The Silver Heart

25

Brad didn't text me Friday night. He didn't text me Saturday night, either, when I had my party. Before I might have been upset about the low number of people in attendance. But that night, surrounded by my younger cousins, Alex, my siblings, and my parents, I couldn't stop smiling. I felt so lucky to have these people in my life. Why would I want anyone who didn't genuinely care for me here?

Grandma winked at me when she saw the locket hanging around my neck. "A present?" she asked.

"From a pain in the neck." I ignored my urge to complain to her about the inconvenience she'd caused me. She'd only deny it had happened in the first place. "I finished your journaling thing, by the way- if you want to keep helping me with that collage."

"No problem, honey."

And I realized that that was the only kind of birthday date I wanted to go on just now.

It was only on Monday when I walked into English class in a pink shirt I liked despite the odd bulge, glasses, and the locket I still wore around my neck, that I realized I hadn't ever answered Brad—and he'd never answered me. Somehow, though, I didn't care too much.

Seeing him with Katie was awkward. It stung a bit, I won't lie. But all of my discomfort disappeared when I realized that Ms. Russel had finally granted my request for a lesson on regency English literature. I answered questions about Jane Eyre and Northanger Abbey to my heart's content, ignoring Peter Goldman's snide comments from behind me. I gloried in being able to read the text on the Promethean board.

After class I approached Peter, who was laughing at something on Brad's phone. I told him I'd had enough and that if he kept using his cute little nickname I'd report him to the main office.

"Aw, come on," Peter said, trying to laugh it off as his face turned progressively redder. "It's a joke. Don't be so sensitive."

"It's not about how I feel about it," I shrugged. "What you say about me isn't important to me. You, however, need to know it's not okay to call anyone something like that- because it isn't a joke."

Behind me, Alex clapped. "C'mon, Mel. You finally ready to sit with my people at lunch?"

For an instant, I froze up. What if they didn't like me and my presence made everyone uncomfortable? What if I said something weird and they all started talking about me behind my back?

Then I laughed a little. I trusted Alex. She wouldn't talk like that behind my back. "Sure."

Turns out Alex ate lunch in the library. How had I not known this? And the kids she ate with were kids I already sort of knew. A couple of them were on the cross country team and three more sang in my choir.

Not only that, but it turned out that there were several computers open that I could write on. So on days that I didn't want to socialize, I could keep working on my manuscript.

There was so much out there that I had been keeping myself from. How had I let that happen?

"You know," Alex told me on our way out of the library, "Brad is a moron for asking someone who's not you." She grinned and shrugged.

"Maybe." I rolled my eyes. "But he doesn't like Harry Potter. It never would have lasted."

"True that. Well, I'll see you after school!" She waved and turned to walk away. So did I- but just as I was about to turn into the C hallway to get to my Spanish class, I felt something hit me on the head.

I turned and looked down at the ball of paper, which had landed on the floor. I picked it up and smoothed it out.

I know I'm not a 6 foot tall dickwad, but I can still be your HOCO date! We could do corsages and matching dresses. And pizza. And we could watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail after! I swear, it'd be fantastic. Check yes/no and give it to me when we meet up after school!

Alex

I smiled. Then, using a pencil from my backpack's side pocket, I checked yes.