I Am Me

cricket (6)

I love Sarah, but I'm really beginning to think that this Daniel Hamley obsession is becoming unhealthy, or maybe I'm just overthinking it. She's convinced me to come and watch one of his lunchtime cricket games. We've brought along books so it looks like we're studying instead of gawking at him, well, Sarah gawking and me munching on a muesli bar. It's taken a whole week of pleading from her to convince me to come. Watching a boy play cricket couldn't be any unhealthier than the constant nagging, so I agreed.

Thankfully the sport is only played in summer, if it was winter I think the metal bleachers would have frozen my butt off. The boys were already on the oval when we arrived and had started to do some warm ups; stretches and then a few laps of jogging around the fenced perimeter. We were seated further towards the back, to be less obvious.

"I think we should move further forward. You know, to get a better look at the view," Sarah says, squinting a bit as she watched Daniel and his mates' race each other to a non-specific finish line.

"You're referring to him as a 'view' now?" I say as I pick up my books and follow her down to the second row.

"The eighth wonder of the world, he is."

I pull down the fold up seat, laughing to myself at how love-struck she sounds. But something inside me fears for her as far as how much Daniel Hamley actually knows of her existence, though I guess you could kind of say they were in the lame league if you want to get all high-school hierarchical. They both have admirers, yes, but he's never realy well, payed attention to her.

"And I thought you said you didn't want us to be obvious," I say in a semi-questioning tone. 

"Well there's no point if the only thing you can see it a bunch of moving dots." 

"No doubt you can tell which one he is even from that distance," I say, squinting and trying to make sense of what was going on at the far end of the field. 

"Yes, of course I know which one he is. But I came here to see his intricate bicep muscles flex and relax in all it's gloriousness," she explains using her hands to describe his "intricate" muscles.

* * * * * *

I really should start paying more attention to the thing Sarah is paying attention to, that thing being a who and that who being Daniel Hamely because as far as I was awear, including five minutes ago, Daniel had no idea that Sarah even existed. This was rebuked when their lap evidentially passed where we were sitting and a small, high-pitched squeal I thought was only audible to cats and small children came out of Sarah's mouth. Our movements have made it obvious that we were there, which was exactly what we didn't want. The attention of most of the team; including Daniel, turned to us. When he caught her eye he stopped and gave a small wave from the side of his body. A smile from ear to ear grew on her face and her bright, hazel eyes seemed to sparkle more than usual.

I raise my eyebrows and smile back at her. She turns to her books as if she'd been studying the whole time but there was no way you could hide the hot pink in her cheeks.

We stay, watching Daniel and the rest of the team (but mostly Daniel) finish their laps and begin to play a practice match against themselves. A few glances are exchanged between Sarah and Daniel at the end as everyone begins to leave the field. The boys head towards the change rooms to rid themselves of foreheads lined with sweat and a body odour that could kill. Sarah still gawked, but I guess love is blind, or at least puppy love is.

We leave the field but part when we get to the main building with big smiles; Sarah to Food Tech and I to my Historical Revolutions class. Daniel is in neither though.

* * * * * * * *

Historical Revolutions was not my first choice, or my second or third. Actually, I don't even think that I put it down as any of my preferences. But that's what happened; life threw me a curve ball I didn't even ask for and unlike my anxiety, this one's not so bad.

At first I thought this subject would be a bludge but it turned out to be pretty cool. Though, today we have a substitute teacher as our normal teacher is away for a week-long trip so the lesson turned out to be a bludge anyway. I take out my workbook, preparing to work but my thoughts catch up with me and I begin to wonder whether I should tell Sarah about all the recent hectic-ness of my life; Michael, that stalker-guy (I should really get onto that before he gets me) and also about Charlie.

Yes, I think I will. Well, I was always going to tell her about the calls from Charlie. I mean, she's shared all her feelings about Daniel with me - which happens on very regular bases - and isn't that what best friends are for. I'm kind of looking forward to it, if I'm completely honest. It's not often that I actually have a guy to talk about.

Lessons where taught, people were punished and soon enough the day was up. Sarah and I meet back up in the locker rooms. The smile still plastered on her face which makes me a little reluctant to tell her about the stalker-guy (which I had decided on after hearing a story about a girl who was kidnapped by her stalker in health class).

We grab our bags and head out of the lockers. Sarah's mum would usually drop me off at my house after school but she's working later than usual so a trip to the bus depot it is.

I took the five minute walk to the bus stop as the opportunity to tell Sarah. "Do you want the bad news or the good news first?"

She seems surprised by my sudden out burst by answers my question. "Um, good!"

"Okay, well," I say extending the 'e' in well. I think for a minute about how I would phrase it but it all just came out at once, "Charlie tried to call me the other night!"

Sarah's face seems slightly shocked as I say it but the corners of her mouth begin to twitch into a smile. "So you weren't ignoring him?"

"What?" Charlie thought I was ignoring him?

"Charlie rang me the other night and told me you were ignoring his calls. He was really upset, you know. I told him you'd never do that... And maybe also that you remembered exactly what he wore so you probably really like him." She speed up when she said that last bit. "He was pretty bummed about it and super convinced too."

"But, that, that's not what happened. I had to turn my phone off because, well I'll tell you that story later but, if I had've heard it ring them I would have defiantly answered it, especially if it was him."

"I tried to tell him that! I'll give it another go though, he's coming over on the weekend. But hey, don't get so worried, it'll all work out."

"I don't know Sarah..." I sigh.

Sarah comforts me in the way only she can; by telling me to shut up and get on the bus (which had just arrived).

"And by the way," she says unable to hide the smile. "He rang to ask you out on another date."

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Emily x

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