Is It Too Late to Say I Hate Change?

Dani's Pov

I remember back when we were still friends, we were young, care free and ready to take on the world. Then everything changed. He became friends with people who didn't like me, and I became friends with people who didn't like him. Our new friends pushed us further and further away from each other. We stopped talking, stopped calling, and stopped being friends. I still watched him from the sidelines as my so-called 'friends', made fun of him. They judged how he dressed, and how he acted. They would tease and stick up there noses at him and his friends, and I would play along. I watched him get into trouble more times then I could keep track of. He would act like he hated me, he wanted to fit in with his friends, and for the most part he did.

Now watching him from afar, I wish the changes never happened. I wish he would still come to me when he was mad and needed to complain, or upset and needed to cry. I wished I was still the one he came to for help with his problems, but I wasn't. He would never look toward me now without a look of hatred and disgust plastered on his face. I didn't hate him, but I played the part, and acted as I did, like him I wanted to fit in with my friends.

When I walked into English class, and he wasn't there. He would more then likely walk in late of he wouldn't show up at all. I took my seat and pulled out my notebook, and started working on the assignment on the board, hoping I would finish early so I would have time to do something for myself. The assignment wasn't hard, all we had to do was write a quick essay about, which authors were our favorites out of all the books we've read this year. I decided to write about Ellie Weisel, because I though to book 'Night' that he wrote (about the holocaust) was interesting.

The bell rang and the teacher called the class to order. He told the class to do the assignment on the board, then proceeded to take attendance. As I predicted he walked into class late. The teacher had finished taking attendance, was was already sitting at his desk grading papers. Mr. Langston, looked up as the door to the class room flung open, and he walked in.

"Glad you could join us James," Mr. Langston glared, as Jimmy walked in.

"I bet," Jimmy Sullivan said on his way to his seat in the back of the room. I turned my attention back to my notebook, to finish up my essay. It didn't take long to finish my homework, and when I did, I took it up Mr. Langston.

"Thank You, Daniella," he said, as I handed him my paper.

"No problem," I respond before walking back to my spot. I glanced back to the back of the class where Jimmy had his feet propped up on his desk, starring off into space. I sighed and slid into my seat, and pulled out my other notebook where I kept all my writing.

The bell rang and almost instantly everyone was up out of there seats. I put my stuff away and retreated to the hall way to wait for my friends. They usually take there time meeting me after class. Rachel would first find he boyfriend of the week, before making her way over to meet me. Jessica make her way over to me slowly, while she flirted with every guy she saw along the way, and lastly Maggie, well no one knew for sure what she did before meeting me.

"Ella!" Rachel's high pitched voice, rang out, as she rushed toward me, dragging her boyfriend of the week.

"Hey Rach," I said looking over at her.

I hated when they called me Ella, there was only one nickname, I actually liked and only a few people have ever called me it. My dad started calling me Dani, when I was really little. Then my mom caught on, and my grandparents, and finally, Jimmy. Ella just sounds so girlie to me and it makes me feel like I should be some stuck up princess...I am no princess.

"Have you talked to Maggie yet?" she asked popping her gum.

"No not yet, she hasn't come over here yet."

"Oh okay...well she is having a party when her parents are out of town, and no doubt those stupid 'punk' kids will try and crash it, but anyway you have to come."

"When is it?"

"Its in a few weeks, she wanted to get the word out before the party so it would be big and so she could find someone to get the drinks."

"Alright, I'll probably go," I said as Jessica walked over.

"Kay. Hey Jess."

"Hey Rachel. Whats up Ella?"

"Not Much,"' she said glancing over at Rachel's new boyfriend, as Maggie skipped over.

"Thats cool...want to head to lunch?"

"Yeah lets go," Jessica said leading the way.

We made our way through the crowded lunch room to the table that seemed as through it had been reserved for only us. Our School has too many cliques and you could clearly point them out at lunch. The nerds, the geeks, the populars, the punks, the Goths, the band kids, and the drama kids, all had their own distinct table. Out group was concerned, 'wanna-be popular' kids and that was mostly because of Maggie's parties, and Rachel's strive for attention. Much to Rachel's dismay we weren't the popular kids, and she had been trying to make it into their circle for years.

It was raining outside, or else i would have tried to talk to the others into eating outside. Normally the weather was nice in California, and I liked to embrace any opportunity that I got to be in the warm California air. Yet the rain showed no signs of stopping and I could tell we were in for a storm tonight.

We ate lunch as normal, listening to Jessica's new gossip, hearing about the latest trends and parties that were coming up from Rahel. We would also talk about Maggie's next party, and what and who must be there. To my relief lunch ended semi-quickly, and the rest of the day seemed to pass just as fast.

Maggie dropped me off at my house so I didn't have to walk in the rain. I seemed to get along better with Maggie then any of the other girls I hung out with. We had the same tastes in music, and we could always talk about the most random things. I thanked Maggie for the ride home and ran inside trying to stay out of the rain. Once inside my house I ran up to my room, to change out of my clothing that had been dampened by the rain. My parents weren't home yet, so I had the house to myself for awhile

I made my way to the upstairs TV room, which used to be my dad's old office which he converted into a game/TV room during his mid-life crisis. It was filled with comfortable chairs, bean bag chairs, and a black sofa. The room was complete with a giant flat screen TV, and a mini fridge stocked with beer (for my dad and his friends), my favorite type of pop, and a great variety of candy bars. The room was painted a bright blue color, and the hard wood floor was covered in a black and white checkered rug.

I grabbed a can of pop and a candy bar before sitting on the sofa, and flipping through the channels. For the rest of the day I was just going to relax, no matter what happened.