Love, Your Secret Admirer

Chapter 4

            “So you had to take the bus?” Stephanie asks in disbelief, her blue eyes wide with curiosity. 

            “Yeah.  It wasn’t that bad.  I kinda met this guy who’s in my pre-calculus class," I say.

            “Janeen has a man?” Larissa jokes.

            “It’s not like that," I try to explain.  “He's in the AV club and the chess club.”

            “Oh," Stephanie says looking slightly disappointed.

            My friends have always been trying to hook me up with people ever since the summer before sophomore year, when I got my braces off.  The day after I got them off my family and I went to Palm Springs with our neighborhood.  Since Stephanie lives in my neighborhood she came with her family too.

            “We need to get you a man," she said.

            “Why?” I asked.  I didn’t see the reason I needed a boyfriend.  Ever since I broke up with Luke for cheating on me I haven’t really trusted guys that much.

            “Because," Stephanie continued, “you look hot.  Not that you didn’t look hot before it’s just that now you don’t have braces and now you look extra hot with your nice, new, straight teeth.”

            “Um, okay," I said unenthusiastically.

            “How about that guy over there?” she said pointing to a scrawny boy with jet black hair and dark brown eyes.  He was splashing his little brother.

            “I don’t think so," I said.

            “How about him?”  This time she pointed to a guy who was really cute.  He was tan and had light brown hair with green eyes.  I could have gone up to him but I was too scared.

            “Um, actually, I already like someone.  At school," I said thinking fast to come up with an excuse to not approach someone.

            “Really?  Who?” she asked.

            “Um, you don’t know him.  He’s in my English and health class.”

            “Oh," is all she said.  After that she dropped it and the only talk about boys was about the ones that she wanted to talk to. 

However, what I kept hearing from all the adults was, “Janeen, that guy is totally checking you out.”  As if it wasn't awkward to have your middle aged neighbors trying to hook you up with random strangers.

“So, when is your pre cal class?” Larissa asks now.

“Next period.  Then after that I have swim with Zach," I said, smiling wide, as the bell rings.

“Good luck," Tiffany yells after me.

“With who?” I yell back jokingly, but nobody answers.

When I walk into my class I sit in my usual seat in the back and take out my pencil and paper.  I'm one of the first people in the class so I just sit with my curly blonde hair falling over my face.  It's like a wall separating me from the rest of the class.  I'm studying my soft curls and how they intertwine with each other.

“Hey.”  Scared at the sound of the voice I jump out of my chair and fall onto the floor.  In the process I bang my head on the chair next to me.  “Oh my gosh!  Are you okay?”

I look up to see Tom standing over me.  “Yeah, I’m okay," I say getting up.  “I’m not the most poise person.”

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”