Please Write Back

Chapter 27

Everyone in our school knows about Earnest. And everyone knows it's not true because of course, he wouldn't do that. But the thing is that no one bothers to do anything about it because it's not happening to them. And it's just fun for some people, which is terrible, I know, but if you side with him, then you pretty much grouped with him

News passes around our school quickly, if you couldn't tell. It's good and bad. You really can't mess up, because then everyone will be talking about it the next day. Last week, something supposedly happened between Earnest and Alex. It was a pretty big surprise, to be honest, but it's pretty obvious. They're not walking throughout the school together anymore. They're not talking anymore. Alex doesn't mention him when we're writing notes to each other during History class. It's better for me I guess, I'm tired of hearing Alex ramble on about him.

And that leads me to my next topic: now everyone is dying to get to him. Now that Earnest is out of the picture, he's not really distracted anymore and is finally talking to other people. I'm not going to lie either, I'm taking advantage of this too.

A piece of tan paper lands on my desk folded up messily. I look around, and I see my friend Megan standing there, looking around as if to disassociate from me. She's been my best friend other than Earnest (obviously before everything happened) since we started high school.

I glance back at the paper. It says "to Sarah" on it.

"Megan?" I ask her, tapping her arm. "Who gave this to you?"

She turns her head toward me and shrugs. "Um... Emma gave this to me and told me to give it to you and make sure you read it. I don't think this is hers though, she's not that messy. But I mean, your name is on it anyway..."

I turn my head to the desk and open it up, slightly turned away from Megan. I in small, slightly messy handwriting, it says:

I think I may like him.

As soon as I read it, my heart almost sinks. There's no name written under it, but I already recognize the handwriting. I know who it is, and I know who they're talking about. As a good friend, I guess I would help out, but I don't even know where to start.

"What does it say?" Megan asks, leaning over. I flip over the paper, the words facing the desk and away from her view.

"It's nothing," I say, folding it back up and stuffing it in my pocket.

"What? It obviously has to say something."

"I mean, it's kinda personal," I reply as I open up my binder.

I can sense her snickering behind me. "What, like a love letter or something?"

"Of course not. Quite the opposite, actually."

"What?"

I dismissively wave my hand. "Nevermind."

She walks away to her desk and I look around, making sure no one else is watching me. I write on a piece of looseleaf:

when did this start?

I fold it up and put it in my pocket for later.

The bell rings for lunch, and I walk down the halls quickly, all the way across the school to locker number 163. I check around me to make sure no one is paying attention, and I quickly slip the piece of paper through a slit in the locker. I make my way back to the cafeteria, sitting with Megan, Emma, Kelly, Samantha, Hunter, and Alex. I don't even know where Earnest sits anymore, I don't see him in the cafeteria anymore.

"What took you so long?" Kelly asks, pushing up her glasses afterward, which is something she tends to do a bit too often this past week. I don't think Alex sitting next to her is helping at all.

"I was just doing... something," I answer.

I notice Alex eyeing me from across the lunch table, averting his eyesight away from me after I look back at him.

Samantha also looks at Alex. "Soo... how is swimming going for you, Alex?"

Megan and I glance at each other. Alex and Hunter are still a bit awkward with us, it's hard to start and maintain conversations with them.

He nods. "It's going well, I guess." He looks down at the table. There's something definitely up with him.

"What about you?" Emma asks, directing her question to Hunter. "What's going on?"

Hunter pushes his blonde hair up and smirks a bit. It is pretty hot, to be honest. God, girls are all over him too, almost as much as they're all over Alex.

"Why're you asking?" he asks. "Do you really want to know? Or is there something else behind this?"

Emma almost stutters. "U-um, nevermind."

"You let up so easily," Hunter replies, leaning back in his chair and sighing. "Everything's going fine for me. Soccer's going well, I guess. I just practiced with a few of the other guys yesterday. I mean, everyone else on the team is pretty terrible at it. I'm the only one carrying the team at this point."

"Don't be so full of yourself," Alex says with a snicker.

Hunter shrugs. "It's just true."

Alex smiles and shakes his head, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"So anyway," Samantha says, almost cheerfully. "Did you hear about Rebecca?"

I can't really concentrate at the moment, my mind wanders back to that note this morning. I'm still so confused, confused about how it happened, what made them start to feel this way. I mean, I know I shouldn't question it at all, but, I still can't take my mind off of it. I guess I have to wait until they write back to me.

                                                              . . .

The final bell rings, and I hurry to my locker. I turn the wheel of my combination lock and swing the door open, a piece of looseleaf paper neatly folded up into thirds, unlike last time. I open it up, and a long message follows.

Idk... it was pretty recent. Ever since the incident, I guess. But... idk if this is just temporary because I'm just curious or something more than that. Is it weird that I'm like this? I've dated so many people before him. And the more i think about it, the stronger the feeling gets. And i just want this to end. Soon. because it's not like he'll talk to me.

Whatever. Just get back to me soon, please. I'll be here at school until about 3:30, i have swimming practice. So i hope i get your response by then.