Just in Case

Parks can be romantic...right?

I had made it halfway through my day sulking about the idea of revealing myself to Justin. I was terrified that he may not think as highly as he currently did once he realized how I looked. It's not that I'm ugly or anything. I'm just not extraordinary. I'm about 5'6, dirty blond hair, green eyes, size twelve. Your average Plain Jane. I had nothing special or spectacular about my appearance that would set me apart from others in a crowd. Chel was short and petite, with this incredible hair that allowed her to stand out in crowd. Carly had her height. Her glorious height that put her a step above everyone else, plus she was rail thin with athletic arms and legs. Carly was a supermodel and I was just average. Even Justin was spectacular in his own right. Everyone had something special about them and I was lacking in comparison. I was also miserable at the thought of having to keep my appearance secret. I knew that Justin would remain interested for so long before he moved on because I refused to come out of my cave. As I entered the building that held my English class, my favorite of the day, Carly met me outside of the journalism room. She worked on the yearbook staff creating pages that would make-up our yearbook this year. She made sure that there were plenty of pictures of her, Chel, and I in there. This year it would be OUR yearbook. I lifted my chin in acknowledgement, she smiled and waved.
"Hey." I said by way of my usual greeting.
"Hey. So I made you something." I frowned in confusion as she swung her backpack around to her side and began fishing in the front pocket.
"You made me something?" I repeated dumbly. Carly chewed her bottom lip as she absently nodded her head while she continued her digging. Sure Carly and I had passed plenty of notes and slam books between us over the past few years, but she wasn't exactly the craftiest of people to make something for someone. The only time I recalled her ever making something for someone was a picture frame she decorated for Lenny for their anniversary. It was so horrendous that Lenny tucked it under the seat of his car where it presently still sat one year later.
"Yup!" Carly exclaimed holding up a collection of small white squares in her hand. "Here ya go." Carly said shoving the papers in my direction. I could see she had decorated the front page of what was actually a small book she had made out of cut up notebook paper. The title of the book read "Dating Handbook for Amanda." I have to admit, as ridiculous as all this was, she was funny. Dating for dummies, just what I needed.
"You're such an idiot." I said to her smirking as I looked up into her face. Carly shrugged as she hooked her arm back through her backpack strap.
"Yeah, but you love me." She said flashing her perfect teeth in a glowing grin. I shook my head. That I did, I loved her so much. I knew I would never have another friend like Carly in my life. I shoved the book she made into the back pocket of my jeans along with my phone. We talked a little longer about our other classes and our lunch plans before we parted ways I headed over to my English class. I loved English. I'm such a book nerd and English always provided me an outlet because I could get lost in another person's life and conflicts for a while and escape my own. I plopped down into my desk and pulled the book Carly had made me out of my back pocket and read through it.

She had taken the time to use her neon colored gel pens to make each page colorful and stand out.