When Trouble Meets Trouble

[ C h a p t e r - T w e n t y - F i v e ]

Chapter 25

I stared at the school as teenagers entered the building; some were coupled up. It’s highly likely that they’re talking about the Valentine’s Day dance that’s in only two short weeks. Girls are going shopping and guys are buying roses and chocolates; well, not now at least; the chocolates would probably go bad and the roses would die. Anyway, it’s Monday, February 2nd. It’s only 11 days away from the Valentine’s dance, 12 days from Valentine’s Day, and 15 days until my birthday.

I got out of the car, taking my bag with me. I struggled to get through the hallways without bumping into couples. I also noticed Shaw exiting the office and I quickly decided to take the crowded stairwell because that’s what my logical mind was thinking. I made my way to my locker where Dana was waiting with a smile on her face.

“Hello, Dana,” I smiled widely as I opened my locker.

She waved at me. “Are you going to the Valentine’s Day dance?” she asked.

I laughed, shaking my head. “Why would I?”

“Jonah didn’t ask you?” Dana asked me curiously as we began walking to first period, a class we share.

I shook my head. “We are just friends, Dana.”

“You wish you were more though,” Dana giggled and I rolled my eyes. Dana had found out about my crush on Jonah when I accidentally let it slip. She said she suspected it since day one, like everybody else that knows.

“Wait…are you going to the Valentine’s Day dance?” I asked her.

She looked away sheepishly. “Yeah…I was asked.”

“What? By who?” I asked excitedly.

“You probably don’t know him, his name is Jacob,” she grinned girlishly. Jacob? As in Waverly’s friend Jacob?

“Lucky you, did you get your dress yet?” I asked her and she shrugged.

As we entered the classroom, she looked at me. “I have this red and pink dress that I never wore and I think it’s cute. I’ll text you a picture of it later.”

I nodded my head and walked to my assigned seat. I rested my head on the desk, letting the cold surface cool my face. Although it was cold outside, it’s hot inside. “Sleepyhead, get up, the teachers coming.”

I sat up with both of my eyebrows furrowed, expecting to see Jonah, I was surprised when I saw Caleb. I felt my blood run cold. I’m supposed to show him my (fake) boyfriend, today! I was so stressed about it on Saturday that I tried and succeeded at erasing it from my mind. It’s not like you were going to ask Jonah anyway. I groaned inwardly.

“Hey…Caleb,” I put on a smile.

He smiled back at me. “I’m excited to meet the lucky guy that stole you from me. Curse the vacation!”

He laughed and I pressed a laugh out of myself. “You’ll meet him at lunch time.”

“Or whenever I see you two together, I mean, it’d be cool to just hang out, right?” he asked and I nodded my head, silently screaming. Call it off. Call it off! Just as I was about to take my own advice, the teacher began talking and I slumped in my seat. What am I going to do?

~~~

“I’ll walk you to second period,” Jonah smiled at me as I rushed out of the classroom in hopes of ditching Caleb who had to hand in his over-vacation work. I nodded my head, grabbing Jonah’s arm and running in the opposite direction of my next class. “Where are you going? Don’t you have Algebra 2?”