Abigail

Chapter Two

     The next morning, Kendra stopped by her locker to get her math textbook. Usually, she found Millie waiting for her even before she herself arrived there. But today, the spot in front of her locker was as vacant as the school hallways in the middle of summer.

     Kendra wondered where her friend was as she turned the dial on her locker. Was Millie absent today? She seemed fine yesterday. As her locker swung open, she noticed something in the reflection behind her. On the other side of the hallway was the group of populars where they usually congregated before school. But today, something was different. Someone else was there with them.

     She watched in her mirror as Michelle Green said something to the rest of the group and they all erupted in howls of laughter. Including her best friend.

     Kendra knew it was silly, but she couldn't help but feel left out. While she was busy pretending to organize her locker, her BFF was laughing along with the most popular people in the seventh grade. Could this be a feeling of... jealousy?

     Millie spotted her friend a few minutes later after Michelle and her friends left to go to their classes. She hurried over to Kendra's locker. "Hey, Kendra," she said, sounding happy. A little too happy. "What's up?"

     Kendra raised her eyebrows. "What's up with you? When did you become Miss. Popular?"

     Millie laughed. "Oh, you mean Michelle and her friends? Well, I was on my way over here when Michelle stopped me and gave me an invitation to her birthday party on Saturday. And then her friends came over so she introduced them to me since I'm only really friends with Michelle. We started talking and I completely missed seeing you walk in. You could have come over to join us."

     "That's okay," Kendra replied.

     "Ready to go to class?" asked Millie.

     "Sure," Kendra said, shutting her locker door, just as she was shutting out her emotions. She knew it was stupid, childish even to be jealous of Millie. They were best friends. Just because the popular kids noticed Millie and not her, she shouldn't feel jealous. Kendra knew she shouldn't be bothered by it. But she couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong with the world.

     On the days when it was warm enough, the students were allowed to eat lunch outside. Their middle school used to be an elementary school a long time ago, so there was an old playground with flimsy slides, a four foot rock wall that the boys tried to jump over, and swings low to the ground with rusty chains that looked like they could snap any minute.

     It wasn't winter yet, so the students were allowed to eat outside quite often. Today was no exception. Kendra walked out of the building and let the cool breeze blow her face. It felt nice to be able get out the school in the middle of the day.

     Kendra found Trinity and Rachel seated on the ground at their usual grassy spot beside the edge of the school so she went to join them. "Hi girls. It's a nice day, isn't it?"

     "Totally!" Trinity exclaimed. "I wish we could stay out here the whole lunch period, but Rachel and I have a band rehearsal in the music lab today."

     "Oh that stinks," Kendra said, feeling disappointed. "When do you have to leave?"

     "Five minutes," answered Rachel with a mouthful of pizza.

     "Where's Millie? She's usually not this late," commented Trinity, looking around the blacktop.

     "Found her," Rachel said, gesturing towards the popular kids. "She's eating lunch with Michelle today. Apparently they're friends now." She pointed out the popular table, which was actually a long wooden bench, where Millie was seated next to Michelle.