The Other Side

1. Lillian

"Lillian, would you please stop drooling over Jake?" My best friend Alex snaps me out of my trance. She pushes my geometry homework in front of me and puts a pencil in my hand.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he will never like me back so what does it hurt to stare a little and imagine it," I say opening my geometry book to page 394 and starting the homework.

"Well, believe it or not, it's a little creepy. We only have twenty minutes left and I want to get this done," Alex says gesturing to the homework sitting in front of us. 

"Whatever." We start working on the homework together, helping each other the best we can. We just started doing proofs in geometry and it isn't the easiest thing in the world to do. 

Alex and I are both sophomores in high school. We are best friends but we can't be more opposite from each other. I'm 5'5, with long, straight, light brown hair, and chocolate brown eyes. Alex is 5'7, with even longer, straight, blond hair, and hypnotizing blue eyes. The guys in our school all drool over Alex while I'm off to the side with my face buried in a book. That's right, I'm a book nerd. I've read every book from Goosebumps to Harry Potter. Alex, on the other hand, worships Alta and Sephora.

"Alex, do you know how to do this? I'm about to tear my paper in half."

"What do you think?" I look up and she is staring at question one in her book with nothing written down on her paper.

"Guess not." I start looking at the second problem when Jake walks past me and accidentally brushes my pencil off my desk. 

"Oh, sorry Lillian," Jake says as he picks up my pencil for me and flashes his gorgeous smile. Jake is that guy that every girl wants to date. Super tall, short brown hair, flashing green eyes, and a heart-stopping smile.

"Oh, it's um, it's fine, thanks," I say shyly as he hands me my pencil and walks away, "Alex! Did you see that?"

"See what? All he did was pick up your pencil and hand it back to you." She focuses back in on her homework. She must have had a flash of genius because she is already on problem five. She catches me looking at her paper, "Don't worry, I'll help you later."

"Thanks-" She cuts me off.

"But you have to help me with English, World History, and Biology."

"Fine." I glance at the clock and the bell is about to ring. I pack up my things and start walking towards the door to go to my last class, English, my favorite. 

I walk to the classroom and catch Ms. Adams outside, "Ms. Adams, I finished my essay. Is there something you want me to do?"

"You can do whatever you like Lillian," she smiles at me. 

I run to my locker and grab my phone, earbuds, and my new book. I recently started reading the first book in The Selection Series. I walk back into the classroom and put in my earbuds and start reading. I get lost in the book, so much so I don't realize Ms. Adams calling my name.

"Lillian, I graded your paper," she hands it back to me.

I take the paper from her and look at it, A plus. A big smile crosses my face. I look up at the clock and school gets out in five minutes. I finish the chapter of my book and put everything in my book bag. The bell rings and I run out of the classroom and down the stairs to the front door. 

I take a step outside and a leaf rustles along the ground in front of me. It's the beginning of September so the leaves are just starting to change and the temperature is starting to drop. 

Alex comes out the door and taps me on the shoulder, pulling me back to reality, "Can I come over for awhile?" She asks me.

"Yeah, sure, I have to walk though. Oh, and it's Thursday so you'll have to leave at some point." I explain as I start making the half mile walk to my house. On Thursday nights my parents and I are both home.