When Trouble Meets Trouble

[ C h a p t e r - E i g h t ]

Chapter 8

I didn’t talk to him this whole week. By him, I mean Jonah. Maybe today will be different. Or maybe it’ll be realistic. I blew my only chance at friendship for the rest of my high school life, maybe even college.

And this may sound cliché and sappy but I think I blew whatever chances I had at…romance, too. No, I don’t have a crush on him but I do think he’s cute, like the majority of the girls here (I’d unfortunately learned that, too this week). I also learned that Waverly is planning on asking him to Winter Wonderland on Tuesday or Wednesday, too, but it’s not like I can stop that from happening.  

“Have a good day, today," my mom grinned at me. Today, I decided to actually eat breakfast. If I’m going to talk to him, I want to be able to focus on something other than lunch while I was conversing.

“Maybe,” I muttered as stirred my cereal around. My mother frowned at me while I heard a groan come from the stairway. Jeremiah is up.

“Morning," he mumbled as he rubbed his face. “Pancakes,” he smiled at the pile of pancakes on the table. I was never a big fan of pancakes.

“So when am I going to meet this boy?” my mother asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What boy?” Jeremiah asked through a mouthful of food. “You’re done fighting with Jonah?”

This is what I dislike about my family; nothing is private. And when I say nothing, I mean nothing. One time, in fourth grade- I walked into my room to see my family sitting on my bed. They’d read my diary and were curious about how things with River (my old crush) were going. My father was reading it in a high pitched girly voice, too. Turns out, they had been reading my diary every day since the day they’d found out I had it. 

“You’re in an argument with that boy? Why?” my mother frowned deeper.

Jeremiah snorted. “She’s fighting with him because she doesn’t want to admit that she has a crush on him.”

“You have a crush on him?” she gasped. She believes everything Jeremiah says. That’s a problem because half of the things he says are lies about my love life, or lack thereof.

“No, I don’t,” I nearly shouted at the same time Jeremiah vigorously nods.

“Don’t listen to her; you know how she is, she’s so mean to him because she doesn’t know how to treat him…she does have a humongous crush on him and all. The feeling isn’t mutual so her expressing her love for him would be insane and awkward," my brother blabbed.

“When are you going to move out?” I snapped.

My brother smirked at me. “Never," he answered.

“Mom, can you please kick him out?” I whined.

“Honey, would you look at the time? I have to get to work and you have to get to school,” she smiled. Classic favoritism at its finest.

I got up and slung my bag over my shoulder, one strapping it. I have to follow Jenko’s advice…from 21 Jump Street. Get it?

***
During all of second period, I was anxiously tapping my foot. I have next period with Jonah and I plan to talk to him then. Waverly isn’t in that class, thankfully. Maybe I’ll meet up with him in the hallway.

When the bell rang, I was out of that classroom before the teacher could even breathe out the breath that she was holding. I strained to remember what class Jonah had prior to this one. A moment later, a loud locker slamming to my right pulled me away from my thoughts. As if an angel is on my side, I turned to see Jonah readjusting his books in his arms.