it all started in the 6th grade when school became solely about popularity, and of course my best friend Chloe was the most popular girl in school. then there was me; awkward, shy, "socially unacceptable". I really didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. I just mainly kept to myself. I didn't want to be involved in all the drama, so I buried my head in a book and drowned everything else out.
Me and Chloe met on the 3rd day of our 6th grade year. I wont ever forget it. she had been assigned a gym locker next to me, and honestly, I was anything but excited. she wasn't "my type", and I just didn't figure we would get along. we were total opposites. she was a tall, gorgeous brunette with a natural bronze to her skin. she had no need to wear makeup and there was not a single blemish on her perfect complexion. you look at me, and I was nothing compared to her. I had black glasses and long, frizzy blonde hair that I didn't even put in the effort to tame in the morning. I mainly wore plain t-shirts and lose jeans with a pair of tennis shoes, and as for makeup, that was no where in my mind.
I first walked into the locker room, nervous and self conscious of undressing infront of the other girls. I was lucky I was assigned to a locker in the very back corner. I was hoping not to be in anyone's direct line of site, and so far that had happened. they were almost done with the alphabet and just as I thought no one would be my locker buddy, I hear the name "Chloe Whasting" called out by our teacher. oh god. please don't be by me, just no. not me. and of course, it was me. 2 lockers away, but still too close for me to be happy. I gave her a blank stare and she gave me a little half smile, which was actually sort of reassuring.
everyone else had their lockers assigned and it was time to change out. I started unpacking my bag, checking off a list in my mind. shorts, check. shirt, check. shoes, check. deodorant, check. socks? no. I frantically dug through my bag, and found no socks. I figured there was nothing to do about it, so I just started changing out, not paying any attention to my socks. just as I was about to put on my shoes, I hear a voice say, "Are you really going to put on shoes without socks?"
"Huh?" I say stunned. I look up to see Chloe staring down on my with a disgusted look on her face. "Um yeah. " I say sheepishly, "I left my socks at home." I felt my face turning red. She lets out a little laugh.
"That's all right. just be lucky I brought an extra pair." she says with a smile as she thrusts a pair of pink socks in my direction.
"thanks" I say, probably a little to excitedly because she just nods and walks away.
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That day in gym, we started easy with a good game of dodgeball. I was great at dodgeball. I won a tournament once in the 4th grade against Andrew Grandpre. I nailed him right in the gut. Ever since, ive always considered my self a pro. I noticed Chloe sitting down, crouched in the corner scribbling something in a purple notebook. I walked over to her,
"Hey do you wanna come play?" I asked.
"thanks," she said "but I really don't get along with sweat."
I let out a little laugh. "oh please. its just a little sweat."
"I cant, my hair will frizz. it simply will not do."
"oh come on, you have to give it a shot."
"fine." she said and got up to stand in the middle of the gym. she paused, spread her arms out, closed her eyes, and quicker than you could blink, a ball came hurling right for her face. I tried to warn her, but I just wasn't fast enough. THUNK. and then silence. I rushed over to her, laying on the floor, dazed.
"oh my gosh are you ok?!" I yelled frantically.
"uh, yeah sure. im fine" she replied. just then Mrs. Andrews, the gym teacher, approached the mob of aghast children parting her way through them.
"all right. everyone back away. give the poor girl some space. are you okay Chloe?"
"um. yes Mrs. Andrews. im all right." she said.
"well sweetie I would love to take your word on it but you've got one giant lump forming on your forehead there. I think someone better take you down to the nurse." at this point I was still crouching at her side. "how about you kaitlynn? do you think you could walk her down there?"
"sure" I said.
"thank you very much. now make sure you get some ice on the Chloe, and you wont have to play dodgeball again."
"thanks." she said.
As we walked down the hall to the nurse, I turned to look at her. her face was still a little flushed, and she was getting a bump the size of a golf ball just above her left eye.
"im glad your ok. I mean, it could have been worse." I tried to comfort her.
"thanks," she said "I just wanna find the kid that did this and give him a real nice, hard slap across the face."
I smiled. "nah hes not worth it. it was just an accident. but hey, you got out of dodge ball the rest of the year right?" she laughed a little and walked into the nurse.
"hey, I was thinking, maybe you would want to sit with me at lunch?"
I starred at her, shocked. "uh, yeah sure. where?"
"table in the very back corner, cant miss it. ill see you there."
"ok." I said "hope your head feels better." and with that, I walked away, a smile on my face, knowing how great of a friendship this would be.
