Chapter Six

October 12th, Monday

~

Monday eventually came around the corner and I'm currently at school.

I'm at my locker talking with Charlotte about the text with Asher Friday and over the weekend and she was freaking out just as much as I did.

"OMG, a senior likes you!" she whispered-yelled still reading the messages.

"OMG, he doesn't like me. He just decided to go to party with me," I shrugged not looking at her trading out my journals.

"Are you serious?" Charlotte slapped my arm. I giggled covering my mouth. "He sent an emoji!!" she whispered-yelled again like I did to Jake. We laughed together and like right one cue, someone walked up to us.

"Hey Dee," they said. I turned around with Lotte and suddenly Asher appeared with a smile on his face and I totally blushed. Lotte gasped looking over at me smiling extra big.

"Hey Asher," I replied trying to keep my cool. He turned to Lotte.

"Is this your famous friend?" he asked me grinning. I chuckled.

"Haha, yeah. My best friend Charlotte. Charlotte, this is Asher," I introduced them. She smiled.

"I hear a few things about you Asher," she shook his hand nodding like she was an elite spy, already knowing his background information. She practically did. He chuckled.

"Oh really? Well, are those great things?" he asked her just the same. She crossed her arms and leaned on the locker with suspicious eyes. Lotte didn't like it when people used sarcasm back at her, but she was entertained.

"Well it's whatever you think of yourself..." she sat back up titling her head a little. "I mean, you know you better than me, right?" she replied pointing her fingers to her chest. Charlotte was such a bad ass  and not because her family was rich either.

"Haha, must be great then. You going to the house party too?" he asked Lotte.

"Course. I have to make sure my best friend is making the right choice....and I say she is," she looked at Asher up and down. I had to giggle. I wish I had the same confidence Lotte did.

"Haha, I'll take that as a compliment," he singled nodded puffing out his cheeks. She crooked smiled as the bell rang.

"You should... Bye Dee, I gotta go to class," she touched my shoulder and purposely pushed through Asher's shoulder to get through. He chuckled along with me.

"Sorry, don't mind her," I had to apologize on Charlotte's behalf. "She acts that way towards everybody. TRUST me," I reassured him. He looked back down at me.

"I bet, but I don't mind. She's cool. You still up for Taco Tuesday tomorrow?" he asked me. I was about to answer, but from the corner of my eye like in slow motion, I saw Celeste walking with Jake who was on her right so he was closer to me and Celeste was talking with Nikki on the left side of her so she didn't see me and when I made contact with Jake, he smiled and I smiled with squinted eyes back and I looked back at Asher before he could turn around to see who I was looking at,

"Yup, I'm still up for Taco Tuesday," I said loud enough for Jake to hear. He passed us and he smiled at me and I exotically looked at him and back at Asher with the most confident grin on my face. Asher liked it.

"Nice. See you later in physics Dee," he waved to me.

"Bye," I said all girly like. We stared in each other eyes like we were waiting for something to happen and I hid my lips in my mouth as he smiled at me and he chuckled as if he was embarrassed a little,

"Ha...yeah..." Finally he awkwardly walked away and I chuckled turning into my locker biting my bottom lip and suddenly I got a text from Lotte and I read it,

8:17am
'Y'all are too cute!! ;D' -Lotte

Suddenly I looked around as she must've been watching us from a distance and I found her at the end of the hall on my left, playing it cool like she was reading the school's bulletin board-that nobody reads-and we both shared an internal laugh by far.

8:19am
'You're sneaky Lotte:D' -me

8:19am
'You're my best friend!! ;* ' -Lotte

I closed my locker going to the library, sighing with a smile as I just felt that today....was going to be a good day...

~

I'm one the first to make it to my Algebra 2 class which is my fourth period and I decided to sit in the back next to where Jake would sit just to talk to him about Asher some more and when he came in, he was kind of surprised.

"Ooooh, hello Kit-Kat. I don't think I told you that today yet," he gave me a smile that he knew I hated. I groan.

"Don't make me change my mind on sitting beside you," I rolled my eyes. He chuckled.

"Alright, alright.... I saw you talking to Asher. Hittin' it off pretty good?" he asked me sitting down. I got out my journal and my favorite writing pencil.

"Well, I introduced him to Charlotte and the plans are still on for Taco Tuesday," I gave the insights. He nodded poking out his lips.

"That's good. What did he think of her? The girls best friend is also something that matters if you want this potential relationship to work it out," he explained to me. I shrugged as it seemed legit.

"They talked awhile and he said she was cool and asked if she was going to the party too," I told him truthfully. "They seemed as if they were having fun with each other even there was a bit of tension." He nodded looking away.

"Yeah, he's fine with her then," he approved. I chuckled looking at him.

"Haha, well... What do you think of Celeste's best friend?" I asked him. He looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Which one?" he asked me seriously.

"Well not that fake one," I insulted all her friends.

"I guess she doesn't have one then," he shrugged. I busted out laughing as he looked at the front of class with his lips matching his eyebrows.

"Seriously?" I asked him covering my mouth.

"I guess that's why we're still together. No BFF drama or whatever you girls call it," he shrugged crossing his arms. "Gossip," he said disgustedly. "Guys don't like other girls drama." I laughed, a little bit too hard, as the tardy bell began to ring. He looked at me laughing and he smiled as I swear I saw his eyes sparkle a bit or maybe that was just the glare from the light.

"Whatever Jake. You agreed to date her," I remind him.

"And I don't regret it either," he replied imaginative. I shivered looking down at my journal.

"Gross." He laughed. I smiled.

As Mrs. Leminburger was talking about the slope formula and x and y intercepts, I was writing my poem for the Writers Block Contest. I was sure I could finish the rest of my poem to show Mr. Will in English later today so I read over it for mistakes.....

~

Who Doesn't Love Fall?

Fall time is honestly the best time of the year. Perfect sweater weather, jackets made of leather...I mean... Who doesn't love fall?

The leaves change colors to yellow, red, and brown, summer slowly losing it's nature decor. Walking down the side walk, stepping on crisp leaves while hearing children laughter as they jump in leaf piles....I mean, who doesn't love fall?

Pumpkins smiling as they sit in the pumpkin patch, waiting to be picked, and high school football games being played Friday nights. Oh the air smiling of apples like an air freshener that has just been sprayed, and people rolled in blankets, as kittens in cozy baskets sit by a toasty fireplace. I mean.... Who does love fall?

The sun said he needs a break and an extra hour of sleep , the dark night quietly falls. The harvest moon shines big and bright as families give thanks around the table, saying their grace as turkey sits as center pieces. Peach cobblers and mac cheese served all day watching The Christmas Story and Charlie Brown movies. I mean, who doesn't love fall?

Laying in bed, thinking of how Christmas is around the corner. Going to miss that Thanksgiving dinner, football games, leaf piles, beautiful leaves, and sweater weather.... I mean who wouldn't?

Like... Who doesn't....love fall?

By: Dawn Noel (Kyndra Nicholle)

~

Right when I finished reading it and our teacher told us we had three minutes left until the bell would ring, I began putting my things together and Jake must've saw me working on the poem all period, because he snatched the paper from my desk.

"Hey, give it back," I told him quickly.

"But I wanna read it," he took it away from me. I sighed.

"Jake, give it," I demanded.

"I just wanna give my opinion," he calmed me down. I sighed again, rolling my eyes continuing to gather my things into my satchel.

As Jake read it, I was judging his facial expressions as he seemed pretty intrude about it all, and I wondered why then I didn't like it when other people read my stuff.....

Only Charlotte had my approval to read my poems and short stories and it's not because she was my best friend or always seemed to like them... It's because I trusted her.

The bell rang and Jake handed me my poem. "Whoa... That's...actually really good," he nodded looking at me. I took it from him and placed it in my folder and stuffed it in my backpack as if I tried to hide it. "You have a real gift," he stood up. I stood up too.

"Sure," I moaned at him still mad.

"Come on, I'm serious. Actually...you wrote that all by yourself right?" he asked me. I looked at him as if he was stupid as we exited out class and surprisingly, Celeste wasn't there.

"Yes," I told him plainly. He nodded.

"Well with a gift like that, I need your help with something," he told me. We walked in the hall as I was walking straight to the cafeteria to meet Lotte, purposely unaware of Jake's plan.

"And what's that?" I looked at him. He was about to answer, but he stopped himself as if he didn't want to say it in public and suddenly before we walked into the cafeteria, a guy on the football team called to him.

"Hey yo Jake! Get over! Coach needs us real quick." We both turned to him and he nodded putting his hand up.

"Alright I'll be right over!" Jake looked down at me and hesitated licking his lips. "I'll tell you at our next secession...." I shook my head a little as I didn't know what it could be and suddenly before I could even comment, he pinched my arm and ran off to the guys. "See you Dee!" I moan rubbing my arm.

"It's Dawn," I corrected him.

"Yeah, I know," he looked back at me. I shook my head going into the cafeteria as Lotte waved to me at a table. 'Finally...a break from HIM,' I thought relieved.

"Dee, I think I found a costume for the Halloween Party," Lotte told me on her phone. "Forreal this time." I sat beside her as I got my lunch.

"Whatcha find?" I asked her taking out my left over pizza. Cold pizza is always good.

"This bumble bee costume. It's super cute. I think I want it," she told me. I looked down at her phone taking a bite of my pepperoni pizza and perked up as the costume was super cute.

It was a strapless dress type thing that looked as if it would go to the middle of her thigh or as high as booty shorts. On the chest of the strapless dress was a giant black bow and it had to drapes from the bow that went down a little and the shirt part of the dress was of course black with yellow stripes that ran horizontally, then at the bottom half of the dress it looked like a tutu that was black with yellow edges and it was super cute. It also came with yellow and black gloves up to the elbow, black knee high socks, super cute round wings that seemed a bit see-through with a yellow tint with a design for the veins, and a unique headband as antennas that had yellow balls at the end, but the actual headband was black.

"Aw that's so cute Lotte," I handed back her phone. "It'll go nice with your hair and skin-tone," I mentioned.

"Thanks, and I'm honestly SO glad you said that," she said relieved. I chuckled at her.

"Wait...why?"

"Cause I already ordered it," she shrugged not looking at me. I laughed.

"Haha! Seriously?" I asked her.

"Yup. It'll be here by the end of next week," she nodded scrunching her nose. I chuckled.

"That's great!" I know I couldn't mention Jake to Lotte as that was part of the deal between the two of us and I KNEW she'd ask me A BUNCH of question if I told her about it anyway, but I DID have to tell her about my-Jake's-dea of MY costume.

"So, I think I want to be Mini Mouse," I eased not looking at her. She looked at me.

"Omg! I never though of that!" she squealed. 'Me either,' I wanted to join her. "That's really cute! Do you have a costume for it?" I shook my head.

"No, but I was thinking I'd use stuff from home-" she already cut me off.

"Hold on girl friend, you GOTTA buy it," she told me desperately. "They have PLENTY of choices out there," she stopped with her hands. I smiled.

"No it's okay. I just wear my black skater skirt and-" suddenly she showed me another picture on her phone again, and it was a strapless red dress with white polka dots on it with a black band under the chest, and cupped at the heart on the dress with white ruffles underneath it that showed over the actual chest. The dress looked about the upper middle of the leg, a tad bit longer than Lotte's bumble one and it was honestly cute as it even came with Mini Mouse ears with a red and white polka dotted bow between it.

"That's really cute," I had to agree. "But-" she cut me off.

"Do you like it?" she asked quickly. I nodded.

"Yeah but-"

"Would you wear it?" she asked me with crazy eyes.

"Well yeah, but-"

"Good." Suddenly she took my phone and started typing away on things and I said before she could stop,

"But I don't have a lot of money, so I can't afford to pay for it-"

"It's okay, I already bought it," she smiled. I gasped at her hiding my chest with obvious breaths.

"What?" I looked at her surprised.

"I already bought it, so you don't have to worry about it," she looked back up at me with a grin. "I got you a extra small. You aren't that big," she looked at my chest and smiled at me. I laughed with my head back as she looked back at her phone.

"I love you Lotte, I really do, but I feel you're just doing this so that I'll go with you to the party in the first place," I finally admitted it to her.

"Hmmhuh," she shook her head quickly eating her McAlister's salad. "And I'm doing this so you'll be sure to look cute for Asher," she assured me. "You'll definitely look cute talking to him about homecoming in THAT," she stated. I chuckled. "Plus you could do your make-up like a mouse. Just use a cat wing-eyeliner and use liquid liner for three whiskers on each cheek, and put a huge black spot on the tip of your nose. You'll truly look like the mouse any GUY would want in THEIR house," Charlotte commented not looking at me, but at her phone. I shook my head laughing.

"That's kind weird, but a good idea. I didn't even think of make-up. Thanks Lotte," I looked at her.

"No, prob. What's Asher going to wear? That'll be cute if he was Goofy or something," she put her phone down focusing on eating. I thought about it.

"I'm honestly not sure, but I'll ask next period." she nodded.

"Good and oh, yeah, he's cool. But I personally wouldn't date him though," she shook her head looking down at her food. I gave an awkward smile.

"Well why not?" I asked disregarding the BFF rule.

Crushes, ex's, or brothers of the best friend are simply off limits. No matter what. 

"He acts like the girl version of me," she shrugged. "Opposites attract so yeah, and I'm not saying if you were a lesbian you'd date me. I judge a boy off his comebacks when I insult them and his were good, meaning he's laid back. I'm laid back. I need a cute sucker whose always up for fun like Kevin. He can't stand it when I talk back to him, but since he's such a class clown, he jokes with me anyway. He hates puns," she said in a dreamy manner. I couldn't stop laughing.

"Whatever Lotte, Asher is cute too," I reminded her.

"True," she shrugged her left shoulder. "He is, but Kevin...." she said again with more enthusiasm. I laughed which made her laugh.

Lunches like these with Charlotte made my day, and knowing I was going to see Asher next period just made it ten times better and it didn't even happen yet.

The perks of being optimistic.

~