How I Got My Crush To Like Me

Suspicions

Suspicions

"What?" Derek practically yelled into the phone. "Sorry, didn't mean to yell there." There was a pause. "Why would they plan that though? They're our best friends, I doubt they would do something like that to us."

"No, it all makes sense. They could have planned this before we came to the restaurant. Maybe they don't want us together because, I don't know, we spend too much time together as opposed to with them. That could be it, right?" I couldn't believe I was fighting to have my best friend be put in the wrong, but if she was going to be so mean, why couldn't I?

"But I thought you told me you were going to surprise Ava with the date thing?"

"Yeah, but Ethan could have told Ava about it. Or, they could have decided to work together in the car ride there."

"I guess... Wait a second!"

"What?"

"Ethan might like you. As in, like like you. He mentioned you a lot before we started dating, and I guess that could mean... I don't know. We could just be tricking ourselves."

"True. Uh, why is my life turning into a..." I froze when I heard people coming up the stairs. "Derek, I have to go, my parents don't want me to be up this late. I'll talk to you tomorrow, OK?"

"Ok, good night."

"Night." I closed my phone and plugged it into it's charger, then tucked myself under the warm sheets of my bed. I stared into the dark room and wondered how my best friend could betray me.

----

"What the heck Natalie?" Zoe asked me, and I just smiled sweetly at her as I finished the last of the syrup, pouring it into a pile next to my waffles. She grumbled and got out some cereal, nearly breaking the box as she shoved it back into the cabinet.

"Sorry." I said. I ate the waffles in a hurry; I couldn't wait to get to see Derek again. Which meant I also had to see Ava again, my lying best friend.

She's probably not the person behind this! The loyal part of my brain tried to reason. I knew that she had to have something to do with this thing, whatever it was.

That's the problem. I thought as I cleaned up my plate and grabbed my Northface. It was chilly for the first time in a while, and I needed to stay warm. I hadn't yet gotten any clothes for winter. Maybe I should ask my mom to go shopping for real this time.

"Natalie, Ava's going to get a ride to school. Do you want one too?" My mom appeared in the kitchen doorway, our house phone held in one hand, her other covering the microphone.

"Uh, sure." I told her, not wanting her to sense that something was up. I would never say no under normal circumstances (I hated walking), but now that I knew what Ava's real motives were...

"Natalie! You have two minutes to get ready!" My mom yelled at me. I gave her an annoyed look before running upstairs to quickly brush my teeth. I grabbed the sparkly pink toothbrush from the cup and put on my favorite red white and blue toothpaste.

 "Natalie!" I heard.

'I'm coming! Stop bugging me!" I screamed, spitting into the sink quickly and wiping my mouth.

I came downstairs to find that Ava had just pulled up, her dad at the wheel. I waved goodbye to Zoe, who had to walk still, and hopped into the backseat to find a familiar face staring back at me.

"What's he doing here?" I asked Ava.

"Ethan? Well... I found out that he lived near me... so I offered him a ride. Might as well, right?" She said, her speech rushed. I narrowed my eyes at her head. Something was definitely up.