The Way Things Change

Chapter 1

"No I am not going to ask Dawson out." I tell my best friend Payton.

"Now haven't we talked about this? Dawson is hot, you like him, go for it." Payton says. I thought about telling her that she should take her own advice with Zander (the guy she has a crush on)  but she would probably get mad at me and hit me, then I'd hit her back and it's just a whole painful process I'd rather not go through tonight.

"Okay so Nick invited you to a party on Friday night and you have no parents to tell you no, so why are not going?" Payton jumps on my bed and asks.

"Because I have a 3 hour volunteer shift at the hospital on Saturday and I don't want to be late for that." I tell her and push her over so I can lay down too.

"Em we are graduating next year." Payton says serious all of a sudden. "I know it's too much to think about right now though so I will not think about it until I am forced to." I smile and say. There was a silence for a few seconds where the music in the background was the only thing playing.

"Have you ever thought about having kids?" She asks.

"Well, yeah not now but sometime yes I would love to have kids when I'm married and know I will be able to support them. Why are you asking?" I reply

"No reason, I was just curious." She says "Are you ready to go? We have a test first period and we can't be late for it again." She gets up and brushes off her skirt.

"Yeah let's go." I say wondering why she was so curious about kids and life when we still have a year before we graduate.

We arrive at school to be greeted by my cousin Seth who's on the lacrosse team.

"So Payton are you going to Noel's party tomorrow?" Seth asks Payton and puts his arm around my shoulder. He also happens to have a crush on Payton.

"Um only if Emily goes." She says.

"And Emily are you going?" He asks me.

I push his arm off my shoulders "Only if you're not." I say.

"Ah funny I think Katie's going so you may want to so you can make sure she doesn't get in trouble."

"And why can't you keep an eye on our younger cousin who likes to reek havoc on what's left of our family?" I ask Seth.

"Because I will be to damn busy getting drunk." He says and walks off towards our first hour.

"Oh my cousins will be the death of me." I say to Payton as I put in my locker combination.

"Yeah you see that's why I am so happy I have no family here with me. I can't even imagine that because it would suck so badly." She says and opens her locker. We put stuff in our locker and walk in first hour to find the only seats are next to Dawson and Nick and Dawson is on the outside.

"What are the odds that the only seat open is by the boy you've had a crush on since like 8th or 7th grade?" Payton says and speed walks to the seat that's not right next to Dawson.

"Emily can you please sit down, the test will start as soon as the bell

rings." Ms. Garrison our social studies teacher asks.

"Yes sorry Ms.Garrison." I say and hurry to my seat.

"I hate you Payton." I say as soon as I sit down next to her.

"Love you too Em." She says and pulls out her pencil.

Ms.Garrison starts passing out tests and Dawson looks at me and whispers "Hey."

I look at him for a minute not sure if he was talking to me or not. When I realize he was I just look at him and give him the sweetest smile I can muster and turn back to the front thinking about how beautiful his smile was and the butterflies it gave me.