The Life Of A Teen

Life of a teen - chapter 8

Chapter 8

Back at school Monday morning and I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Ryan again. Last time I had seen him, I had caught him staring at me, and I didn’t really know what to do about it. At first I thought he genuinely liked me, but his little performance at the dance had proved that wrong. I know that he had been drunk but what does that really mean?

I walked over to my locker after second period. Opening the door I picked up my phone. No new messages. I had given Spike my number at the fair, and although he seemed really interested in meeting up he hadn’t tried to contact me since.

I looked over to Vicky. ‘Still nothing,’ I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed as we walked slowly towards class.

‘Maybe he’s just busy? Or waiting! You know, like in the movies … I’m pretty sure they’re supposed to wait a while before talking to you again.’ The thought was nice but I think we both new I’d been ditched.

And with that I walked into my math class. I walked swiftly over to my seat – arriving slightly early meant that although I still had to sit next to Jessica I could avoid having to walk in with her staring at me. Plus I didn’t know how she would feel about me talking to her brother.

As per usual, Jessica was destined to spend the next couple weeks being extra vicious to both me and Vicky. Every year she was beaten to the title of Beauty Queen, and she hated it. In keeping with this she stormed into the room in a huff, head held high, before sitting down in her seat and giving me that look that says that she plans on making my next few weeks of life a living hell. I know that Spike said that she could be really nice, but I still didn’t believe him.

The hour, as usual, went by fast. I was pretty good at math so I just sat there working through the equations I had been given until the bell rang. Deciding to avoid Jessica I packed up my thing just before the bell went, then left just as it did.

I was sitting at the lunch table, picking the green nail polish off my finger when I felt Vicky sit down next to me. ‘You know Vick, I was thinking, maybe we should go into town after school? I’ve been meaning to pick some new nail varnish up; I’m getting so bored of this green now.’

I waited for an answer, but when I didn’t get one I looked up to see Vicky’s response – only it wasn’t Vicky. Sitting there next to me, with a coy smile on his face was Ryan. I just sat there staring, mouth gaping, until I came back to myself and realized how stupid I must be looking.

‘Hey, Erin,’ he looked at me expectantly, but when I didn’t answer he carried on. ‘So, I was thinking – the other night at the dance … I was really drunk and I know I came on way too strong. I was wondering if maybe I could make it up to you.’

I didn’t really know what to say. On the one hand it was nice that he was as close to an apology as I was going to get, but then again he could be trying to play me – this was Jessica’s worst time of year after all.

‘How exactly did you plan to make it up to me?’ I have every right to be suspicious – how did I know he wasn’t just going to do the same? And judging by the movies I’d seen there’s a very good chance that ‘making it up to me’ was just his was of trying it on.

‘Let me take you out to dinner. We could go to a movie – I’ll pay! Please, just give me a chance.’ I couldn’t help but look at his face, so full of promise, and smile.

‘Fine, but just once, and I don’t want any more funny business.’

He looked at me again, smiling widely. ‘You won’t regret it,’ and with that he jumped up from the chair and ran off out the lunch room.

I couldn’t wait to tell Vicky, I needed to see what she thought about this whole thing, but I still wanted to know what was happening with Spike.