Fell In Love With My Best Friend

Chapter 10

It was closing in on summer, and since it was already August they had to go to their school to pick up their schedules. They had to go back to school on August 24th, and they had to have their schedules a week or two earlier. Erica’s mom was taking them to the school, and on the whole way there, Erica complained.
“Why did the summer have to go by so fast? Don’t those teachers know how much I hate going to see them at that school every day?”
“It’s not that bad. Don’t you think those teachers don’t want to go to that school to see you everyday, too?” her mom replied. 
“Why couldn’t they give us another week?”
“I don’t know."
Erica sat back and watched painfully out the window as she noticed her mom’s car nearing the school. It took a couple minutes, but they eventually pulled into a parking space behind the school.
“Do I really have to go?”
“Yes, Erica. Let’s go," Liam said, pulling her out of the car. She tried to pull back, but Liam was too strong. He nearly picked her up and dragged her to the school doors. While he did this, Erica’s mom was already at the door, and she was talking to the principal. 
“Looks like someone isn’t excited to come here,” the principal said, laughing. 
“Nope. She’ll be fine though."
Liam finally got Erica in the building, but when he finally let her down, she wasn’t happy. Liam knew she would be like this, but he didn’t know that she was going to be this bad. Liam just shrugged and walked up to the principal to get his schedule and locker information. 
“Good job dragging Erica in here,” she said before giving him his locker information. Liam was a little surprised at first, but he smiled and shrugged.
“Thanks. She’s a handful,” he said, smiling.
“You’re a very good friend. I hope you stay in her life. She needs you,” the principal said before moving on to another student.
Liam was confused when those words entered his mind. She needs you. What did she mean by that?  Does she know something I don’t? It might just be a nice compliment or something, but that was weird. Liam shrugged and went back to Erica who was calmed down, and she was in line with her mom waiting for her schedule. 
“Sorry, Liam. For getting a little crazy out there,” Erica said a little embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it. I know how much you hate this place, but I heard 8th grade is supposed to be the easiest year until our last year of high school."
“I hope so. I’m just nervous, you know? This is my last year of middle school and everything until high school, and I guess I’m not ready.”
“You will be...Hey, I’ll catch up with you in a little bit. I need to go check what locker I have and practice the combination,” Liam said, looking at her for confirmation.
She nodded and gave him a small smile. “Okay. I’ll be there soon."
Liam nodded and started to walk down the hall. Don’t worry Erica… I’m nervous too.
Liam walked down the hall to the area of lockers that belonged to only the 8th graders, and he looked down at his locker information card. Locker: 368. Combination: 30-5-20. Liam shrugged. Easy enough to remember, he thought to himself as he tried to do the combination. 30…. Go around...5...20… He tried to push the lever up to open it, but it wouldn’t open. He sighed and tried again but slower. This time when he pushed the lever up, it swung open. He took a sigh of relief and put his notebooks, binders, pencil case and book bag he brought with him in the locker. He wanted to do that now, so he didn’t have to worry about it later.
By the time he was done, he heard Erica walk next to him. “Are you done?” she asked him.
“Yeah. What locker did you get?” Liam asked.
“Locker 364.”
“Man...We’re in the same section of lockers, but we are not right by each other."
Erica shrugged and grabbed his arm. “Who cares. Come on, I’m hungry. My mom is taking us to Subway.”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
They walked out of the school, and they ran to the car since her mom was already there. When they got in the car, Erica’s mom was giving them a weird look. “Are you guys that excited to leave the school? You weren’t even in there for half an hour.”
“Mom. Of course we’re excited to get out of that school.”
“It’s true,” Liam agreed.
“If you want, Mom. We could switch places.”
Erica saw her mom roll her eyes, and Erica just giggled and looked out the window. Good-bye summer.