Cabin Nine [Original]

5

When we get back from camp, nothing special happens. We won the contest this year again. It's just all like flour. Safe and boring and neutral. I want it to be Jack. He's none of those.

But he's going on vacation with his family. They offered to let me go with them, but my parents said no. They don't like being called Mom 1 and Dad 1. I guess it hurts their feelings that they kind of suck.

Jack and I are starting sixth grade this year. That means middle school. With a bunch of older kids. That hate me. Because they've all gone to school with me.

But at least I won't be in the same school as Lousia anymore.

However, I only have two classes with Jack. Instead of one class all day with different subjects, there's a different class in a different room every 45 minutes. I'm going to panic so much.

Jack gets back the day before school starts. I spend the night at his house and Mom 2 drives us to school in the morning. Jack and I walk in and immediately, people are swarming to greet Jack. I end up on the outside of the crowd. There are even a bunch of older kids in there. Where does he even know them from?

I'm kind of getting sick of Jack being the center of attention. He's mine. Not theirs. I refuse to let him be best friends with anyone else.

At least I'm taller than him now. I kind of shot up during the summer and now I'm 5'2" and Jack hates it because he's only 4'10." But I looked it up and he's still two inches above average height for our age. I'm just higher above average. Because I'm cool.

Jack thinks it's because my mom is really tall.

I'm still cool, though.

Even though I don't have as many friends as Jack does.

That doesn't matter much, though. Because while Jack waves at people as we pass them in the hall, it's me he's walking with. Not them. I think that's pretty alright. Besides, he's never abandoned me for them. Yet. I read somewhere that childhood friends always grow apart. I don't want that to happen to us. If he moves again, I'm packing myself in a crate and going with them.

Jack is in all the smart classes. That's why we only have electives together. I'm in the regular classes. That means that I have to deal with the kids who smoke weed and rub their own feces all over the bathroom walls, which happens fourteen times in the whole school year.

I did teach him how to ice skate. It's a rite of passage in Minnesota. Or so I told him. He sucks but I really love skating with him.

Nothing really changes between me and Jack. He didn't abandon me once. I'm so glad my best friend is Jack and not someone else. They would've definitely left me to be popular. Jack manages to be both, and he somehow got me somewhat popular. Or at least enough that everybody left me alone. All the people from my old school wouldn't even look at me. I think maybe that was the bullying itself, but I'd like to think it's because Jack was protecting me.

It doesn't really matter anyway, though, because I don't talk to anyone except Jack unless I have to. I don't have to often, either. Just in group projects.

I think maybe I should make more friends. My whole world shouldn't revolve around Jack. That's just setting me up to get hurt.

But maybe I like setting myself up. For now, anyway.