My 7th Grade Job

Part 7, The Street Fair

Katie's POV

Two, rainy days later...

Today, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my best friend in the whole wide world, Olivia Emerald. I'm sitting on my grey sectional couch, trying finishing up Tuesdays with Morrie before she gets here; she's the one who recommended the book to me and has been dying for me to finish, but I'm about the slowest book worm you'd ever meet.

Olivia and I are planning to go to the Willis Parkton Street Fair today to walk around and shop. Shop for God knows what, but it's something to do at least. And I really need to talk to her about the Jack Ruby problem. 

Oh Jack you'll be the death of me.

I didn't text him on the first day of school like I thought I would. God I should've told him how I felt while he was still at St. Agnus. 

And, no, I'm not an obsessed little girl. Well maybe a little bit, but we actually had a connection, but, since then, he's graduated, and we haven't really talked to eachother since. I mean, I have his number, but it's not like I can use it in any meaningful way.

Whenever I even think of speaking to him, or worse, flirting with him, my heart speeds up like it's running a marathon and I get all nervous and sweaty. It's like my mouth forgets how to talk and my mind forgets how to think. I don't know if it's his sky-blue eyes, or his wavy red hair but something about him turns me into mush. He's merely impossible to ignore. 

Oh, and I want to tell her about my first day of school.

It was really nice of Thomas to stick up for that poor Derrick kid. Only now, Thomas has a bounty on his head. The soccer kids want to kill him. Luckily, thanks to the downpours we've been having this week, Thomas hasn't really had to see Greg at recess. 

Ding, dong!

Olivia's here! 

I dogear a page in Tuesdays with Morrie and scramble to my front door to let her in. She's gonna be pisssssssed, but it's not like I can stop time to finish it. 

I open the door, and I see Olivia on my front stoop bubbling with energy. Olivia's much taller than me and has dirty blonde hair. Her eyes are a bright, innocent blue, that makes you think you're staring at the sky, with pale skin, making her gorgeous eyes pop even more. She should honestly be a model. Me, on the other hand, should probably wear a shawl.

She's always wearing a huge smile, flaunting a set of white teeth. She's older than me, but she has the vigor of a six year old. "Katie!" she shouts with excitement. She hugs me and walks in. She's been here so many times she feels like family.

"Ok, so, have you finished Tuesdays with Morrie yet?" she asks. Olivia's speech patterns are comparable to Speedy Gonzales, and it's a skill, hell an art, to understand her.

"I'm sorry, I haven't, " I sigh.

"What?!? Katie you're going to give me a stroke if you don't finish it."

"I'm sorry, " I blurt in a slightly whiny voice, "I'm a slow reader."

"I know I know" she sighs. "I just want to talk about it with somebody other than random people online. It's really heartwarming. The themes of formation of conscience and the drive to change the culture around you I find, personally, to be really..." And she says more really insightful things, super quickly. She's really smart too, and ya know, actually interesting.

"Well, at least I finished the I Am Number Four series like two weeks ago," I add. "I'm pretty much in love with that book series right now."