My Life is Unwritten

Chapter 14

I went to school the next day feeling a lot better, it almost felt like I was never sick the day before. The bell had just rang for lunch and I was talking to Cleo at my locker, while grabbing my lunch.
She was gossiping about other girls on the cheer squad, saying they had all the wrong moves. I mostly just listened to her as I shut my locker and we headed to the cafeteria. I hadn't seen Dustin all day and I was hoping to get to him before Tabitha and maybe talk to him again, but when we walked in, I didn't see him. I saw a little crowd of students around him doing something as he was sitting at a table.
I walked over and pushed my way past the students and I was surprised by what I saw. There he was with a cast on his arm while people were sighing it. He must have broken his arm, but how?
"Hey, Dustin" I said as soon as he saw I was there. "Oh, hey Zoe" he replied, "Wanna sign my cast?" I blushed, "Sure". He handed me a pen. The others started to walk away. I sat down next to him happily and started to sign away.
"So how did this happen?" I asked, curiously. "I fell off my bike while trying to play basketball" he explained, "pretty stupid idea, huh?"
I smiled and he smiled back, man he had a nice smile. "Everyone makes mistakes" I said, "my mom told me if we didn't then everything would always be the same". "Does your mom tell you a lot of things like that?" he asked. "Not really, my parents are split up and I only live with my dad, so I don't get to see her often". "Really?" I nodded. "I know how you must feel, my parents are split up too" he said. That was something I had never known about him. "Wow, I didn't know that" I said. He sighed, "I guess I don't really tell a lot of people".
"Well, you can tell me anything" I said, kindly. He smiled again,"Thanks Zoe, you're a good friend". But I wanted him to be more than my friend.
"Yeah, friends" I said sadly. I had always wished that I was brave enough to do things I wanted, like Cleo, she could ask out a guy in a heartbeat, but usually she didn't have to, considering she already had a line up of them waiting for her.
After a second of silence, Tabitha came up from behind us and said, excitedly, "Hey Dustin! I heard about your broken arm and since you won't be able to play in this week's basketball game, I bought this to cheer you up". She handed him a small box. Great, now she's buying him presents.
He opened the box with his one useful hand and inside it were two tickets. He read them, "Two tickets to the 'End of summer fair?' Gee, thanks Tabitha, but who's going?" Tabitha smiled, "You and me, silly. I'll see you there at 6:30". She patted his shoulder and left, skipping happily out of the cafeteria. I could hit her right now, I thought. How could she just set that up so quickly? I looked at Dustin, he shrugged. This was all happening way too fast. For me anyway.

After school was over, me and Cleo walked to her house and I told her how Tabitha was taking Dustin to the fair, "And then she just skipped off", I concluded. Cleo was sitting on her bed, painting her nails, but I could tell she was listening, best friends can always tell.
"Sounds like she was asking him out" she said. "You really think she was?!"
I knew I had a reason to not trust her. Cleo studied hard on her thumbnail, "Well yeah! Why else would she get him a 'present'?" I layed against the wall and leaned my head back. "Oh man, Cleo! I can't let this happen!" I panicked. "If only you were there with them".
That gave me an idea! "Cleo! You're a genius!" She looked up, "I am?"
"What if we went to the fair without them knowing, you know like secret agents" I explained. She finally stood up, "Wait wait wait, we?" "Oh come on, please Cleo, I need you to help me" I pleaded. "Zoe, we don't even have tickets to get in". She had a point there. I thought for a second, "I guess we'll have to sneak in". She crossed her arms, "No way Zoe, I'm not sneaking into a fair that we don't even have tickets for". I groaned, "please! It should be easy". She still didn't look convinced. "Im sure there will be lots of cute guys there" I said as convincing as I could. Her face lit up right away, "I'm coming!" I laughed a little, "Good, but we'll need a plan and fast. The fair starts in a couple hours and we need to be there on time".
"Perfect, that will give me just enough time to get ready" she said as she started to brush her perfectly waved, blonde hair. I didn't see why she needed to do all these things to her look, she was already pretty enough, unlike me.