Strike-Out

BFF

Chapter 3

It takes me a while to realize, Isaiah Lee has just seen me naked. I just kissed him naked. In my own home. In my own shower! I'm not sure what house this is even allowed in, but definitely not in mine. Half of me wants to set out to find him, and the other half wants to wait...

And wait...

And wait...

Until he either invites himself in again or decides what happened is a mistake. I believe the second one.

'I was in a trance,' I tell myself, 'a spell. Isaiah has that effect on girls... Right?'

There is no way to find out without asking my best friend, Evalynn Mayer.

Evalynn, or Eva, as I call her, is my best friend, and has been since fourth grade. She moved here from another school nearby. I admire her long blonde hair and big brown eyes. Her petite figure is another jealousy. She was my partner in Miss Mary's class. At first, I was her only friend. I introduced her into my group of friends, and she began to break from her shell. From then on, I knew Eva was my best friend. No one could ever replace her.

************

It was in sixth grade when we decided to take our friendship to a rebellious level. We began sneaking out, walking around town, stealing packs of gum from the corner store. We began including some of our friends in on our acts.

Regret.

Our friend, Gabby, had slipped and told her parents everything. Her parents went and told our parents everything. We were "a mess", "irresponsible little girls", "adjusting to the teenage life", "attention seekers". I wasn't allowed to see Eva anymore, which caused us to drift apart. It was one of darkest times in our lives. I struggled with being lonely. I had never felt so all alone.

I began writing poems, drawing pictures, painting, singing. Anything that kept me occupied alone in my room, I did. I began adjusting to my new creative lifestyle.

Eva, on the other hand, began to study. Not academic studies, but people studies. She began to take notes on everyone. She knew more about most people then they knew about themselves. This made for rather good arguments. She wrote all of her notes down in a notebook that we later called, 'BFF'. This stood for 'Book of Friends and Frenemies.'

People began to admire and fear Eva, and her power. She became the social highlight if school. Some people even paid her for information on a person. Anyone who didn't considered her a stalker.

At the time, we only made small talk in the classes we had together. She never opened her book to me, not even once.

"Hey, Chapin." She said one day after school. Her gold backpack was swinging behind her. She flipped her hair and began walking in sync with me.

"What's up?" I asked. She pulled out her sparkly blue notebook that she used for math class and waved it in front of my face. In the process, her book fell out.

"What's this?" Eva snatched the book from my hands and shoved it in her bag, ignoring my question.

"I really didn't understand Mr. V's math lesson today. Do you think...."

"I could help you?" I finished for her.

"Uh, yeah." Her voice was shaky. I was the only one she had been afraid of since her undiscovered talent. Most people kept their distance.

"Okay. Tonight, Starbucks, 6:30?"

"Deal. See you there!" She was so perky. With that, she was boarding the yellow bus. She wiggled her fingers at me. I tilted my hand back and parted from her.