"So you like him, then?" She wasn't about to give it up.
"... Yes."
"I mean, do you really like him?" she urged.
"Yes."
"I mean, do you really really like him?" she yelled, loudly enough for Mr. Varner to turn around.
"Why is it that you insist on yelling at least once every day in my class, Ms. Pearson?"
Jessica looked confused. "My last name is Miller, Mr. Varner."
Mr. Varner sighed "Oh, gee. You're right, I got your name wrong. I'm sorry, Jessica. I guess I probably wasn't talking to you then anyways." He sighed and went back to writing on the board. Jessica turned to me and smiled, as though she had accomplished something.
"So how much do you like him?" she probed.
"Too much," I whispered back. "More than he likes me. But I don't see how I can help that." I sighed, one blush blending into the next...
Then, thankfully, Mr. Varner called on Jessica for an answer and it kept her talking for the remainder of the period.
She didn't get a chance to start on the subject again during class, and as soon as the bell rang, I took Evasive Action.
"In English, Mike asked me if you said anything about Monday night," I told her. Surely, the only thing in the world more interesting than my sex life would have to be her sex life.
"You're kidding! What did you say?!" she gasped, completely sidetracked.
"I told him you said you had a lot of fun. I mean, you did say that. Anyway, he looked pleased. Very pleased... " I trailed off into infinity.
"Tell me exactly what he said, and your exact answer!" She squealed. "This is my life, Bella! You, and my crush on Mike, and the possibility of being his girlfriend... Oh, Bella, tell me now!"
I sighed. We spent the rest of the walk dissecting sentence structures and most of Spanish on a minute description of Mike's facial expressions. I offered to draw a picture of Mike's face for her, worried that the subject would turn back to me. Fortunately, Jessica ate it up. By the end of Spanish, I'd drawn a poster-sized version of Mike smiling and guessed that Jess was feeling more wanted and validated than she ever had in her entire life.
And then the bell rang for lunch. As I jumped up out of my seat, shoving my book-documents roughly into my book-bag, my uplifted expression must have tipped Jessica off.

206

Chapter 10

←

→

main contents contact