Worth the Ache

Chapter 8

My alarm went off at 6 am and I felt the dread in my body as I tried to lift myself up. This whole school thing is starting again and I'm definitely not in the mood already. The only good thing coming from this was the fact that I had a class with my girl Marie, we hadn't talked much since softball practice a few weeks ago, and I was planning on telling her everything since.

When I checked my phone I had a text from Alex; "Good morning beautiful". Aw, my heart. I smiled and returned the message with just good morning. I didn't quite know what to say. I put on the cutest outfit I had, a pair of jean shorts and a black and white t-shirt. I had even curled my hair. I had this feeling in my stomach that this was gonna be my year.

After waiting 30 minutes for my sister to get ready and my mom to take loads of pictures of us all, I was finally on my way to school. My brother dropped my sister and I off at the front entrance and I walked through the corridors. I saw Marie sitting in her usual spot on the ground by the doors with her other friend that I couldn't stand, I think her name was Lynn. 

Marie jumped up and walked with me to the locker room. We had official softball tryouts after school today. I talked her ear off about Alex and she told me about Tanner. He was Lynn's older brother who Marie was in love with. "Okay, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you okay?" She asked me. I don't know why she bothers asking, I'd never tell her secrets. "Okay! Tell me, tell me, tell me." I said.

"I was sleeping over at Lynn's house, and we were in her room hanging out with Tanner also. We were all sitting on the bed and Lynn got up to go to the bathroom." She started, this is going good. "Tanner and I were sitting side by side and he was looking at me while he talked about something, then he started leaning in," I was on the edge of my seat, yessss. "And then we were just barely about to kiss and Lynn walked back in and he immediately pulled away." Damn, that is not what I was hoping for. 

"You should've killed her dude." I am so mad at Lynn now, but also kind of grateful. I wanted to have my first kiss before Marie did. Marie and I exchanged schedules and we have first and third period together. Thank God!

When the bell went off, Marie and I walked into our first class together. We sat in the front seats on the side. Two boys walked in behind and sat in the seats behind us. It was Dax and Carsen. I was really good friends with Dax who gave me a hug over the seats before sitting down. We never were anything more than friends but I honestly loved the kid.

Alex had continued to text me from this morning and through the day. I gossiped with the Marie and Dax. We talked about our summers and laughed the whole period. 

When the bell rang Dax walked with me to my next class that we shared, it was a plant and soil class. He sat right next to me and one of our other friends. His name was Brewer, I had dated him last year for like a week. But we were still best buds. I loved those two. We used to have a group of five; Marie, me, Dax, Brewer, and Ulric. But he moved to some christian school to be an amazing football player. We still texted sometimes but he was always busy with practice.

I had considered myself popular in a low key kind of way. I had the friends and everyone knew who I was, but I was never invited to parties or anything like that. I was really happy with where I stood with the social hierarchy known as public school.

"What lunch do you have May?" Dax asked me. "Second, what about you guys?" I had my fingers crossed we shared the same lunch. "First." They both answered. "Well shit." I said. "Wait, when did you start swearing?" Brewer asked me. I don't know really now that I think about it. I guess maybe Alex kind of rubbed off on me this summer. I wasn't one that usually cussed but now that I think about it I don't get why not. 

When the bell rang, Brewer and Dax walked with me to my next period. I sat next to Marie and prayed she had the same lunch as me. "I have second." She said. Praise the powers that be.

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After school got out, I met Marie in the locker room to change for tryouts. "Can I just say the boys at this school got uglier over the summer." Marie whined to me. "That's why I'm only worried about a boy from another school." I told her. "Oh shut up, he's just as bad as the guys here." She claimed. I whipped her with my shirt and she cried out in pain. Take that buddy. 

During tryouts my coach was making fun of some girls that were afraid of the ball, "Come on, it's really soft." He said, I leaned over to Marie and said, "That's what she said." We both laughed, but I'm not a quite whisperer. My coach laughed too, he was by far my favorite coach I have ever had in my life.