POPULAR: An Emma Teen Fan Fiction (Sunrise High #3)

POPULAR: chapter twenty (A New Match)

Chapter Twenty

A New Match

   The next day, my entire art class ignored me. I was shunned just like Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. Well, maybe not just like her but you know what I mean. I didn’t have to actually wear a scarlet letter but I might as well have had ‘mean girl’ tattooed on my forehead.

    When everyone was in their groups, working, I took time out to apologize to my teacher.

    At first Ms Dash didn’t smile. Then professionalism took over as I spoke.

   “I just wanted to say how sorry I am that I was so impolite to you during the field trip – I didn’t mean to be, I was just trying to show off in front of that boy…” I whispered as I handed my project preview sketches in.

    Ms Dash didn’t respond for a moment or stop what she was doing – sorting  brushes – and I thought perhaps she never would as I stood there feeling small.

    Then she looked over at me and frowned.

    “I know you didn’t mean it, Honey. Teachers are not supposed to have favorite students but if we did, I’d have to say you have always been one of my nicest and best natured students. I’ve known you since you were in preschool. I know you didn’t mean it but it was hurtful. I’m sorry it happened but I’m a grown up and I’m over it.”         Then, Ms Dash leant toward my ear in a whisper as she handed me my previous assignment, “Besides, I always knew you liked that boy.”

    I glanced at the front page of my essay as she spoke.

    I got an A minus. I didn’t think Ms Dash would let her personal opinion affect her professional one. To be honest, I was surprised to earn more than a B plus because I hadn’t worked as hard on that project as I should have.

    “Flynn Elton?” I shrugged incredulously, “Oh, he’s just a friend… maybe an ex-friend.”

    “I was talking about Ethan Knightly,” she whispered.

    “Oh, he’s just my neighbor…”

    “Are you sure?” Ms Dash asked with a smile on her face. Just because she was older didn’t make her wiser. Or did it?

    After class, which was a very stimulating mix of painting and collage, I told Ms Dash how fashionable she was looking today, loud enough so that everyone else could hear. Then I gifted her the two tickets I’d brought her, to travel in style to the local cinema (I’d arranged for Mr Henry to meet her there), in an envelope on her desk.

  Then, of course, it was time for me to talk to Hilary about the Winter Dance I was helping to organize.

   By then, Flynn had started hanging out every day with a new group – one filled with ex-princesses and other daughters of other fathers who owned half of Bel Air, and I felt very bad for Hilary.

    We’d arranged to go swimming at my place one afternoon towards the end of the semester, when it happened. Hilary surprised me first. I’d decided to broach the subject of my matchmaking enterprises with her early. I’d thought of a way to get Rafe Martin interested in her again and wanted her permission to try to help. I really thought I needed to be open and honest with my friend, after last time.  

   Hilary had grown in confidence and style ever since Rafe had shown interest. It was a pity, I thought, that girls needed guys to make them feel stronger within themselves.

    It wasn’t always like this, I thought, but often it was. I never intended to be needy for male approval but I wondered if my matchmaking projects were encouraging the romantic delusions of other girls. Maybe Ethan had a point.