What Goes Around Comes Back Around

Chapter Two

Waking up the next morning was torture. Not only was it a Monday, but the late night I had before didn't help at all. After I literally forced my self out of bed, showered and got dressed, I ran to my car to go pick up my friends Merlinda and Taelor. We have made it a Monday ritual to get up early and go to breakfast, since that was the only thing we looked forward to on this day of the week. But this Monday was different, something else was on my mind besides my usual breakfast at Starbucks. I kept thinking about how Nathan "expected some conversation from me". It's not that I didn't talk, I did, but only to people I was close with. I'd always been the quiet one, mainly because I had a fear of talking to people. Not scared to death fear, just a fear of being judged, being laughed at, the typical high school fear. So how did he expect me to talk to him in front of everyone? Especially because he was so hot. Yet another thing to leave me speechless. I needed to talk to my best friends about this and I needed to talk to them before my English class.

*

After picking both my friends up and arriving at Starbucks, we ordered our food and drinks and sat down in the corner of the cafe. I let them finish their food before I told them about my problem, knowing they weren't so friendly this early in the morning without food in their stomachs. After they sat back with their hands on their stomachs, I knew they were finished, and cleared my throat to get their attention, suddenly getting nervous about what they would say.

"So I have to talk to you guys about something..." I said, taking my time to take a drink of my coffee.

"Well are you going to say it or.." Taelor said, adding an eye roll for extra effect.

"Yes," I mumbled, copying her action. "So you guys know Nathan Evans right? The guy off the hockey team?"

"You mean the star of the hockey team, yeah I definitely know him" Merlinda said, winking at us both.

"Shut up Merlinda" Taelor told her, laughing at her glare. "Yeah we know him, why?"

"Well I kind of talked to him last night" I said, looking out the window as the sun started to rise. At least it was only September, which meant the cold would stay away for a bit longer. I don't know why people assume Minnesota was cold all year long anyway.

"What do you mean you talked to him! When? Where? Why? And why am I just now hearing about it?" Merlinda questioned, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I took a deep breath before answering her, getting my answers together. " Well last night at work I kinda fell.." I was cut off by their abrupt laughter, pursing my lips as they continued to laugh at my clumsiness. Once they were finally done, wiping away the tears, they laughed that hard, streaming down their face, I continued. "Anyway.... He helped me up and said he knew who I was and that he expects me to talk to him today. What do I do?" I asked, looking from one to the other for answers.

"Simple, talk to him," Taelor shrugged, as if this was the obvious answer.

"I don't think I can do that," I felt my cheeks blush and silently begged them to stop before that noticed.

Too late.

"Oh my god! You like him don't you?" Merlinda practically yelled, receiving annoyed glances from the other customers, who she could care less for.

"I do not!" I defended myself. "I only talked to him for like five minutes."

"Stop with the act Bethany, we know you do. Which means you're definitely not gonna talk to him," Taelor said, looking at Merlinda.

"Yes I will, I'll prove you wrong," I said as a smug grin appeared on my face. Taelor and Merlinda shared alook that I would know anywhere. It was the "we got her" look. I didn't get it at first but then I realized that they had tricked me, knowing my stubbornness would help them. "I hate you guys," I mumbled as I got up to throw our stuff away and hearing them bust out laughing because of it. I can talk to him, I thought. It can't be that bad. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

*

The whole whole day seemed to drag on, and as I got closer and closer to my sixth, and final, period, my nerves started to get the best of me. And by the time I was walking through the door to my English class, they had won the battle. I quickly walked to my seat, but I stopped when I heard that familiar voice call out to me.

"Hi Beth," Nathan smiled at me, giving me a little wave from his seat. I'd always hated that nickname, but for some reason it sounded different when he said it.

Speak speak speak speak speak speak my brain was telling me, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate. There were too many people staring, wondering why the most popular senior was talking to me. I'm sure we stared at each other for at least a minute, and I could see each emotion change in his green eyes from happiness, to confusion, to anger. The bell rang before I had time to say anything and I basically ran to my seat, embarrassed to no end at what I had just done. All through class I tried to catch eye contact with him, to mouth that I was sorry, anything, but he was avoiding me on purpose, that much I knew. When the final bell rang, I let out a sigh of relief, now that I could actually talk to Nathan and explain myself, even if he didn't want me to. But before I had even stood from my chair, I turned and saw him storming out of the classroom, leaving me nothing to do but run after him.