Fishing for Revenge

September was painfully slow. Each day brought more of the same: go to 

school, get teased by Michael, go to class, go to dance rehearsals, go 

to ballet, text Michael and do homework before crashing into sleep and 

starting over.

As October dawned, he began to show a more pronounced interest in me, 

after being snubbed by a senior girl. That should have been warning 

number two.

"C'mon Lily! Tell me who you like!" he whined to me at lunch while 

Sydney smirked and I felt very much like a sixth grader. I just shook 

my head and ate my pb&j, as usual. Sydney rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you don't know already, Michael. It's written all 

over her face," she lilted, eyes gleaming. I gave a resigned sigh and 

stretched my head towards the unusually warm October sun. Michael 

looked between us, then grinned in a dangerous way. My stomach folded 

in on itself, and my hands shook a little. The next thing I knew, his 

arms were around me, and then he was gone. I just sighed again, 

wishing he'd speak more, disappear less.

That night I got a call from Alison asking if I wanted to go on a 

Halloween date with her cousin. Feeling hopeless with Michael I 

agreed. Then I had an idea.

"So I'm going on a Halloween date." I texted him.

"With who?? The boy you like?"

"No, Alison's cousin."

"Are you going to tell me who you like then?" I could sense his 

frustration and smiled. Then with a deep breath I typed a reply, 

closed my eyes and hit send.

"Yes, Michael. I am. It's you."

I waited all night for his reply, but it never came. Ashamed and 

disappointed I went to bed, setting my alarm for the SAT the following 

day, but not before sending a message to Sydney and our best guy 

friend, Cameron, telling them what I'd done.

The next morning I was a wreck, having hardly slept the night before. 

I spotted Sydney, standing against a wall with Cameron and Michael, 

chatting casually. Before I could hide, Michael saw me and began 

waving me over, a heart-melting grin on his face. My head buzzed 

lightly with confusion. Why was he so happy to see me? Why was Sydney 

looking at me like I was crazy? I started walking towards them, but 

just as I reached their huddle we were called to enter the testing 

center. As we parted, I heard Sydney hiss, "Why didn't you answer my 

text last night?"

Perplexed, I sat down to determine my academic future, trying to 

ignore the strange behavior of my friends.