The Milkshake Project

...Is to Love Him

The feeling from the night before never faded as I got up bright and early the next day. I slipped on my nicest outfit, curled my hair, and met my mom for breakfast before she left for work. I left the house with a smile on my face and with the feeling that nothing could bring me down. However, as fate had it, something was bound to try.

That something came running up behind me as I got to the school gates.

"Hey, Ellie!" A voice called from behind.

My heart lept in my throat as I stopped and turned around.

Jack, adorned in his decorated letterman's cardigan, came jogging up to me.

"Hey, sorry," He said as I stopped at the school fence, "I would've walked you to class yesterday, but I was ah..."

"Still stuck in Saturday's little "bash"?" I asked.

"Yeah, well that's not the worst of it. I had the heat on me till Sunday night."

I rolled my eyes at the thought.

"I heard you peeled out early with that Square babe," Jack continued, "Didn't you know? At my parties, the fun doesn't start 'till after midnight."

I curled my lips inward and smiled at him, though it took everything for me not to walk away. That comment about Bonnie nearly had me making an about-face.

"Well did you know that some people find intoxication to be frankly obnoxious and disgusting?" I asked, inclining my head to the side.

"Just agree that was the greatest night you've had," He said, turning and throwing an arm around me.

"Then we'd both be wrong, Jack," I said.

I threw his arm off and briskly went around him, continuing up to the school. Jack hurried to catch up with me.

"Woah baby, don't have a cow," he said.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, " I said without stopping, "but I'm not fast or easy. If you're looking for a quick spin, then why don't you go fishing for one of those floozies from Saturday night. I'm sure a few are still lurking in that pool."

Jack stepped in front of me. I stopped in a huff but was pleased to see a bit of irritation on his face. He seemed to stand over me a bit as he leaned against the fence, and he roughly ran a hand through his hair. I could feel a bit of fear creeping in, but I pushed it down and stood my ground.

"What's eating you?" He asked.

"Nothing, I'm just not in to you," I replied with a shrug.

"You amaze me, you know that? A pretty girl like you wasting away your senior year when you have a chance to be with the cool cats."

"I'm sorry, Jack, I'm just not interested."

"What are you interested in, huh? Rider Hale? He's a damn greaser, a low-life feam! You shouldn't be hanging around people like him."

"Seems like everyone keeps telling me that," I said with a sober laugh, "but I've found that not everyone is like their rumors tell it. Take you for instance. Rumor has it you're the golden boy of the school, star of the football team, president of Beta, a real swell guy, but all I see is a deadbeat frat boy just waiting for the next girl he can walk the night shift with."