Charlie's Story ~ My Eighth Grade Dilemma ~ Book One

Uncharted Territory

Never in my life have I EVER been in this position.  One of my best friends, Destany, having a crush on someone I love, Ethan.  I mean, I'm glad Destany isn't in denial about Ashlyn breaking up with her and all, but I honestly have no idea how to react.  I don't know if I should be happy, sad, upset, jealous, I DON'T KNOW.  And I don't want to make her seem uncomfortable or guilty.  Finally, my decision is to just tell Ethan.  No idea how Destany would react, but it's the only thing I could think of.  So I do it.

"Hey Ethan!  Destany likes you," I say with a forced smile on my face.

All he does is glance at me and continues walking.  I can't tell how he feels about that but Destany has her hands over her mouth, hair almost concealing all of her face aside from her cheeks, which are a blushy pink.  I guess she isn't mad at me.  Thank goodness.  I don't think I could have handled the guilt if she was mad at me.  She is my best friend, after all.  And I love her.  Even when I want to hate her.  I love her.  And I know she loves me too.  I giggle, stuff everything back in my bag, and rush outside as soon as I can.

It's cold, winter is still lingering.  Unwilling to leave.  But even though it's cold, I'm sweating.  When I walk out, a few more band students are still walking towards.  I stand in the corner in between the door and the wall.  I hear the dial tone as I think of when I ran around out here, the only thing on my feet were socks.  I chased around Micheal Davison: a dirty blond; blue eyed jock from my 5th grade elementary school who always messed with me, for a few minutes.  After giving up on the douche, I walked around the door of the band room.  When I turned my back to the very corner I stand in now, Ethan squeezed my sides and I automatically fell to the floor and held my knees to my face. 

After I recovered, I screamed at Ethan, "What the HELL was THAT?!"

He smirked at me, relaxed against the wall, and crossed his arms.  I stormed away, even though my heart was dancing around my chest.  The memory fades as my mom picks up her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom.  I'm in front of my school."

"Okay.  Just wait there.  I'm clocking out."

"Alright, bye."

I hang up before she can say anything else just as Ethan walks passed me.  I walk behind him, staring at my feet.  Then people begin rushing out the band room.

I yell, "Everyone likes Ethan!"

A few seconds later I hear Ethan reply, "It's the new haircut."

Oh, yeah.  He just got a haircut.  Now he has the same length hair he did in sixth grade.  The only thing is, his hair got slightly darker.  I don't know how I forget everything about sixth grade aside from Ethan.  I guess because I wasn't a very good student.  I was always staring at Ethan, and he didn't seem to notice a thing.

Ten minutes of standing outside, waiting for my mom to get to the school and she finally arrives.  In the car, I decide to text Destany.  A few minutes pass of our irrelevent conversations and I realize I forgot to get Ethan's number.

"Hey I forgot to get Ethan's number.  Could you give it to me?"

"Sure.  Let me ask him if you can have it."

Well obviously, I can since he let me put my number into his. I think, feeling hotheaded because of her crush on Ethan.  But I shake the thought, she's only being polite to Ethan.  As soon as I get home, Destany texts me back seven digits which, I am guessing, makes up Ethan Nigma's cell phone number.  I smile and save the number onto my contacts as "The Riddler".  I find it amazing how his last name is Nigma, like Edward Nigma aka. The Riddler, and they look so much alike.

As soon as I save the number, I text Destany back.

"Thanks."

"Welcome.  Ethan thought you already had his number though."

"Oh, I forgot to ask for his number during the concert."

"No, he said before today.  Like, a while ago."

"Oh...  Well, I didn't have it until now."

"Ok.  Good night."

"Night."

I don't like ending the conversation because I KNOW they won't text back because the conversation would just go on and on but it feels like the person ignores me when they don't text back.  I have a very strange way of seeing things, but I don't mind.  I drift off to sleep, thinking about Ethan and why he would think I already had his number.  I'm not that creepy...  Am I?