The Other Side

Two - It's hard to make friends with me

The next day, Emma was nowhere to be found. I didn't have anytime to go and look for her either, because Lisa and Max were sticking to me like glue. I suspected Max had told Lisa about my "crazy" behavior earlier, and that they were both worried about me. It was irritating, because obviously I was not crazy, but their concern was nice all the same.

"I got accepted to the summer science program at Yale!" Lisa said, dropping her tray on the table.

"Gross," Max said, through a mouth full of sandwich.

She laughed at him. "Oh please, Yale is where it's at,"

Max considered himself a Harvard man, which was actually a reasonable observation on his part. He definitely had the brains for it and the grades for sure.

"What are you two doing with your summers?" Kara, Lisa's best friend and the final member of our "squad" as they liked to call it.

Assuming the question was directed at Max and I, I just shrugged. Probably just reading textbooks for fun and bagging groceries for extra cash to buy stuff from the science store. Nothing too exciting.

"I am waiting to hear back from Harvard's three week robotics program," Max bragged. "Of course I'll get in, so that's what I'm doing. What about you Kara?"

Kara smiled fondly at him. For some odd reason she found his arrogance charming. I found it irritating, but he wouldn't be Max without it.

"Oh, I don't know. We might be going to New York to visit my aunt for a week, but otherwise I'll be slumming it here at home. No fancy science programs for me," she laughed.

Kara was the sole non-science geek in our group. She was much more interested in history and language, which we totally respected. We all loved learning, that was the main thing that bound us. That and the fact that our small town was idiotic and close-minded, and having conversations about anything but whatever sport was in season was strange. We found each other once we hit middle school, and had been a group ever since. Of course I had been stuck with Max for most of my life, but that was when we had met Kara and Lisa.

"Oh yeah no fancy science programs for you, just being invited to attend a history program at Stanford," I teased.

"Well I turned them down, so I don't think it really counts," Kara said, taking a sip of some weird smoothie they were selling today.

"New York, huh?" Max said.

She nodded.

"You know, that's not too far from Massachusetts. Maybe you could come visit me," he said.

"Maybe," she agreed.

Lisa and I exchanged amused glances. Neither of them were willing to act on whatever feelings they may have had, so we were forced to deal with their awkward pseudo-flirting.

"Uh, hey, guys," a deep voice said.

Well shocker. Nobody ever stopped by our table to chat. Who could it be?

Logan Parker, the star quarterback, all American boy.

I hated Logan Parker. You can say it's jealousy, but it's totally not. There wasn't really a rational reason to despise the guy, and my rational to a fault mind knew that deep down I was jealous of the guy. Who wouldn't be? Totally gorgeous, actually not an idiot, really nice guy, has a million friends and girls falling at his feet.

Lisa turned around in her chair to look at him and smiled widely.

Irrational annoyance flooded my mind. Why was she smiling at him? He wouldn't even give her the time of day.