The Mix (short story)

"Isn't he precious?" I asked my best friend Julie, as I stared at Draiden (the most beautiful human being ever to walk the face of anything)from behind my English book. Julie sighed and rolled her eyes, taking a bite of her chocolate cake. I had been in love with Draiden since the second grade, and I wouldn't blame her for being a bit bored as far as my obsession was concerned, but I couldn't help it! I was so in love.

"Yeah...he's great." She said coldly, but I was so lovesick that my ears jumped right over the sarcasm.

"I know," I replied, my voice light and airy.

Julie and I had known each other since preschool, and we'd managed to maintain that friendship right up to our freshman year of high school. Julie was a pretty girl of average height with curly red hair that made my cheeks green with envy. She had blue eyes and was the smartest girl in our class. She was already enrolled in several college classes. She also happened to be a witch. I'd found out when we were in second grade and I caught her changing her peanuts into jelly beans. She'd cried at first, but after I promised not to tell anyone, she'd hugged me and we'd been best friends ever since. Sometimes I wondered if magic was the secret to all of her greatness.

I on the other hand, was not so special. I was about an inch and a half taller, with crazy brown hair, hazel eyes, and I considered myself quite average in nearly every aspect of life.

I continued staring at Draiden until something gave our table a small jolt, making me accidentally slide my elbow into my pudding. I shook my head back and forth, trying to clear it, and saw my other best friend, Bryce, sit down next to me. He grinned at the pair of us, which we returned. Bryce had moved here in the fourth grade. As we'd gotten older, the three of us ended up taking a lot of the same electives, and our friendship had blossomed into something really special, though he still didn't know about Julie's secret.

"Hiya," he said to us, as he began to dig into his cheeseburger, "Whacha guys talkin' bout?" He asked, his mouth full of hamburger, lettuce and ketchup.

"Well," began Julie, "I was just about to ask Emma what she was wearing to the dance this weekend, if she ever stops staring at Draiden!" she snapped her fingers in my face, shocking me back into existence.

"What? Sorry! I'm back!" I stuttered, pulling my eyes away from Draiden's luscious blonde locks, "What's going on?"

Julie sighed calmly, "I was going to ask you if you'd bought your dress for the dance this week," she stated firmly.

"Oh! That. Yeah. I went with my sister this weekend. We got a blue one. It's blue!" I exclaimed, a bit flustered. I pulled my phone out to show her a picture. She nodded in approval, and showed me hers in return. Bryce frowned and jetted his bottom lip out, faking sadness.

"Isn't anybody gonna ask if I bought my dress yet?" he asked us, his lip quivering slightly. I threw my empty milk carton at him in return, and tried not to grin. He laughed.

"But seriously, it's just a dance."

Julie and I gasped, astounded.

"It is not!" exclaimed Julie, "It's the back to school dance! And our first dance as High schoolers!"

Bryce shrugged, "Oh yeah? So, if it's such a big deal, then I'm assuming you two have dates already?" he asked us, eyebrows raised, and a grin playing around the corners of his mouth. We were silent for a moment.

"Well..." said Julie after a while, "We're just waiting on the right guys..."

Bryce's smile broke free as he watched us squirm.

"Nobody's asked you?" he guessed. Julie nodded glumly.

"I could ask Zander if he'd like to go with you," Bryce suggested. Good ol' Bryce, always helping out.

"Thanks." Said Julie is a hushed voice, "But what about Emma?" she asked Bryce quietly, like I wasn't already listening, not that I really cared that much. There was only one person I really had an interest in taking.

"Well..." Began Bryce slowly, as if he were contemplating something very intently, "I mean... I guess I..." The bell rang, cutting him off. I popped up, scooping the last of my pudding into my mouth.

"Gotsa go to chemishtry!" I said through a mouth full of pudding. "Buh Bye!"

I didn't feel bad about my speedy exit. I sat by Draiden in chemistry. I was sure that my friends understood. I hurried off to my locker; never giving a thought to what Bryce might have been about to say.