Michelle's Story (Friends or Lovers?)

I woke up a couple minutes early this morning because it was cold in my room, from the blast of air coming from the ceiling fan. So like any normal 13 year old I went back to sleep. About 30 minutes later Rufus woke me up, he was always the coolest of my three dogs. Usually he just licks my face, but today he jumped up on my bed and scared me. I said, "NO! GET DOWN!"... He did, then I knew I needed to get up and start my day. After I finished brushing my teeth, I looked at my reflection in the bigger then necessary mirror that I had to clean yesterday... but anyway, I noticed I had a pimple so I tried some of that extra expensive acne stuff, you know the commercial with all the REALLY famous celebrities in them posing with the product, knowing good and well that they have make up on! But anyways... I was going to try to get a little breakfast, but my mom told me to take the dogs out. Knowing that taking them out takes up 10 minutes of my morning routine, and I already woke up late so I knew I was going to have to eat breakfast at school. After the dogs came back in I was trying to figure out what to wear. Standing in the closet I finally settled on my favorite pair of denim jeans, you know the low cut ones with the skinny legs, and a pink and white top to go with them. I just couldn't decide on the right shoes, so I finally chose my white Air Force Ones with the pink swoosh sign. While checking out my reflection in my full length mirror for the last time, I heard my mom turning on the alarm yelling "If you don't hurry up, you're gonna get left!" So I rushed, grabbed my purse and book bag and hurried running towards the door. Once we pulled up to the school we had to wait in line for the buses to move. Because of the hard rain, they were late too. As I got out of the car, I heard my mom say: "Before you slam that door, Have a good day, sweetie."  Just then, I heard some familiar voices calling my name, "Michelle! ...Michelle! Wait up girl!". I stopped in the middle of my stride and looked left... then right, only to see Kelly and Lisa. I've known Kelly a.k.a the ghetto girl in the threesome, since third grade. I've known Lisa a.k.a. the white girl stuck in a black girl body, since the sixth grade. Ever since sixth grade we've been the black female version of the three musketeers. As I stood there waiting for my girls, the principal tells me to keep it moving and get to breakfast or home room. Mr. Stevens can be cool, except for in the mornings and afternoons. So I start to walk at a very slow pace. When they finally caught up, I saw Kelly tried to jack my outfit but couldn't exactly get it down. She has always done this sort of thing, and I get tired of it at times, but I guess it should be a compliment. As always, Lisa is just a hot mess. Me and Kelly have always tried to help her out with her fashion sense, but it seems hopeless for Lisa. I can honestly say that she's allot better since last year. When we were finally got to the cafeteria to wait in line for breakfast, my stomach started grumbling from smelling the food. I felt like I couldn't wait because I could see the sausages. I looked over the shoulder of this big girl if front of me. I wanted to skip her and get the last of the sausages, because I was so hungry, but she looked like she would eat me, so I just stayed in line. The old black lunch lady had to go back to the kitchen to get more sausage, so me and the girls were just holding a conversation about how we thought this school year would turn out, and who might go with who and etc. When the lunch lady returned with the sausages, we went and sat down at the table towards the door, so if anything ever popped off we could leave without any hesitation. While I'm eating, the girls were peeping everybody and commenting on their outfits, knowing good and well Lisa can't talk the way she dressed, but we don't say anything 'cause she's our girl. Right when we were about to leave the cafeteria, Kelly saw this boy, but me and Lisa were talking, and Kelly said, "Hey y'all see that boy over there? The one with the black on?". So of course, we looked!  He wasn't that bad looking at all. So me and Kelly got further down the hall way after leaving Lisa at her locker. While we were at my locker, Kelly kept talking about that boy saying, "You think he would go with me? Would you go with him?" I just ignore her when she gets like that. After the morning announcements were over and home room was over, it was onto first period. I got to class right before the bell rang and Mrs. Diana spoke with sarcasm, "Nice of you to join us Ms. Johnson". Mrs. Diana is one of those strict teachers that never seem to be in a good mood, except for when she's calling your parents or giving you detention. I continued to my seat, the seat between Brianna and Kia that I picked on the first day of school, it's been my seat ever since. While I'm looking around at everybody in the classroom, I notice the boy from breakfast. I wonder if he noticed me, I hope he didn't catch me eyeing him. When Mrs. Diana gave everyone there new seating arrangement, everyone was taking precaution of where they were so they can figure out how they can text, pass notes, and chew gum with out getting caught. After first period was over, I caught up with Kelly in the hall way. I told her that his name was Chris Thomas. She took a minute to take in his name. While she was standing at her locker, she began to, I guess, fantasize about how he would propose to her and how they would live in a nice house with the picket fence in the front. Leaving Kelly, I slowly headed to second period. When I got there I wasn't the last one, so I didn't attract any attention. After saying, "Good Morning Ms. Payne." I sat down at my already assigned seat, pulling out a piece of paper and my favorite purple pen. Ms. Payne is one of those teachers that everyone thinks is bipolar, one minute she's happy letting us play review games and the next she's making us write 5 page essays. Beginning the warm up, I looked at what was scribbled on the dry erase board, and happened to glance up and see Chris on the other side of the room. Kelly’s going to love this; I've got her fantasy boy in two of my classes. Throughout class I noticed that Chris wasn't as loud as everyone else, and seemed smart when he did decide to say something... Not Kelly’s type at all, because she likes the rough necks even though she wants one of those big mansions in the hills and wants her family to win the award of best family of the century. In the middle of second period is lunch. I sat with Kelly and Ranae at our usual table by the door. All the while we were eating I told Kelly that I had Chris in my second period class also. "That's not fair!", Kelly said. "You shouldn't even get too caught up on that boy, 'cause he isn’t even your type. I was taking mental notes, and it turns out he's a quiet person, and considering the boys you've been going out with, you wouldn't like him. Except for the fact that he's cute." Kelly looked a little disappointed. I think Lisa noticed her disappointment and decided to change the subject. We start talking about the mall, hoping that our parents would take us there after school. While I ate a spoonful of rice I noticed Chris walking in. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to risk Kelly getting disappointed again. After lunch I took my time walking all the way back to the other side of the school to my classroom. I got to class late and Ms. Payne didn't notice, but everyone else including Chris did. When Ms. Payne stepped out of the room to talk to one of the other teachers, I started talking to Kimi, it turns out she likes Chris too. I met Kimi this year, she is straight up ghetto! Every week this girl has a different weave in her head, I've never even seen her real hair. She always has many dudes calling her and it gets so bad that she has me answer her phone and talk to them for her, and they always spend the night at her house, the thing is her mom doesn't care. Anyways... Before I could ask what she liked about him, he came and sat at one of the two desks in front of us. Will was already sitting at the other. It came to my attention that he was talking to Will allot. So when he finished talking I said to him, "I thought you were one of the quiet ones, but I guess I was wrong." "Why do you say that?" he asked. "Because you were talking allot, not that I was listening to your conversation or anything." I responded back. "Oh really?" Chris said with a flirty tone. "Yeah", I say smiling.  I asked him what he thought about my girl Kelly. He said she seemed like a cool friend but he didn't want to go with her. I hate to admit it but he seems really cool and if I got to know him I might even say yes if he asked me out. About 5 minutes later Ms. Payne came back in the class, and Chris turned back into his quiet self. When class was over I met up with Kelly at my locker. I told her that Chris wasn't really quiet like I thought. "Yes!" She shouted. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, because I can't stand how she got to be like this when she doesn't even know the boy. But Kelly’s dream was to always have a good boyfriend and they would have the picture perfect family. I didn't tell her that neither myself nor Kimi liked Chris, because she would want to beat down Kimi, and wouldn't want to hang with me anymore, All over a boy that really doesn't even like her like that. When I got to third period guess who was there, Chris! This time Ms. Waters gave everybody there new seats as they walked in. Brianna sat to my left, Will behind her, and Chris behind me. I was happy that I got to sit next to Brianna. I met her this year and we've been tight ever since, but not as tight as me and my girls. Ms. Waters is the coolest teacher, because she will assign everyone a work sheet to do and let you work with anybody where ever you want in the class. The thing is she never really grades the papers, but the ones she does grade she will tell you before she gives out the work. Another reason why she is so cool is, she cusses like a sailer and lets us do the same, just not in front of another teacher. Recently Ms. Waters got a boyfriend and he's talking about them getting married, and she's been in an extra up-beat mood. Anyways, I worked with Brianna, Chris, and Will on the work sheet that was handed out. So when I got to question 12 out of 30 I was stuck. I turned around to ask Will what he got for number 12, because he has one of the highest GPAs in our class. Then Chris said, "Don't tell her." So I asked him, "Well, will you tell me the answer then? Thats if you know the answer." "No I don't know it, but we can look together for it." "I guess." I responded with heavy sarcasm. After we found the answer, we continued to work together. When we finished I gave Brianna my paper so she could check her answers. Afterwards she took all four of our papers and turned them in, and me and Chris sat in the back of class and talked. Little by little I found out that Chris isn't what I thought he was. It turns out he sells weed on the side, I don't really approve of drugs but I guess as long as he doesn't try and sell any to me, its ok. And his dad doesn't give him any attention, instead he gives the attention to his new girlfriend. Since his dad doesn't pay him any mind, he acts out, so his dad keeps saying that if he keeps it up, he's going to have to stay with his mom in New Jersey.  After he told me all this, my phone started vibrating in my back pocket, its a text from Kelly saying, "What r u and Chris doing?".  I told her me and him weren't doing anything and that he was on the other side of class, because she would get mad if I told her I was talking to him alone in the back of class and getting to know him. Or if I told her we were talking she would want to know what about. I didn't want to tell her what he's really about, because then she would be on his jock even harder, because he's a thug, and he would be her new rough neck. It's already bad enough that I kind of like him, I think he's starting to like me too. Before class was over, Chris and I ended up exchanging cell phone numbers. When class was over, Kelly and I walked towards the busses, she wanted to know if I talked to him at all. I told her about him on the bus and how he said he didn't like her like that. She didn't believe me. She didn't talk to me for the rest of the ride home, except to say, "Michelle, you just want him for your self! You started feeling him after his true colors came out. Why would he want to go with you instead of me? First of all I look better then you. And second of all you're still a virgin. Forget you, you know he wants me! Chris is gonna be mine!" How did she know I started feeling him? Well what does she expect, when she's got me talking to him? I hope she doesn't get her feeling hurt too bad chasing after him. What should I do? Should I go out with Chris? Or should I just be his friend and patch things up with Kelly?