Falling: A Teenage Love Story

Chapter 5: The Protective Friend

I walk out of class dreamily, and I can't help the look of love on my face that lasts for the next 4 classes.

***

At lunch I finally meet up with James. I guess being lovesick is noticeable to him.

"Who's the guy?" He asks in lunch line.

"What are you talking about?" I ask as if I don't want him to know, but the truth is I'm dying to tell someone!

"Come on, I know that face! You've got it bad sweet heart." He says wiggling his eye brows. "So tell me his name."

"I hate how you know so much." I say picking out a lunch table.

He begins to chant, "TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL M-" I cover his mouth. "Shut up!" I whisper shout, I remove my hand from his mouth. "People are staring!"

"Hey, I will do it again and you know it, unless you tell me who he is." He crosses his arms over his chest for dramatic effect.

"Ok, Ok, Ok, I'll tell you." A look of excitement and intense curiosity cross his face, I start to regret my promise. "It's... Matt." I say wincing for his blow.

I know James is my best friend but he is a little too over protective of me. Whenever I have a crush on a guy it pretty much goes like this: James sees me right after I start to fall and knows, he begs me to tell him, I tell him, he tells why he is not a good fit for me and then he bugs me about it for the rest of eternity.

"Matt, Matt Broderick?" He asks and I nod still scrunched back waiting for the impact of the lecture. "Oh god." His face goes from curiosity to a worried look. "Anyone but him, Mads."

"Why not him?"

"Cuz he is a player, the second most handsome I might add." He says stroking his hair. I whack him upside his pretty little head.

"Ow! No need to get ticked off." He says chuckling. I ignore him as I go through the mental checklist of me liking a guy;

James sees me and knows that like someone: check

Begs for me to spill the beans: check

I tell him: check

James tells me why I should not go after him: check

He bugs me for the rest of eternity: coming right up

"Just support me on this one guy, please?" I ask desperately.

"Hmmm... NO." He replies flatly.

"Why not."

"Because this guy is bad news." He says and gestures to another table where he is leaning over and talking to some girl. He grabs a grape from her lunch tray and eats it. She lightly slaps him and giggles playfully.

I can't watch it anymore and turn back around to meet the all-knowing eyes of James.

"I choose not to believe this."

~~~

"Every man I meet wants to protect me. I can't figure out what from."

-Mae West