There's a plot to every story...

The week passed in a blur, as usual.  That Tuesday was parent teacher interview day, and we got out at 1:00. Kiwanis was on Friday so we had a band practice after school so we could catch our busses. When I got home, I emailed my extra credit assignment to Mr. Timm’s. English was hard this year. Always one of my best subjects, I thought being in the enriched program would be fine, plus my friend Lisa was doing it. Turns out, nothing is as it seems. I just don’t feel good enough, by far! I can slack off fairly easily in all my other classes, but in English, there are no due dates; only guidelines, and then before you know it, that essay’s due the next day. I realized that Ming’s birthday was on Friday too, April fool’s day! Ming made me a huge card with all of our best memories and inside jokes on it, so I decided to do the same thing for her, but on a shirt! I lost the pack of fabric markers I had bought for it, I’d have to look for those later...

 

I decided I would eat lunch with Ming on Wednesday. Around November, she started doing karate with me, which is good because I have NO classes with her. Karate is a tricky subject to talk about. I started almost two years ago, back in the summer of 2009. I absolutely adored it. A girl a year older than me named Bree-Anna came around September 2009 and we became great friends. We’d go every night after school, to tournaments and free trials. It was the highlight of my day! Bree-Anna left the summer of 2010. She moved to B-C with her mom and I never heard from her after. In karate, you start sparring at orange belt. Bree and I got through it with each other, but we really didn’t like it. The adult class consisted of guys my dad’s age, and us. When she left, I was alone for 4 months. Like I said, I got through it, I made it all the way to purple belt, but I had completely changed my mind. Now, I dreaded going to class each night, but did because I felt it was obligatory and I’d disappoint so many if I stopped. Even with Ming there, it wasn’t fun. About a month ago, my mom helped me work up the courage to tell Sensei Chris how I felt. It was terrible, but he convinced me not to stop. “You have so much potential, I mean, you’d probably make it to black belt in less than 2 years!” He told me I only ever had to spar with those I felt comfortable with, and I thought that would help. Again, I was wrong.

 

Wednesday came, and I went up to see Ming at lunch. I hadn’t gone downstairs to my locker yet, because truthfully, I didn’t want to tell Suzie and Julia I was eating with her. It sounds really pathetic, I know. But to them, it’s unacceptable, and I should only be friends with them. Lately, Suzie is becoming more and more like Julia. In grade 7, Suzie wanted to ‘distance ourselves’ from Julia. Lying and skipping school so much, being friends with Julia wasn’t worth it. I didn’t want to though, I couldn’t picture ditching someone like that, so we stayed ‘friends’ and grew closer. They get mad over the stupidest things, and now, it’s always two against one. Julia detests Ming and Shelby, so now Suzie does too. This was all running through my head as we walk down the stairs from the top floor to the basement. Nervous, I walk through the double doors leading to my locker. Carrie, Mary, Kate, Suzie and Julia are all there. Joy to the world. I walk over to the locker and get my lunch bag out. Taking a deep breath, I say, “Hey guys, I’m gonna go eat upstairs today, kay?” Grimacing, I look at their reactions. Everyone to the left of Suzie and Julia smiles or says okay, and carries on. Meanwhile, they look at each other, frown, and say a long, slurred “Kaaaay...?”  Carrie asks me a question about the French project and I hear them whispering “...she.....I know....she...they...” “Bye guys!” I say and walk away with Ming.

 

Upset and sad I eat lunch with my friends from upstairs and explain what happened. They can’t believe I’m even friends with Suzie and Julia. Carrie comes up and sits down beside us. She looks at me kind of sadly. “After you guys left, Suzie and Julia started talking about you right away.” I figured they would. “What’d they say?” I asked hesitantly. “The weirdest things! There was a long silence and suddenly Suzie was all like, when’s the last time Selena called you? Julia was like, almost never...and she never invites us over to her house either...! They were talking about you for like 10 minutes, with Mary and I right there! I left because I didn’t wanna listen to it anymore.” “Ugh, I knew this would happen!” I say. “Why is it always such a big deal?!” We spend the rest of lunch trying to figure it out. “Incoming!” I whisper suddenly. Suzie and Julia walked by, glaring at me.

 

Angrily, I walk down to the locker alone when the bell goes. Julia’s already left so I grab my stuff and head into geography. The last two periods pass quickly. I’m just trying to come up with a reason. The last time we had a huge fight was also because I had other friends, whom Julia and Suzie found mean, rude and completely unacceptable. I thought we solved it, but apparently not. After the bell, I return to my locker, praying Suzie isn’t waiting there like always. My prayers did not reach the heavens it seems. I walk up and say hey to Suzie. She does not respond so I grab my stuff for the extra band practice being held that night. “Are you gonna stay here, or should I close the locker...?” I trail off. She shrugs, looks away and doesn’t respond. Fine. If you’re going to be mad for a pointless issue, go ahead, see if I care. “Bye!” I say too cheerfully, and walk away.