Junior High

Zoe is my name!

Ah, hello! This story is something I am in the process of writing for my best friend, Zoe! She had this crush on a boy when we were in the seventh grade, and to this day, even though they never kissed, she says he was her first love. This story is sort of my gift to her, since I am scarce with money.

This story is NOT EDITED. If I made any mistakes, if you would be so kind as to point them out to me, I will get right to improving it. 

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I bite my lip as I glanced half-heartedly to my left; to Dennon. His big brown eyes, though bright and insightful, are oblivious to the fact that about three different girls are dreaming of him. He ruffles his short golden hair and sticks his tongue out mockingly to Rahman, who sits beside himself and opposite me. I think my heart flutters a bit whenever he does that.

As Dennon's brown orbs start to eye me, I quickly looked beside myself to the empty desk of my best friend's. Rain, who's last week ended a Friday early, had left to go up north. She left me with the popular girls and one other friend, who would often be too mature to deal with, named Izzy. Now, Izzy doesn't like him- that's what she said.  I'm sure another girl, named Emily, likes him too. So that leaves Emily, Rain, and I to fight over Dennon (though Rain is away for now).

Before long, I realize I have been staring at Rain's empty desk for two minutes. Damn, he must think I have downs syndrome or something!

"You miss her, don't you?" says Dennon quietly. It's not as if anyone would hear him over this noise anyway. Looking up to him, I realize his eyebrow is cocked up and his usually ignorant eyes are serious.

I gulp. "Um, yeah..." I choke out, blushing slightly. "I miss her."

"Well, I guess for now you'll just have Izzy, right?" He gleams, though I can still see the concern in his eyes. I look back to Izzy, who is joking with Jordan and glancing towards Adam and Nathaniel, the people who she sits with. She sketches carelessly on her notepad, which is almost filled. I sigh and look back to him with a weak smile on my face. I nod, and he lets out a breath, looking down to his paper.

Hm, I think. He must be done talking to me.

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After school, I walk out beside Izzy, who often walks fast to somehow run from school. I often put my hand in the paw of her long wolf-hat to calm her. Today again, I have my cold hands struggling to lead her slowly along the path, covered in ice and snow.

The walk home is usually quiet, and Izzy often says she doesn't mind it, but I think it awkward. So before we leave through the back of the schoolyard, I decide to speak.

"I really like him," I mumble. She looks at me with those calming dark brown eyes and lifts a brow.

She takes a breath before stating, "Well, I would tell you if I noticed anything, but I'm not sure who you are talking about." Her mouth coyly plays into a smirk.

"Dennon," I say louder, but then look around myself to see if anyone heard me. Thankfully, almost nobody is around me and the person who is, doesn't seem to have heard me.

She stifles a laugh, and smiles. "Yeah, he's pretty cute."

I frown, moving my eyes away from her wolf ears. "But it's not only that! He talks nicely to me, and he's funny, and it seems like he cares about me!" I bite my lip, closing my eyes and sighing dreamily. It is now Izzy's turn to lead me home.

She eyes me as we walk. "Is this like the crush with Ada-" she starts to say, but then stops when she realizes that the boy she is talking about is only about four feet in front of us. She goes on to whisper, "Adam?"

I shake my head, smiling at her. "No, this feeling is stronger." I whisper back, keeping my eye on him, his bright yellow beanie slipping off the crook of his head. 

She nods, but doesn't talk to me. Instead, Izzy yells to Adam, "Hey buddieeee!" My eyes widen when he turns around and smiles too-happily.

"Aye budddieeee!" He waves and she runs up to him. I half expect them to start making out, but instead she holds her hand out and he does the same. They're going to do a hand hug. A hand hug is almost a high-five, except softer, and you take your thumb and pat the other person's hand. 

Adam is the one who has their hands touch, but he doesn't extend his thumb. Izzy is left with a confused look and an awkward ten-second high-five. When I pass the two, she scowls at me playfully and runs to me, attacking me with hugs. "God, that was weird," she whispers in my ear. I laugh and nod, hugging her back. For a second, I pretend it's Dennon who is hugging me.

"So, continuing on the subject... Any 'special moments' between you two lovvies?" She grins to me as we cross the street.

I smile to her confusedly. "Adam?" I ask stupidly, mocking her.

She scoffs. "Dennon, you idiom." She hugs me again when I frown. "I mean, any reason you seem to like him?"

I think back onto one time, when Dennon and I were left alone, working on one poster in room 30. We were the colouring committee, and Izzy was on the drawing committee. I scribbled inside the lines of a flower, while he reached across my arm to get to the box of pencil crayons. I looked up to him, and he to me, both of us with doe-eyes planted on our faces. My eyes resisted fluttering, and he sighed, and we just slumped back into our chairs, staring deeply into each other's eyes. That was my one moment.

"Uhh, nope." I shake my head convincingly, and though she doesn't believe me, she drops the subject.

I realize we are at the spot we split up at and she stops to give me a warm hug. "Sweet dreams," she whispers into my ear and then winks, running across the street. Any outsider would think it odd, but I think she means day dreaming, and by day dreaming, she means thinking of Dennon. I smile and walk my short way home.