(#1) Caitlyn and Gwen: Florally Welcomed

Jared and the Girls

Jared was a small, shy boy who never got along well with the other boys his age. He was 17 and wasn't interested in cars or sports or video games. He liked to read books and relax with his friends.

His phone went off early Friday morning. He ignored the first ping, but the next five were hard to ignore. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and checked his phone. After temporarily blinding himself he noticed the time stamp read 5:56. 

"This is way too early," he muttered to himself as he opened his messages.

Wake up ladies! and Jared, Caitlyn wrote.

I'm already up, Brittany replied.

Me 2, Allie added.

Are we ready for Wallace's test today? Caitlyn asked.

Not even close! Allie said, I hate Hamlet! Why are we studying it?

For real! Jared is the only one that understands it. Brittany shot in.

It's not that hard, Jared started typing It's Lion King without the fur.

Jared rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to relieve himself. He sat down on the toilet because he was too tired to aim and wanted to keep texting. 

If one of you comes and gets me we can hit Taco Bell or something and go over it once more before the test. Jared offered. 

Brittany and Allie gave a thumbs up to the message and Caitlyn replied, Give me five minutes and I'll be there!

Jared couldn't help but smile, Caitlyn was his favorite of his three best friends and the one that he had a large crush on. He couldn't help but picture her brown hair cascading down her back with her bright blue eyes staring deeply into his. He often wondered if there was a spark there but he was too scared to ask her. Seeing her every day was better than being shut down and the friendship ending.

Jared washed his face in the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. He had short, blonde hair. As he ran his hands through it he once again wished that it was darker, he hated that the blonde just made him look whiter than he was, and try as he might he couldn't get a tan. His options were burnt lobster or white bed sheet. He stared into his own hazel eyes weighing his options of asking Caitlyn out on the way to Taco Bell or just doing as always and pretend that he did in his mind.

His phone pinged on the sink and he rushed out to throw some slim jeans and a mint-colored shirt on before quietly heading out the door to not wake his mom. Though he did send a text saying that he was getting with the girls for a last-minute study session.

"Hey, girl," Jared said jumping into the passenger seat of Caitlyns 2006 Honda Accord. Her perfume filled his nostrils and he glanced over at her. She was wearing a denim dress that barely rounded her shoulders and had her signature turquoise pendant around her neck. Her hair was up in a ponytail, which disappointed Jared a little he thought she looked better with her hair down, something he's told her several times.

"Good morning, Jare," Caitlyn said in a singsongy voice. "The others are on the way so let's get going." She put the car in drive and off they went.

The early morning drive was quiet and it was a nice morning so they rolled the windows down. Caitlyn left her hand on the gear shift, even though it was automatic she just kept her hand there all the time. She said that it helped her to not text while driving. Distracted driving is super dangerous so whatever helps to pay attention will work great.

Jared almost placed his hand on top of hers, but just as he was going to do it they pulled into the parking lot and he missed his chance again. 

Once inside, they quickly found the other girls. They had three coffees and an orange juice that they purchased at McDonald's on the way. Jared hated coffee. The smell, the taste, everything about it he found vile. The girls were nice enough to get him some orange juice when they did their coffee runs. Jared ordered some breakfast and then joined the girls at the table.

"Here's your OJ, man," Allie said as she slid it towards him. Her raven hair was shaved on one side and long on the other, she said it was to help channel her inner Rapinoe when playing soccer. Jared didn't think that would help much because Rapinoe wore a different style but whatever.

"Thanks," he said as he took a seat.

Brittany looked up from her laptop, "Ok, I have Sparknotes pulled up." She was the nerdiest of the group and she jumped into the cliche look with both feet. She had large glasses, and almost always wore a headband. None of the others understood why she dressed the way she did, she wasn't bad-looking by any means and was one of the most attractive girls on the swim team, as confirmed by the locker room talk that Jared overheard during gym class.

"Ok, where are you all confused?" Jared asked. This opened up a wave of questions about Hamlet including a short conversation about the clothing quote early on where the girls decided to go shopping after school and then go see a movie.

"Oh, shit," Allie said, "look at the time!"

Caitlyn checked her phone, "Come on, girls, we gotta go!"

The four of them stood up and left for school and the dreaded English test. Jared noticed that he was included in the "girls" comment but he figured that it was just because they were in a rush.