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Neil had come back from the diner with his food an our milkshakes. He had bought me a burger and insisted I ate because of me fainting earlier, and I caved in. We sat in the parking lot eating and talking about football strategies until we had finished. I watched Neil laugh as he told me about John Nickers running into the goal post. I was sitting right here and I still couldn't believe it was happening. I was with the guy I'd squealed over since second grade and we were laughing and talking about football together as if we'd been friends forever.

Once we had finished eating Neil backed out of the parking lot and we drove back towards town. He turned the radio up as one of his favorite songs came on. I watched him as he hum to the music. His eyebrows lifted at the high parts and dropped at the low parts making him look like he was surprised and then unamused. I smiled, trying to contain a girly giggle. He looked over and stopped humming when he seen my amused expression.

“What?” He asked smiling. I let out my laugh as he smiled at me, “What's so funny?” He asked again laughing, and his voice raised and octave higher.

“Your face!” I sputtered out.

“Wow! You're cool! You find my gorgeous face funny?” He asked over my peals of laughter.

“Only when you hum! Your eyebrows move with the pitch! You look so goofy!” I laughed tears falling from my eyes. He reached over to get me and I screamed laughing.

“Goofy? Wow, first my face, now my eyebrows, gees, you're really mean....” He said as he drove with one hand, the other trying to poke me in my side. I slapped at his hand making him laugh and try to poke me even more.

“Stop you're going to crash!” I gasped through my laughing as he poked me in my side hitting a sensitive tickle spot. I jumped and he snickered.

“I'm not going to crash I'm an expert driver.” Neil said swerving all over the empty back road to be smart. I laughed and he stopped reaching for me.

“I swear, if someone saw us laughing like that they'd probably think we're high.” He said looking in the review mirror to see if there was any car behind us. I caught his eyes and I couldn't help but say, “Yep... as high as your eyebrows.” Of course this sent us back into a fit of laughter. I was laughing and wiping my tears at the same time.

“Oh my god,” He groaned laughing, “I haven't laughed this hard at something so small in my life.” Neil said as he composed himself. I took some deep breaths and finally could stop laughing.

“Laughing is good for you. It's like the medicine for everything.” I said smiling.

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

He smiled as we turned down my road. I wasn't worried about him missing my house. Everyone in town knew where I lived since my dad was the sheriff. Which could be the only reason why guys didn't want to date a girl who's father owns one handgun, two shotguns, a taizer, and a huge can of pepper spray, not to mention has free range of the county jail.

Neil inched his way up the driveway. He threw the truck in park.

“Here let me help you down, it's a little high.” He said jumping out of the truck. I undid my seat belt as he opened my door. He extended his hand, and steadied me as I jumped down. He was smiling as he shut the door behind me.

“Neil, thanks, you have no idea how much this means to me.” I whispered shaking my head. I folded my arms self consciously suddenly aware of what just happened. Neil Clark now knew everything about me... and I liked him even more for coming to help me.

He shrugged, “No problem really! Um... hey...I only live like a block away, so I could pick you up in the mornings... so you wouldn't have to take the bus.” I stared at him. He was kidding right? Was this a joke? Was Diane going to pop out of my bushes with a camera screeching “PSYCH!”

“Um, yeah! That would be great!” I finally managed to stutter out. Wow, way to be smooth!I groaned in my head. Neil smiled and put his hands in his pockets shyly.

“Great! I'll be by at like eight, eight-thirty.” He said smiling as he backed up to his truck. He ran into the grill and awkwardly looked back. He smiled and turned around to walk to the door.

“Okie dokie!” I said and turned away quickly before he climbed in. OKIE DOKIE?! What am I a six year old? He waved and shut the door. I turned to hide my horrified face. Delayed reaction much!? Oh god he thinks I'm a total doofus.

I mentally kicked myself as I walked into my house. I didn't even notice my mom until she cleared her throat. She was sitting in the kitchen at the table with a glass of water. I could already tell by the way she was sitting straight up in her seat she wasn't happy. I smiled innocently and sashayed into the kitchen like nothing abnormal was going on.

“Mom! You're home early!” I said smiling. Oh that was smart! Way to point out the fact that you are home early too numbskull.

“Yeah, I got work done early. Funny you should mention being home early! Why aren't you in school, and what are you wearing?” She asked, her eyes narrowing. She scanned my borrowed baggy pants that had been rolled up. I shrugged and tugged them up so they didn't fall down.

“Okay, don't be mad.” I started but my mom put her hand up to stop me. I sighed and walked to the table.

“Kathleen. You have must learned by now when a teenager starts a sentence with, “Don't be mad” chances are, parents are gonna be mad, so just remember that the next time you're in trouble.” She said using air quotes around, “Don't be mad.” to emphasize her point.

“Anyway,” I said rolling my eyes, “I woke up late this morning, and I was --” My mom cut me off.

“Whoa! Why were you running late? Your alarm went off when I was walking out the door for work!” She asked. I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. Oh busted.

“Well, I sorta hit my snooze button like two times.” I said softly shrugging.

“Only twice?” She asked her eyebrows raising.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, if it was only twice you wouldn't have been late.” She said lifting her glass of water to her mouth.

“Okay! So it was like six times, but the point is, I ran out for the bus and forgot to take my medicine, and eat. I fainted right after third period, wet myself, and ran from the school.” I said trying not to cry as I relieved the scene of everyone laughing at me. Oh man, what is everyone going to say tomorrow?! No doubt they'll be laughing about it still. My mom sighed and stood up.

“You have to remember your medication!” She said pulling me into a hug. I inhaled the comforting smell of my mother's perfume.

“I obviously didn't do it on purpose!It just happened! I'll try to do better, I won't have to wake up as early tomorrow.” I said as she went from out hug to the freezer to pull out ice cream.

“Why? Two hour delay? I don't remember that on the calendar.” My mom said looking over her shoulder as she scooped massive amounts of ice cream into bowls.

“Um no... I got a ride.” I said casually as I unloaded the dishwasher.

“A ride? From who? Andrea finally get her license?” My mom asked.

“No, she failed her test again.” I sighed and my mom laughed.

“What did she do this time?”

“She refused to turn left and the man told her to go so she panicked, hit the gas, and ran over a stop sign.” I said smiling. Andrea was my best friend, and she's failed her driving test over five times. The first time she put the car in reverse instead of drive and backed up into the man's brand new car, the second time she parrallel parked halfway in the middle of the sidewalk, the third time she ran a stop sign and almost got hit by a garbage truck, and the forth time she blasted the horn and gave a guy the finger when he cut her off.

“Gees, maybe it's good she doesn't have her license!” My mom said softly thinking to herself.

“Tell me about it! We're going to have to buy a tank if she ever gets it, there's no way I'm driving with her on the roads.” I laughed. My mom sat down and began to eat.

“So who's picking you up then?” She asked pinching the bridge of her nose trying to get rid of a brain freeze. I debated on telling her the truth but I figured she would at some point notice Neil Clark sitting outside in a massive truck.

“Neil.” I mumbled.

“Who? Talk louder.” She said cupping her ear.

“Neil Clark.” The kitchen fell silent except for the soft hum of the refrigerator.

“The Neil Clark?” My mom asked shocked.

“Yes...” Silence. “Mom?” I asked.

She sat back into her chair staring at me. A smug smile broke out onto her face,

“Oh honey! That's great! We should have him over for dinner! You know how much your father likes him!” My mom squealed. I groaned clutching my head already embarrassed for the future.

“Mom! He's just giving me a ride to school! It's not like he declared his burning love for me and threw himself at my feet proposing for crying out loud!”

“I never said anything about a proposal! We should still have him over for dinner. If you are going to be spending that much time with him I'd like to meet the boy!” She argued pointing her spoon at me.

“Oh my gosh, mom! No! He's just giving me a ride to school because I'm on the way! We're not dating!” I said rolling my eyes. “At least not yet...”I added in my mind.

“Well, what ever you say, if he didn't like you he wouldn't have offered a ride. He is the boy you like right? Wait is he the one that gave you the Valentine back in the third grade that you kept under your ma mattress for weeks?” She asked.

“Kind of, but everyone likes him. He's the quarterback, captain, all-American, boy next door. Of course he's really hot too, but he dates the pretty popular girls. AND NO! That never happened I don't even know what you're talking about.” I said scooping a huge glob of ice cream up into my mouth. It technically was under my pillow... not my mattress.

“Honey! You're pretty and popular! You're beautiful, and you have a bunch of friends! Why wouldn't this guy like you! You've got it goin' on.” My mom said rolling her eyes.

“Come on,” I groaned, “ You know that's not true, I'm not popular like Diane Messing! I'm not some hipster, I'm a weirdo nerd! My definition of popular means something totally different than yours I guess!” I explained.

Diane Messing, even her name sounds popular, like a movie star's. Of course her size is like negative ten, and she has long gorgeous locks of blonde hair that might have something to do with her pretty image too. Diane Messing was the real-life Barbie, she competes in beauty pageants, her teeth are bright white and straight as a stick, she has a nice tanned glow, not too dark, not too light, and she has enormous blue eyes framed with lashes so gorgeous you would think they're fake. To sum it up short, I'm jealous, and she's that girl every guy wants and every girl wants to be. It didn't hurt that her dad owned like six car dealerships and was practically bathing in money.

“Diane Messing is only popular because she's rich and buys people's affection, you my darling sweetheart, are popular because people like you.” My mom said pointing her spoon at me. I stood up and put my bowl in the sink.

“She's still queen of the school.” I said rolling my eyes, and she's got three crowns to prove it. Homecoming Queen, Snow Queen, and Prom Queen, she could rule a country too for all I knew.

“Well, you're Snow White, and she'll eventually will be a hag.” My mom chuckled.

“Nah, I can't be Snow White.” I sighed.

“Why not?”

“Short people freak me out.” I joked.

“Not everyone can be freakishly tall like you honey.” She laughed.

“Thanks mom.” I sighed.

“Your father will be home soon, I'd go change if I were you.”