Mixed Emotions

Chapter 3: The Face Behind the Door

I was still speechless after class got out. I made a cow to myself not to ever tell Olivia about this. "No," I kept telling myself, "you're not allowed to have a crush on him!" But thinking of him only made things worse. How was I supposed to ignore him for the entire year?

"Gracen? Graaaaacen! GRACEN!" Olivia's harsh tone snapped me out of my trance. Half-shocked, I staggered back a little before regaining my balance.

"What?" I replied.

"Are you okay?" Alexis looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Ya! I'm fine!" I said and I wanted to punch my brain out for talking in such an unusually bubbly and suspicious tone.

"So what class do you guys have next?" Olivia said quickly, changing the subject and breaking the awkwardness.

"I have history, I think," I responded, digging into my backpack for my schedule.

"I have chemistry," Alexis said with a frown. Alexis had always hated chemistry and anything to do with science, and her two best friends in other classes didn't help that fact.

"Really? Me too!" Olivia beamed. Alexis immediately perked up.

"Okay, cool! I'll catch up with you guys at lunch!" I said, already taking off for my locker. I felt the eyes of my two friends burning into my head. They knew me too well. Best friends can always tell when something is different. But this time I would have to hide my emotions better.

*

I quickly put in my new locker combination and hid my face behind the small metal door. I didn't want anyone to see me, unless I wanted to choke and die of embarrassment.

I started jamming books into my locker when I heard an unwelcoming sound--guys. Loud idiot guys with deep voices. But one voice stuck out to me. I heard the stampede move away from me and relaxed a little. I took a deep breath and got ready for second period.

I slammed my locker door shut and stared at the ground until I started backing up. I felt my back touch another body and quickly whirled around.

"OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRY!" I said a little louder than I wanted to. And my face immediately turned 5,000 shades of fire truck red--especially when my mind registered the face I was staring into.

"It's cool," Jack's deep, sexy voice replied back. His bright eyes smiled with every other part of his face.

Of course, me being me, I stood there awkwardly. I wished that I could just curl up into my anti-social shell. But Jack was different than other boys. He didn't seem to care how awkward I was. Instead he carried on the tiny spark of conversation between us.

"So what class do you have next?"

"History," I groaned and rolled my eyes. I gave a slight smile because it's hard not to smile around Jack.

"Ew gross that sucks." The bell gave an obnoxious ring. "Crap! I should get going! Nice meeting you," he said with a smile.

"Crap" and "you." Two words I was used to hearing in the same sentence. But this time they were being used in a new way.

*

I came out of my last class shaking because of my thoughts. I was in danger--I could never date Jack because of Olivia. And either way, it's not like I'm bold enough to tell Jack I like him. I felt like I was being ripped in half.

RIIIING!!! The obnoxious school bell snapped me out of my trance. Finally I could sort out my feelings and go home.

*

"Hey!" I shouted, listening to my voice echo slightly throughout my house. I slammed the front door shut behind me and threw my backpack onto the couch.

"Hi Gracen!" my mother's welcoming voice yelled back from another room. I heard footsteps coming from upstairs somewhere.

"How was school?"

"Good I guess," I replied nonchalantly with a slight smile so tiny that you couldn't see my emotions through a microscope. I felt giant butterflies take the full space of my stomach and I rolled onto the ground, just laying there with a huge grin on my face.

I flipped over and swung my legs around so I was sitting upright on the floor, using the couch as a back rest. I looked at my sock-covered feet and kicked them together in thought. At least I had a whole day to control myself before I had to face my friends at school tomorrow.

DING DONG! The doorbell shouted through the house so that my thoughts were interrupted.

"Can you get that, Gracie?" my mom screamed from the laundry room.

"Sure," I shouted back as I lazily arose from my comfy position on the floor. I skipped to the door and looked through the peephole. I gasped and nearly fainted at the familiar face behind the door.

Here comes hell, I said to myself, play it cool.