Part 4 (1/2)

Her. Felicia Johnson 72930K 2022-07-22

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It was a forced, play date thing at first. For about the first year or so, Lexus pretended that she didn't know me at school, but she was nice to me when our parents were around. I didn't care. We didn't have anything in common. She was too boy-crazy, and I was too tomboyish.

When Lexus' dad got promoted to team leader and her family moved uptown, our families still remained close, but Lexus started to warm up to me after we didn't go to the same school anymore. She started private school. She said she hated going to private school, and that some kids were mean to her. I told her I knew how that felt. She said that she was sorry for being mean to me in school, and from then on, we were best friends.

”Who's who?” I asked Lexus, as I walked back into my room with two sodas.

”Mr. Sharp,” she said.

”Where did you get that from?” I asked her.

She held out a sheet of paper. ”I read it in one of your notebooks. See?” Lexus held out my notebook. I had often written poetry and stories in it.

She continued, ”It says, 'crimson seeps out of wounds as Mr. Sharp can remind me again of my doom.' Ha! Ha! That rhymes. Is this one of your poems that you wrote? What is this?”

I s.n.a.t.c.hed my notebook from her and gave her the soda that I had brought for her. I ripped the poem out of the notebook and into pieces of confetti.

”It's nothing,” I said. ”It's just mumble-jumble that doesn't mean anything. It's stupid.”

She looked at me with concern. I smiled at her and shoved her shoulder as she went to take a drink. When the soda splashed on her and she laughed, I knew she had let it go. I was off the hook.

”Do you miss our old school?” I asked Lexus.

”Yeah, a little,” she said. ”I'm going to be in high school next year. Dad said I don't have to go to private school anymore, since it was too hard. I'm glad about that. Besides, I want to be on the cheerleading squad. I already know I am going to like this a lot more than middle school.”

I stayed quiet. I knew I wasn't going to like high school any more than I liked middle school.

”Do you wish we were going to the same school?” Lexus asked.

I shook my head. ”No, actually I don't.” I was being honest, but I guess she thought I was joking.

”No, for real,” she laughed. She shoved me playfully. ”I bet you'll like it. Are you looking forward to it? Hey, maybe you could join the cheerleading squad when you get to high school, and we can cheer against each other at compet.i.tions!”

”Yeah, sure, Lexus,” I told her as she kept laughing. I knew she was kidding. She had to have been kidding. Then again, Lexus was always trying to get me to be like her by wearing make-up and taking my hair out of my ponytail.

”I can't wait to go to my new school. I hear it's gotten pretty hard over at your school, because, of course, they've got more guys around here.” She grinned at me.

I made myself smile back.

She got up and went to my mirror to fix her make-up. ”Want some?” She held out pink lipstick to me.

I shook my head.

She laughed at me. ”You are so funny.”

”Why?”

”No reason,” she said.

I was curious as to why she had said that, or I could have just been paranoid. I started to get a little on the defensive.

”No, why did you say that I was funny?” I heard myself shout.

Lexus closed up her lipstick and came towards me.

”Calm down. I didn't mean anything by it. You know, you should change your s.h.i.+rt before we go out.”

She laughed at me and pointed to a large chocolate stain on my brand new white s.h.i.+rt that Mom had bought me.

”Why? What's wrong with it?” I joked.

Lexus tugged my ponytail playfully. I got up and went to my closet, and pulled out a new s.h.i.+rt. As I was changing, Lexus ran to the window.

”Yay! Mom and Dad are here!” She was so happy about it. ”Hurry up and change! I am going to say hi.”

She ran out of the room and shut the door behind her. I didn't blame her. I would have been out of that house even faster if I didn't have to change my s.h.i.+rt. Her family was perfect, like my family used to be.

I loved going over to Lexus' house. I liked her family's swimming pool, their nice garden, the fact that they always went out to eat, and that they were genuinely kind people.

I grabbed my overnight bag and ran out of my bedroom. I was just as excited as Lexus about her parents being here. They were rescuing me for the weekend. I tried not to think about Nicholas and Alison. I wanted to get away. I had to go, whether I was being selfish or not. Excited and antic.i.p.ating, I ran to the edge of the short stairwell that led to the front door and jumped those five steps. I reached out to push the screen door open. Breaking my rush and joy, I ran into Jack. He grabbed me.

”What are you doing?” he asked.

”Sorry,” I told him, not making eye contact.

”It's okay. Where are you going with that bag?”

I looked over at Lexus and her parents as they talked to Mom beside their car. They were laughing and not even looking my way. I was just a few yards away from freedom. I started to panic inside, but I had to keep cool.

”Lexus' swimming pool is finally finished. Mom said that I could go up to Alpharetta this weekend to check it out if Lexus' parents didn't mind.” I wondered if he was going to make a scene and fuss at Mom in front of them for saying that I could go. He seemed to hate it when I was happy about going over to their house.

”Oh, okay,” he said with a smile. ”So you'll be back with your own family tomorrow, right?”

”No, I'll be back on Sunday. Mom said I could stay all weekend.” I was afraid that he would tell me I had to come back tomorrow.

”Hmm.”

”What?” I asked, afraid.

He looked over at Mom and glared at her. ”Nothing,” he said. ”Go, have fun.” He gave me a peck on the cheek and then pushed past me into the house.

I sighed, relieved. Alison cried that she wanted to go swim in the new pool. Mom told her we'd all go next time. I hugged Nicholas. He seemed angry.

”I wanted to spend the night in your room tonight. We can watch movies all night like we always do on Fridays,” he told me.

I kissed his cheek. I wasn't going to let myself get sad.

”Next time, Nickyroo,” I told him.