Red ✔

What Are Friends For?

"We need to a new plan," Nicole says as she sits beside me.

"For what?" I inquire.

"Revenge of the Eric situation," she reminds quickly. On Sunday, an hour before the public humiliation, she tells me her aunt is going on a three-month trip.

"It will be too late by then," I moan over the phone.

Remembering that day clearly, I say, "Crap!" I am biting my lip, trying to think of another plan. We need to do it publicly. At that moment, I think of the greatest idea ever.

I explain my amazingly genius idea to her. Every last detail. She loves it. Afterward, she repeats the idea to Holly. Nicole wraps her arms around my neck and chokes me.

"That is brilliant!" she remarks. "It is going to ruin his life."

"Once we are finished with him. He will never date again and never mess with the 5ies!" I declare.

The 5ies is our little group: Nicole, Holly, Leo, Marilyn, and of course, me. We made this group three years ago when Marilyn moved here from Ireland. Marilyn was a shy girl, who did not have anyone to play with. Holly felt bad for her-she is also an important person who formed our troop-so we went over and talked to her. When we became friends with her, we saw her funny, wild side. It was fun to hang out with her, so we officially added her to our gang. Then, Leo thought of the BEST idea ever! She suggested we should have a name and came up with the 5ies, since there are five of us and the "ies" part came from the top of her head.

The bus halts and we get off. As we enter the school, the hallways are empty with only the sounds of the instruments in the Music room with their weekly practice. We stuff our books in our lockers. I fish for my new red lock my dad bought me from Staples last night. I rip open the packaging and run my fingers over the hard, cold texture of the lock. Once I place everything inside, I latch the lock into the hole until there is click sound.

I turn my body to check if a teacher is around because we are technically not allowed to go in when the has not rung yet, but my feet pivot a bit too much and I am tipping over. I try to keep my balance by putting my arms up but gravity fails me. I wait for the fall, knowing my friends are too far away to notice.

"Ah!" I yelp. Just in time, two firm arms grip onto my palms. I manage to arrange my footing to its proper position. I look up to see who saved me. It is Tyler...in front of me, looking into my eyes. He looks down at me with a worried glance. I fight the urge to lick my licks. He is too cute for his own good, especially when he is worried about me.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"Uh...yeah," I manage to say. I try to look away from his mesmerizing eyes but my eyes do not listen. "Well, er...thanks."

"Are you sure? You seem so red," he says.

"I...um...you..." I stammer. My palms are getting sweaty, until I realize I am still holding his arms. I let go instantly so he will not be grossed out, but I think it is too late for that. As a result, I scurry away, embarrassed. I hide myself behind one of the school's intersections. I feel something touching me. I leap five inches into the air.

"Scar, are you okay? You seem so jumpy. Anyway, how did it go?" Nicole questions. How much did she see? If she saw me when I lost my ability to speak how humiliating will that be? 

"What?" I say, confused.

"With you-know-who," Holly replies.

I blush heavily. "I blew it," I blurt. "I tripped on my own freaking feet. Luckily, he caught me and he asked me if I was okay. I barely managed to say something, so he noticed me turning all red. I was stammering so much. And I let go of his hands but I did a bit too aggressively so I totally blew it!" I complain. I must have sounded like a whiny baby.