular girls with no brain at all. If anyone at all asked, I would say that he didn't deserve me. In truth, I thought I didn't deserve him.


         Luke called me later that night. He asked if I wanted to go on an official date the following Friday. He wanted to take me out to dinner and then maybe we could go back to his house to watch a movie. I was thrilled, despite my earlier depression about the kiss, and thanked him for the offer.

         "When would you pick me up?" I asked.

         "How about five?"

         "Sounds good to me!"

         Now the question was how to get mom to agree. I guess just another little lie wouldn't hurt. I would tell her that we were going with a bunch of other kids. She wouldn't have any problem with that. I wasn't exactly happy to be lying to my mother, but it was for a good cause. Going on a date with Luke now would lead to more dates with Luke and that would lead to a relationship and possibly a date to homecoming.

         My friends were already talking about it. It was September now, and the dance was only in about three weeks. They were already dress shopping. If we got asked, we'd go with our dates. If not, we could go with our girlfriends. I wanted to get asked really badly. The problem was I only wanted to get asked so that I could prove Ryan wrong.
         

         That Monday morning was torturous. I had already decided that no teenager was made to wake up that early in the morning, only to be given assignment after assignment which couldn't possibly be understood with a mind of mush from the previous night's amount of sleep. Eight hours was suggested per night for our age. We all laughed whenever any adult said that because the average high school student went to bed around twelve and got about five hours of sleep on a good night.

         Zombies walked the halls Monday mornings. Even some of the teachers were zombie-like first period. My physical education teacher, however, was an energetic mess. The man-lady turned out to be a morning person. Great. A mile run for warm ups and intervals of push-ups and sit-ups after that. Fantastic. I couldn't have been more thrilled at seven o'clock in the morning.

         Second period was a bit nicer because we had a substitute. I took a nice nap while we were supposed to be reading. I think most of the kids in my class had the same idea because I saw drool on at least ten desks.
         
Third period band came around and I was scared. I would see Noah this period, and I just didn't know what to expect.

1/20/12

         I avoided his perplexed gaze when I walked in the band room. What would he say? I wasn't sure I wanted to find out. The even worse part when was Luke walked in. He smiled at me and waved. I was stupid enough to get a silly smile on my face and wave back. I was sure Noah saw the whole exchange. I felt immediately guilty for being so insensitive. Naturally, I fought back at my guilt with the same argument that had come to mind every time I got that feeling. He didn't really like me, we'd never been in a relationship, and he was just a flirt. My argument seemed sillier every time I thought about it.

         After class, I hurried putting my instrument away, and attempted to avoid both Noah and Luke. I was quite unsuccessful.

         "Hey, Emma, we still on for Friday?" Luke asked me.

         "Uh, yeah." I turned around to find that Noah was putting away his stuff as well, right behind Luke. Again, he had heard every word.

         Luke walked me to my next class. I wasn't as animated as I usually was. Luke saw it written all over my face.

         "What's wrong, Emma?"

         "Oh...nothing."

         "You sure?"

         "Yeah, I'm just tired."

         That was always my excuse when I was feeling upset. I quickly dismissed any questioning glances from Luke and was very happy when we reached my classroom door. He gave me a quick hug.

         "See you later," he said, winking.

         I wasn't sure what bothered me most about that hug accompanied by that wink. I didn't know much about Luke's personality, but it did come to mind that he could be a player. I dismissed the thought. That couldn't be possible. Luke had really only flirted with me that I had seen. I decided that I would just take it step by step with Luke. Whatever happened, happened.

         Memories of Ryan tugged at my heart approaching fifth period. It had only been a little over a week since he broke up with me. I was still having an extremely hard time with the break-up. I knew that he and I were over for good, despite the fact that he said, "it's time we take a break". I guess I hated him at that point in time. I didn't want to hate him, that's what ex-girlfriends always do. They hate their ex-boyfriends and the new girl that he hangs out with, prettier and skinner than she. It was a strange feeling, being replaced. I knew that he had broken up with me because of another girl, a pretty, strawberry-blonde. I felt like she was an improved version of me. She was skinnier, more popular, more outgoing. It wasn't a good feeling at all. Ryan, of course, didn't help me at all.

         After class that day, he insisted on walking with me. Lately, whenever he walked with me to my next class, it was only to rub his love life in my face. Today was no exception.

         "Em, you'll never believe this!"

         "Oh...really?" I said flatly. I prepared myself for a bombardment of gloating.

         "Yeah! You know that one girl in band, Holly?"

         "Yeah..." It was the strawberry blonde.

         "So I asked her to Homecoming at our last marching band rehearsal, and she said absolutely. She said she was happy that I asked, and glad that I was now free to date pretty girls like her."

         "That's great." My voice was only slightly missing the enthusiasm that I was not feeling inside.

         "Yeah, I know! Have you been asked yet?"

         That was another one of Ryan's new hobbies, checking to make sure I was still as miserable as I left him.

         "No, not yet," I said, searching for something to boast about. "But I'm practically dating this new cute guy that moved here at the beginning of the year. We're going on a date Friday, alone. He's driving me."

         "Oh, really..." Ryan was not pleased, I could tell. I was all too thrilled at the look on his face.

         "Yeah, see you later." I rounded the corner, leaving Ryan pouting in the hallway.

         It was definitely a perfect set-up. My mom had never let me go on dates alone with Ryan, or in the car with him alone after he'd gotten his license. I knew that it would make him positively furious to know that I was doing just that with another guy. Of course, my mom didn't know, but he didn't need to know that...

         Oh man... I thought. The reality of what I had just told Ryan sunk in. Sure, I knew it would make him furious, but "practically dating" wasn't exactly the right words for me and Luke. I hoped that he wouldn't spread any rumors, especially no rumors that Noah's ears might pick up. Ryan tended to bring out the absolute worse in me.

         At the same time, Ryan's own words rung in my head. He'd asked her to Homecoming. She was glad he was "free". She had even insinuated that I wasn't pretty enough for Ryan. He had a date before I did. Of course, he was more in charge of his situation than I was. Being a girl, I couldn't ask a guy out. It was sort of frowned upon for a girl to make the first move. I could only use hinting methods. Ryan had a date... I just couldn't get that out of my head.

         I was extremely lucky that this weekend we hadn't done anything with our old group. I could only guess that Ryan would be there and invite his new soon-to-be-girlfriend, "Holly". Skinny, pretty, and a jerk. Great. That's the perfect species for me to hate.

         After school, I walked to the band room to pick up my flute. Clumsy me accidentally ran into none other than Noah Blake.

         "Hey Emma, what's up?"

         "Oh, sorry, nothing. I got to hurry or I'll miss my bus."

         "Do you want a ride home? I've got my car."

         That's right. I had forgotten he was a junior, allowed to park in the school's parking lot. I remembered the bus, its crowded, reeking personality did not seem very appealing at the moment.

         Before I could stop myself, I heard the words spill out of my mouth.

         "Sure, that would be fantastic," I said.

         "Great, let me come with you to get your flute."
         
What on earth was I doing?

1/22/12

         Here I was, in Noah's car, willingly. I didn't know what I was thinking. All I knew was that I was semi-relieved to be with Noah. I kept reminding myself of how wrong the situation was, that I was "practically dating" Luke, and that when I got home my mom would be furious to see that I had let a boy drive me home. I was irritating at least three situations. Sometimes I really wondered what was going on in my brain that allowed me to make such significant blunders.

         Noah didn't mention Luke, but he did ask if I wanted to do something Sunday night. I made an excuse, told him that I would get back to him if he reminded me about it later, and quickly tried to forget about his invitation.

         I was relieved that he hadn't brought up Luke, and we were five minutes away from my house.

         "Would you like to go get something to eat really quick? My treat," he asked.

         I was completely unprepared for this. I didn't have any money, so I couldn't pay for myself. My stomach grumbled...

         "Um, sure. That would be great."

         He seemed pleased. "Cool, how does Chipotle sound?"

         To be honest, it sounded absolutely delicious. That savory meat mixed with cheese and salsa, all wrapped up in a flour tortilla...

         "Yeah, actually that sounds amazing right now."

         "Great."

         We made small talk as we drove. I didn't really know what to say. For once, I was at a loss for words. A million thoughts were running through my mind. I really wanted to know what he was thinking about Luke. Had Ryan spread any rumors? Had Luke been talking? If only I could know...

         He put the radio on. My favorite song was playing. He knew it too, apparently, and he started to sing along. I was singing soon, and we were laughing when we pulled up in the Chipotle parking lot.

         I hadn't really thought this through. Chipotle was probably one of the messiest places you could go. As if to add to the probability of embarrassment, each burrito had some beans in it. That could only mean one thing, if you know what I mean.

         We found a table by the window and sat down, burritos in hand.

         "So what's going on with you and that Luke guy?" Noah took a bite of his burrito.

         "Oh...I don't know, honestly."

         "Are you, like, dating or anything?"

         "No, not really. He took me to a movie last week and that's it."

         "Really, because I've heard some other stuff."

         Uh-oh. "Like what?"

         "Oh, I dunno. Luke was just talking to some people about you, is all. He said something about going to Homecoming with you."

         Oh boy. "Really? I haven't heard anything about that."

         "So he hasn't asked you yet then?"

         "No, he hasn't."

         "If he did, would you say yes?"

         This was so incredibly awkward. "I don't know... I'm kind of confused right now."

         "About what?"

         "Just guys, I guess. I can't seem to figure out what to feel."

         "Well, I hope you figure it out soon."

         "Yeah, me too. Hey, thanks for this. I had a pretty crappy day, and this just made it a whole lot better."

         "No problem, any time. Don't forget to see about Sunday, remember, you have my number if you need it."

         We got up and threw away our trash. He drove me home. Thankfully, my mom wasn't home, but she had left a note on the table.

         Hello Emma, it read. I went to go see your grandpa today. Dad should be home at six thirty. He wants you to be home when he gets there. Call me if you need anything. There's a frozen dinner in the freezer if you get hungry. Love you, Mom.

         I grabbed a bag of potato chips and the remote and flopped onto the couch. My mind was everywhere, but on doing my homework. Lost in thought, I almost missed my cell phone ringing. It was Isabelle.

         "Hey Is, what's up?" I answered.

         "Oh, not much. You want to see a movie after you're done with your homework?"

         "Sure, sounds good to me. What time?"

         "I can pick you up at around six."

         "Perfect, see you later." I hung up.

         A movie with Isabelle was just what I needed. Some girl time sounded perfect right about now. I went upstairs to start my homework.
         

         Two hours later, the doorbell rang. It was Isabelle. I got into the passenger seat of her car. We rolled out of the driveway, blasting our favorite radio station. I didn't notice the envelope that was sitting on my doormat of my porch. Isabelle and I drove out of the subdivision, happy to be having fun.

         I decided not to dump my problems on Isabelle, but to listen to what she had to say.

         "So what's up with you?" I asked.

         "Oh, not much..."

         "Anything boy related?"          

         "Well, actually, you know that new kid, Luke?"

         "Yeah, I know him, why?"

         "I like him."

         I felt jealousy rising up in my chest. "How do you know him?"

         "Band, obviously, and he's in my English class."

         "That's cool. Guess what?" I replied, eager to change the subject.

         "What?"

         "Ryan asked Holly to Homecoming, and she said yes."

         "How do you feel about that?"

         "Fine, I mean, it's not like I like him anymore..."

         But we both knew that was a lie. I was still torn up inside about him.

         "You sure?"

         "No..." My face crumpled, and I felt hot tears running down my cheeks.

         "Oh, honey..."

         She stopped at the ice cream parlor near the movie theater. We got ice cream, and talked about how mean Ryan was for telling me all that stuff about Holly. Right then, I was glad I had a best friend like Isabelle to confide in.
         

         The movie was just okay, a low budget film about nothing at all. It was just nice to not have to worry about Ryan, or Luke, or Noah for just those few hours. When Isabelle finally drove me home, it was nine thirty.

         My dad's car was pulled in the driveway, so was my mom's.

         Oh no! I thought. I was supposed to be home when my dad got home! I sure was in trouble now.

         I opened the door, expecting an explosion. I was half right.

         "Where have you been, young lady?" My dad's voice was firm. It was the kind of firm that made me scared to reply.

         "Isabelle took me to a movie..."

         "Your mother told you specifically to be home when I got here. I was locked out for an hour until your mom pulled up in the driveway."

         "I'm sorry, Dad. I forgot."

         "Well, maybe you should try to remember something, for once. Your mother and I have decided you're grounded Friday night."

         "F-Friday? No not Friday! I can't be grounded Friday!"

         "Well, isn't that too bad. It's not really your choice."

         "But-"

         "End of discussion."

         My blood boiled. It wasn't fair! Who did my mother think she was anyway? How old did she think I was? I was almost sixteen, not five! I stomped up to my room, mad at the world.
         
Then I remembered. Friday was the day I was supposed to go out with Luke. I threw myself onto the bed and broke down in tears.

1/24/12

         After my eyes had stopped being unreasonable, I sent a quick text to Luke.

         Hey, it read. I can't go anywhere Friday. Sorry, I got grounded. </3

         He replied within moments. That's alright, maybe some other time.

         I only hoped that he was a little bit disappointed. What if Isabelle did something with him Friday? I was still bothered by her earlier confession. Best friends and guys don't always mix very well. I knew that for sure.

         Isabelle and I had a few disputes over guys when we were younger. I liked him, he liked her, then liked both of us, then chose me. Classic love triangle situations. The only difference between now and then was that we were so much younger then, that Isabelle didn't care so much about guys. It was an easier life back in seventh grade. I knew that if I didn't tell her I liked him, she would flirt and probably win. If I did tell her, she would be mad because in her eyes, Noah and I were almost a couple. Why couldn't teenage life be the slightest bit more simple?

         Speaking of confusion, my classes had grown steadily harder as the year progressed. I was completely and utterly lost in my math class, as it was not my stronger subject. I was taking Geometry this year, and they were already throwing theorems at us like they were softballs. We were having our first test the following Friday, and I knew that if I wanted to pass, I would have to study like crazy. Unfortunately, I didn't know anyone except for Ryan in my Geometry class. This meant that if I ever needed help, I would need to contact my insensitive ex-boyfriend for assistance. He almost always had some sort of story about his latest achievement in his love life, and I always had this strange sensation that I needed to one-up him. I felt like if I didn't have a boyfriend, I was inferior, somehow. Logically, I knew this was far from the truth. Emotionally, my mind wasn't quite as set in my motives. I wanted a boyfriend too much. I was afraid that I would settle for someone that definitely fell short of my standards.

         My phone buzzed beside me. It was Luke.

         "Hey," he said when I answered the phone.

         "Hi, what's up?" I said, nonchalantly. Inside, however, I was beyond being excited.

         "I was just wondering, do you have a date to Homecoming yet?"

         "No, I don't." My insides trembled.

         "Okay. Are you grounded all weekend?"

         "No, just Friday."

         "Okay, cool. Do you want to hang out maybe Sunday afternoon?"

         "Sure, when?"

         "I'll pick you up at around two."

         "Okay, sounds great! See you then."

         This would be a little more difficult to maneuver. How would I get my mom and dad out of the house on Sunday afternoon... It wouldn't be easy, but I could do it. If not, then I would have to find a way to trick my mom into letting me go with Luke.

         The next order of business was Isabelle. What if she asked me what I was doing Sunday? I couldn't lie, but I didn't want to hurt her either. She had told me first of her crush on Luke, even if I had started crushing first. This could be considered, when looked at on the outside, "crush stealing". This was a capital offense in the eyes of a best friend. I didn't know quite how to avoid it. I guess she would just have to deal with it.
         

         I woke up to the smell of bacon Tuesday morning. My mom was up bright and early to cook me breakfast. I wondered what the occasion was.

         "Good morning, darling," she greeted me as I approached the overwhelming smell.

         "Good morning..." I said warily. What was going on?"

         "How are you?"

         "I'm good... why are you cooking bacon?"

         "For you, of course."

         "Why?"

         "Well, your father and I have something to tell you." My dad popped out of the living room.

         "Hey, there," he said, smiling.

         "And?" I was still wary.

         "You're Grandpa is moving in with us with your cousin from Nebraska."

         "What?" I was not happy.

         "Grandpa and your cousin are having trouble living alone in Nebraska, so we offered to have them here for the remainder of the year."

         I couldn't believe they would spring this on me.

         "And? Anything else?"

         "Yes. Because we are having two more people join our family, and our house doesn't have room for two more people, we decided to move into a bigger house."

         "What? We're moving?"

         "Not out of town, just to a bigger house in the area. You and your brother will still go to the same schools."

         My cousin was not only the brattiest boy I've ever met, but also my age. He had red hair like me, and bright blue eyes. I guess some people might say we looked like each other  a little bit, but they didn't know how different we were. He had moved in with my grandpa after his parents moved to Europe to do mission work, and my grandpa didn't think it would be a good idea for him to accompany them. Grandpa was lonely, and maybe he was worried that their mission work would be a little less effective with a little brat around. He was selfish, inconsiderate, and did not enjoy other people, just about as much as other people enjoyed him.

         I wondered where we might move. There were larger housing developments nearer to my school, and I knew a lot of people who lived in that area. With moving, came new neighbors, a new bedroom, and a lot of other stuff. It could turn out to be a real adventure.

1/26/12

         School went by quickly that day, and I got a ride home from Noah again. I wasn't as afraid to spend time with him anymore. I think he wanted to be more than just friends, but I clearly wasn't ready for anything more yet. Luke was still on my mind daily. I couldn't wait for Sunday.

         Noah and I talked about everything when he drove me home from school, which he ended up doing all week. We talked about school, the future, band, and even crushes sometimes. Well, I guess I was the one who actually talked about crushes. He just asked, and I answered. He wanted to know how I felt about Luke. I simply told him that yes, I did like him a little bit. I also admitted that I was very confused about who I liked at the moment.

         "So have you asked about doing anything Sunday yet?" he asked.

         Crap. "Well... what time were you thinking?"

         "Probably around five or six."

         Phew. I might be able to do both things. "Oh okay, yeah. I think I can do that."

         "Awesome, I'll pick you up at six. See you then!"

         I got out of his car, thankful that Friday finally gave way to the weekend. The week had gone by quickly, and not much had happened. I had two dates for Sunday, now. I hoped that Mom wouldn't wonder.

         
All weekend was spent preparing for Grandpa and Liam to come. Mom and Dad and I hovered around packing, throwing out old unnecessary possessions and figuring out what furniture to get rid of and what furniture would have to be purchased. I was slightly excited about moving after we had gone around to about ten different houses, and now we were trying to decide between two different houses.

1/31/12

         Both were gorgeous houses in nice neighborhoods.  I was extremely happy to be moving into a new house, but I wasn't excited about my cousin and Grandpa coming. With new family members came new responsibilities, new expenses, and new rules. My mom had already laid down a few. I was not a happy camper.

         "You're going to have to include Liam in your outings with your friends. He's having a hard time with his parents being in Europe and living with Grandpa. He feels pretty alone."

         "But Mom-"

         "Emma, don't disappoint me."

         "Alright..."

         That was only the first of many. She kept repeating that and adding new ones the remainder of the weekend. I was really relieved when Sunday finally came.

         She informed me that she and my father were going to visit Grandpa and Liam to Big Springs, Nebraska and start the move. They had rented two U-Haul trucks to go pick up their furniture and belongings. They lived only about two hours away from our home in Evans, Colorado. I was delighted. I would be home alone all day.

         Luke came by to pick me up at two. I had more fun with him than I'd had all weekend, but that wasn't saying much. First, he bought us lunch at Panera Bread. I got a bagel and some milk, while he got soup. We sat and talked. I found myself caught with a few awkward silences in the middle of our conversation. I tried to fill the gap with small talk.

         "So you know Isabelle, right?" Okay, maybe a little bigger than small talk. I thought it would be a good time for some snooping.

         "Isabelle, as in your friend Isabelle from band? Yeah, she's in a few of my classes. Why?"

         "Oh, just wondering. She's just been on my mind lately. I tried calling her Friday and she didn't answer." This was a bald-faced lie.

         I saw a shadow of panic flicker across his face. "Oh really? I wonder what she could have been doing."

         "I don't know. Oh well, I'll just call her later and ask."

         "Yeah...yeah...why not? Sounds like a good idea..."

         "Yeah."

         "Okay, well, why don't we head over to my place?"

         "Sounds good."

         We got up to throw away our trash and headed out the door. I hadn't even really worried about what Isabelle was doing on Friday. I guess the only thing I'd worried about was what Luke was doing. What if they did something together, and he just didn't tell me?

         We got in his car. When we arrived at his house, I was surprised at what we found. It just so happened to be in the same neighborhood as Isabelle. It was a gorgeous house, large and spacious. The outside was a light blue with dark blue shutters. It had a wrap-around style porch and a balcony that lead to the master bedroom, which I found out later was his parent's room. Beautiful flowers appeared all over their well-trimmed yard. I took note of the tree-house that was visible in the back. It was my dream house.

         Luke led me into the house, introduced me to his mom, and we went downstairs. He suggested we watch a movie, and I agreed. He picked out a funny romantic-comedy. We plopped down on the couch as the opening credits began to play. His phone buzzed, signifying that he had received a text message.

         "Who is it?" I asked nonchalantly.

         "Oh, just some girl."

         "Really? Who?"

         "Oh, you probably don't know her..."

         But by the sound of his voice, I did.

         My heart sank. It was probably Isabelle. I felt my stomach disagreeing with the meal I had eaten earlier.

         "So...just wondering...you don't have a date to homecoming yet, right?"

         "No, I don't." No, stomach! Not now!

         "Well, do you want to go with me?"

         "Yeah, sure! That would be fun! I'll be right back, where's your bathroom."

         He pointed down the hall. "On the right."

         "Thanks," I said. I hurried to the bathroom and shut the door.

         I held my head over the toilet-bowl. The entire contents of my lunch appeared in front of me. I cleaned myself up and went back to where Luke was still watching the movie.

         "Hey, I really got to go, I'm not feeling so well."

         "Oh, okay! I hope you're not sick. I'll drive you home."

         He paused the movie.

         "I guess we'll just have to finish this another time."

         I nodded, afraid to speak in case of another up-chuck.

         He drove me home, and I thanked him for lunch.

         "That was fun, sorry I had to leave early."

         "Oh, no problem. I'll text you later for plans for homecoming."

         I waved as he pulled out of the driveway.

         I walked into my house, thankful for the familiarity of home. I laid down on my bed, still feeling slightly nauseous but much better. I had a date for homecoming. That was exciting. I couldn't wait to tell Isabelle! But...wait a minute...maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea...

         It was four thirty. I had an hour and a half to feel better before Noah came. Oh great, what would I tell Noah about going to homecoming with Luke? My mind spun. I decided to deal with that problem when it came. I just hoped it wouldn't be for a while. 

2/7/12

         Noah came to pick me up right on time, just like he said he would. I was feeling much better, and was relieved when I saw him pull up in the driveway. What I didn't see was a single rose sitting on the passenger's seat...

         He came up to the doorway like a gentleman and rang the doorbell. I opened the door. He had the rose in his hand. On it, a note was attached. I took it, a look of confusion plastered on my face.

         My cheeks would turn rosy if you when to homecoming with me :) it read.

         I looked at him with utter disbelief. He was way too creative.

         "So?" He said, clearly expecting a response.

         "...Noah..."

         "If you need some time to think, I'm in no rush."

         I only shrugged and let him lead me to the car. We just drove around aimlessly, stopping when we felt like it, talking about everything. He didn't pull out his phone to text even once. I was being so unfair to him... and I didn't know why. Why couldn't I just tell him the truth, that I already had a date? Was it possible that I'd rather go with him?

         I shook the thought out of my head. Noah didn't really like me, I kept telling myself as we were driving. No. I would just tell him the truth.

         "Um, Noah... about homecoming..."

         "Yeah?"

         "I hung out with Luke this afternoon, and he asked me too. I said yes already, so I can't back out now. I'm really sorry, I would have liked to go with you."

         He looked upset, but he tried to hide it. "Oh, that's okay. They wanted me to take pictures and do a cover of it for the school newspaper anyway. I'll tell them I can now."

         "Okay, are you sure you don't mind?"

         "Of course not. Hey, listen, I better take you home now... It's getting late."

         I almost caught myself protesting, wanting to say that it wasn't even seven yet. I didn't though. I only nodded.

         He didn't even give me a hug when he dropped me off. I'll have to admit that his sad face as he drove away made me want to rethink my decision.

         I called Isabelle once I got inside, throwing my purse on my bed.

         "Hey, Is, what's up?"

         "Oh, not much, how 'bout you?"

         "Not much... what did you do Friday?"

         "Oh, I've been meaning to call to tell you! Luke called and asked if I wanted to hang out. It was really fun! And also, I got asked to homecoming by this kid from my math class, I said yes. That was on Thursday. Sorry, I completely forgot to tell you!"

         My heart sank. "It's alright, glad you had fun."

         "Yeah, it was great. I really like Luke. Have you gotten asked to Homecoming yet?"

         "Um, yeah actually. That's why I called. Luke asked me today when he took me out for lunch."

         I heard her gasp on the other line. "What? No, you're lying."

         "No, I'm not."

         "But-but... he likes me... I'm sure of it. You said no, right?"

         "I said yes, Is. Sorry."

         "You're the worst friend in the world, you knew I liked him!"

         I heard the line go dead. Oh great. What had I gotten myself into?

2/15/12

         I put the phone on my bed. Isabelle had responded like I’d expected, and I guessed that she wouldn’t be very pleased with me next time she saw me. I put on my pajamas and crawled into bed. All I wanted to do was slip into a dream.

         My dream that night was no comfort. In my dream, I was at the dance. Isabelle was mad at me and so was Noah. Somehow, I didn’t end up going with Luke, but I went single. I expected Noah to dance with me, but when I walked towards him he always disappeared. I woke up to the sound of my alarm. It was time for school once again.

         I crept downstairs, as not to wake my mom and dad. They were both staying home from work today because they didn’t get back until late the night before from Nebraska. Liam and Grandpa were almost all packed up and ready to move. Mom and Dad had taken the majority of their furniture with them in the U-Haul, and Liam and Grandpa would be joining us soon. I wasn’t the least bit excited.

         The bus was crowded today. Thankfully, I took the only open seat next to a random girl. Isabelle didn’t even look at me. It looked like I would be receiving the silent treatment from now on. I guess I wasn’t at all surprised since I was being a big jerk. What I was really wondering was if I was the second pick for Luke. Had he meant to ask Isabelle Friday, but she was already taken? I quickly pushed the painful thought to the back of my mind.
         The school felt cooler today, and I was glad I’d remembered my jacket. There’s nothing worse than being freezing in the middle of a class with your best friend’s cold stare penetrating the back of your head. Band was possibly the worst period of the day. Isabelle, Luke, and Noah were all in that class. Each had their own way of making me feel even worse.
         
         Noah tried to be nice, but I could tell he was really hurt when Luke came up and talked to me. He barely said a word when I said “hi”. Isabelle even came up to say something to Luke, and completely ignored me. I was miserable, and found myself asking to go to the bathroom halfway through the class period.
         
         Tears were pricking at the backs of my eyes as I walked down the hall. I got a drink at the drinking fountain and rushed into one of the stalls before the water works started. Hot tears streamed down my face. I didn’t know what I was doing. I tried to clean myself up and returned to class.
         On the way back, I ran into none other than Ryan. He tapped me on the shoulder.
         
         “Hey, what’s up?” he said. Then he noticed my red puffy eyes. “Oh…are you okay?”
         
         “I’m absolutely fine thank you.” I walked quickly away. The last thing I needed right then was for Ryan to spill his latest news about the stupid new gorgeous girl he was dating.
         
         The rest of period went slowly, and the remainder of the day was a drag. I was only slightly relieved that when I got home no one was there. I felt like taking a hot shower, so I did.

         I was enjoying myself, singing my lungs out to the shower head when I heard a knock on the door. I was extremely embarrassed.
         
         “One second!”
         
         I pulled on my robe and opened the door. It was Liam. They must’ve gotten there earlier than expected. Great.

         “Oh, hi. Sorry, I’m just taking a shower. I’ll be right out.”

         “Hurry up.”

         I just shut the door. So this was how it was going to be, huh? Liam being rude and me being the short tempered red-head I was. This would not be fun.
         
         I put on some clothes and went downstairs. Grandpa was sleeping on the couch with the T.V. on. I didn’t want to wake him, so I decided to take a walk.