The Love Quadrangle (Part 1)

Another writing exercise, this one turned out like a goofy teen comedy. Oh, and the narration changes from third-person to first-person.

Jennifer tried not to stare at Jarred.  The way he smiled.  The way his muscles rippled when he ran.  The way his body arched when he threw the ball.
Jarred turned his head, seeming to look directly at her.  Jennifer blinked and spun quickly around to her friend Samantha.
"Algebra," said Jennifer.  Samantha stared blankly at her.
"What?"
"We were talking about algebra, right?"  Jennifer pulled open her book-bag and started rummaging through it, to keep from looking at either Jarred or Samantha.
"I thought we were talking about boys..."  Samantha clicked her ruby red nails together as she glanced sideways at her friend.  "Which one do you think is the cutest?"
"Uh," Jennifer said, still rummaging through her bag, "I dunno.  Shouldn't we start studying for the math test?"
"You like Jarred, don't you?"  Samantha turned back towards the practicing boys, a smirk on her face, "you shouldn't bother with him."
Jennifer found her math book, but dropped it back into the bag.  "What are you talking about?  Did you inhale too much nail polish or something?"
"He's so totally gay," Samantha laughed.
Jennifer looked back at Jarred as he slapped another boy's a*s.  She grimaced.  "They all do that, it's some kind of bonding thing," she explained.
Samantha stood suddenly and slapped her leg, "aha, you DO like him."

I turned to Samantha and favored her with a withering stare.  She shrank before me.  I laughed and walked out onto the football field, ignoring the strange looks that the other kids gave me.
Jarred turned and his eyes lit up.  He smiled and began trotting towards me, his arms wide.  I ran to him.  We embraced.  It was bliss.

"Hello!  Earth to Jennifer," Samantha snapped her fingers, peering out over her glasses at Jennifer.
"Huh?"  Jennifer looked around at the twenty or so faces staring back at her.  She felt her face flush.  She grabbed her bag and stumbled out of the bleachers.
"Wait for me," Samantha said, running to keep up.  The two left the green, bright and freshly cut grass for the warm, dry, bookish halls within.
Walking though halls that gradually became less and less populated, Jennifer finally stopped at her locker.  She rested her head against the cool metal of the locker door.
"Go away Sam," Jennifer mumbled.
"I'll help you, if you really want that butt-hugger," Samantha smirked and clicked her nails together.
"Go away Sam."  Spinning the dial, Jennifer yanked her locker open forcefully.
Dozens of colored envelopes spilled out of the locker onto the floor.  Samantha picked one up.
"Love letters?  You were too chicken to give him any of these, weren't you?"  Samantha regarded her friend.  Jennifer pouted.

I straightened up and snatched the letter from Samantha's hand.  "Back off b***h," I said.  I twirled on my heels and walked away.
Jarred was waiting for me at his locker.  Our eyes locked.  He was sweaty and grass-stained from practice.

"Zoning-out won't solve your problem."  Samantha peered out over her glasses at Jennifer.
"Look, I can handle things myself, okay?"  Jennifer tried to stare at her friend coldly.
Samantha began picking up the colored envelopes, stacking them neatly in Jennifer's locker.
"We're going to need a plan," Samantha began, "otherwise you ain't got a chance."
Jennifer grimaced and started picking up letters.
"Don't worry," Samantha continued, "I've been studying Sun Tzu.  We just need to know ourselves, and our enemy."
"Jarred isn't our enemy," Jennifer interjected.
"No, he's the objective," Samantha clicked her nails together, a smirk on her face, "Hanna Jenkins is the enemy."
"The head cheerleader?"  Jennifer frowned and crossed her arms, "I thought you said Jarred was gay."
"He might as well be, dating a manly bruiser like her," Samantha narrowed her eyes, "haven't you seen the cuts on her lip she gets from shaving her huge mustache?"
Samantha made a mustache twirling gesture.  Jennifer laughed.
Suddenly, Jennifer snapped her fingers.
"I've got it," Jennifer pulled Samantha into a huddle, "first we'll need construction paper, glue, chicken-wire and a lot of helium..."

I laughed.  The plan was simply a distraction for Samantha.  I could get Jarred to like me, but I'd do it my way.