Operation: Get Him Back

It’s raining. It’s been raining this whole week. I despise the rain. It’s cold and wet. And it turns a good day bad. Not that this was a particularly good day to begin with. You see, what happened was—wait. Let me back up and introduce myself.

My name is Randi Alayna Walker. I’m a 17 year old junior at Northwest High School. I’m about 5’3, slim and permanently tan. I have blond hair with random red and black strands, and piercing ice blue eyes. I’ve been told my eyes look like fire when I’m mad. I’ve no idea if that’s true.

To make things easier, I’ll start at the beginning. And by beginning, I mean when everything started to fall apart.

It’s a Thursday. The second to last day before spring break. Its fourth block; the last class of the day. The good thing abot going to Northwest is we only have four classes a day, The bad thing? Each class is an hour and a half long. I’m sitting in Fashion Design, bored out of my mind. This is the last time I take a class because I think it will be fun.

Today we are presenting our designer projects. I did mine on Marc Ecko. Ms. Strotman had us write down our person on a list, which people obviously ignored. At least 5 people did theirs on Donna Karan. Like this person for example. Riley Reynolds.

“And lastly,” Riley said,”Donna Karan is the founder of DKNY.”

“Okay. Thank you, Riley,” Ms. Strotman said, “Well, that was the last one. You can work on your sewing projects now.” I sighed heavily. Great, that means I have nothing to do… I was already pretty much a wiz with a sewing machine. I was already done with my tote bag. It was brown and aqua striped and plain brown inside. “I’m so bored,” I mumbled. “It’s not our fault you’re an expert,” Whitney Clein said. She was making a pair of boxer shorts. I smiled slightly.

“Gee… thanks, Whit. How was I supposed to know she’d dish out easy projects?” Whitney threw down her boxers.

“Are you freakin kidding me? This,” she picked up the boxers, “Is not easy.” I shrugged, “If you say so…” I stretched then stood up to go get s laptop.

“What are you doing?” Whitney asked when I sat back down.

“I’m gonna work on my website. I’ve got a few poems and videos I want to put up.”

“I still haven’t looked at it. What’s it called again?” I sighed, “iWrite.com, Whit.” She nodded. I was pretty sure she’d forget again. I worked on my site for the rest of class; I got a lot accomplished. After the bell rang, I gathered my stuff and headed out to my car. My carpool mate, and best friend, Charity Knight came running up to me.

“Randi! Randi! I have to tell you something!” she exclaimed. Charity is a very bubbly person. It’s hard to tell whether her news is good or bad. She has strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes; we call her Cheri for short.

“Can it wait until we get in the car?” I asked. Cheri stopped to think. She nodded her head vigorously.

“Yes! Yes! The car! We’ll have more privacy then!” She slid into the passenger’s side of my Ford Taurus and I started the engine.

“Spill.”

“Okay. Well, Becca told yesterday, but I had to make sure all the gossip was true. And it is!” I sighed heavily ad I pulled out of the school parking lot.

“Cheri, spill!”

“Oh! Right. Well… Becca told me, that Michele told her that Todd was seen with Veronica… a lot.”

“So.” Cheri sighed, “Gosh, Randi. You’re so slow. Todd’s cheating on you!” Thank God no one else was on the road. I swerved and almost crashed into a tree. I got back on the right side of the road. My hands tightened around the steering wheel and my eyes narrowed.

“He what?” I said icily. Cheri shrank back into the seat. She hated when I got mad. I guess almost crashing the car didn’t help either.

"Um...he-he's cheating on you. He's been going out with Veronica for the past two weeks. Rick told me he's going to break up with you tomorrow." I chuckled humorlessly.

"That explains a lot. He hasn't wanted to do anything with me for the past two weeks. Now I know why,"

"...Maybe I shouldn't have told you. You go crazy when you're upset." I loosened my grip on the wheel and opened my eyes to their normal size.

"Crazy?" I laughed," Oh, I'm not going crazy. I'm going to get him back." I pulled into Cheri's driveway. She got out of the car, but held the door open.

"Randi..."

"What? He deserves at least something. I can't let him get away with this."

"Why don't you...write a song or something?"

"That doesn't work and you know it. I can't write when I'm upset." Cheri shook her head and slammed the door shut. I rolled down the window.

"Hey! Don't hurt the car!" I called after her.

He called me later that night. Not to go out or anything. Just to talk.

"Hey baby," he said.

"Hi," I replied.

"What's wrong?" Great question, right? What is wrong? Well, my boyfriend's been cheating on me. He's acting like nothing's wrong. And, he's going to break up with me tomorrow. Besides all of that, nothing's wrong.

"Nothing." I booted up my laptop and logged into Myspace.

"Don't give me that," Todd said, "I can tell something's upsetting you."

"Do you want to get some coffee after school tomorrow?" I asked, changing subjects.

"Uh... I can't. I've got... things to do." I switched my profile pic from one of me and Todd to just me. I also made sure my online status was invisible.

"Of course you can't," I snapped, " You never have time anymore."

"Hey! Calm down! Well, do something over break, I promise."

"Promises are meant to be kept, Todd. You promised we would do something two weeks ago, then one week ago..."

"Geez! Get off my back! I'm not the first person to break a promise. Are you--" I hung up. I clicked on Veronica's profile. She was online. So was Todd. To make things worse, they were sending each other lovey-dovey comments. It made me sick. I logged off and slammed my laptop shut. No. There is no was he's breaking up with me. I'm breaking up with him.

So here we are. Back at the beginning. As I said earlier, it's raining. I'm on my way to school. I've been thinking up different things to do about Todd. Cheri caught a ride with her mom. Guess she's afraid I might snap again. I've decided to call my plan, "Operation: Get Him Back."

"First," I mumbled to myself, "I need to avoid Todd today. Then... I'll work out the details."

Avoiding Todd was easier than I thought. First block I had pre-calc. No Todd and none of his friends. Now I'm in second block, Chemistry. My lab partner is Jacob Starr. He's one of Todd's friends, but he and Todd are like fire and ice. Todd has brown hair; Jake has black hair with indigo highlights. Todd's eyes are boring brown and Jake's a re a pretty ash-gray. Jake's nice and sweet and Todd's a lying, cheating--hold the phone. I just got a brilliant idea.

Jake!

"Jake!" Startled, he almost dropped a test tube.

"What?!"

"Oh! Sorry! I just... wanted to know if you wanted to get some coffee after school," I said, absently twirling a strand of my hair. Jake smiled slyly, "Are you asking me out?"

"I don't know, " I said innocently, "Am I?" Jake laughed and measured out the required chemicals. When he looked up at me, his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"What about Todd...?" he asked slowly.

"Who?" I dropped my hair, "Oh!" Jake's face lit up in amusement.

"Todd! Right... why would I care about him?" The amusement dropped and confusion replaced it.

"Um...he is your boyfriend." I smiled mischieviously, "I don't have a boyfriend." Ohmigod! I said it!

"He already...I mean...what?" I mixed the chemicals together and recorded the results. I went to go wash the test tubes, but Jake grabbed my arm.

"Randi...answer me." I sighed and put the test tubes back in the rack on our table. I traced a circle on the table and averted Jake's questioning eyes.

"He's been avoiding me for the past two weeks. He barely talks to me and we never hang out anymore. So I give up. I'm done. We're done."

"Does he know--"

"Probably not." Jake's jaw dropped. I took the chance to go wash out the test tubes. I looked at the clock. Five minutes left. I saw Jake clear the table and turn in our results.

"Randi," Jake said when I came back to the table. I gathered up my books.

"See you later, Jake," I smiled. Then the bell rang. I rushed out of the classroom; Jake was on my heels.

"You have study hall next block. So do I." Damn... I forgot that. Jake followed me to my locker. He waited for me to put my books away and grab my bag. He leaned against my locker door.

"Randi, you can't just break up with someone without them knowing."

"Silly," I flicked his nose," I'll tell him... eventually." I closed my locker and he staggered a bit. I put my bag on my shoulder and looked up at him.

"Does this mean you don't want to go to Starbucks?"

"I-I didn't say that," he stuttered. He blushed and I giggled and started walking away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I turned around and walked backwards.

"La biblioteca." He frowned in confusion.

"I don't speak Spanish. I took French."

"The library, you dope."

"Oh... hey! I'll come with you." I smiled to myself. Phase one... complete.

Word spreads fast in high school. After lunch, news got out that I broke up with Todd. Also there were a few rumors going around. And Todd? He was pissed. He went on a rampage trying to find me. He was more upset that I beat him to the punch then that I broke up with him.

After school, he found me at my car. With Jake. Cheri was getting a ride with her mom, because they were going straight to the airport to start spring break. Jake usually gets rides from Todd. Since we had a date... I mean engagement, at Starbucks, he was riding with me.

"What the hell is going on, Randi?!" Todd yelled. I turned away from my car.

"Oh hey, Todd," I said. I unlocked the car door.

"What's this about you breaking up with me?! We aren't broken up until I say we are." I laughed humorlessly.

"Whatever you say, Todd. You ready, Jake?" I opened the car door.

"No!" he yelled," No! I was supposed to break up with you!" I froze. He really was going to break up with me...

:"Todd, calm down, man," Jake said. Todd glared at Jake.

"What hte hell do you think you're doing? With her." I was frozen to the spot. I was prepared for him to break up with me, but it hurt to hear him say it out loud, with such anger.

"Todd, what's your problem? So she broke up with you. Get over it!" Todd pushed Jake, hard.

"Mind your own damn business."

"You were going to break up with her anyway. Why does it matter?" I cleared my throat.

"Jake," I squeaked, "I'm leaving with or without you." I slid into the seat and slammed the door shut. Jake glared at Todd one last time then got in. I peeled out of the parking lot and headed to Starbucks.

"I don't understand," I cried. Jake and I were sitting in Starbucks with our coffee.

"What did I do?" I asked Jake. He sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know, Randi. But you should know... he wasn't completely faithful with you. He's been seeing Veronica..." I covered my face with my hands.

"I know... Cheri told me yesterday. So, I got this brilliant plan to get him back..." The left side of Jake's mouth lifted slightly.

"And I was a part of this plan?"

"Not at... first. It just kinda happened that way." His smile grew a little.

"So... you used me."

"Pshhh...no... maybe just a little." Jake was beaming now. I don't see what's so funny.

"Hm... that's too bad. I was hoping you... you know, actually liked me." He drank his iced coffee and looked away from me.

"Well I-- wait a minute! Wht're you trying to pull?" I looked at Jake skeptically. He smiled from behind his straw and looked at me sideways.

"Nothing! Nothing. Hey, do you like Star Wars?" I did a double take.

"Uhm... yea..."

"Me and my brothers are having a Star Wars marathon. You should come."

"Are you asking me out?"

"I don't know," he chuckled, "Am I?"

"I think you just might be... whatever. Sounds like fun. Don't be surprised when I start fangirling over Hayden Christensen and whatnot." Jake laughed. He stood up and grabbed my hand.

"Come on," he said, "The Force awaits us." I laughed and let him pull me to the car.

"Do you mind if I drive? I know some shortcuts and they're kinda hard to explain." I tossed him the keys.

As he drove, I had extra time to think. I still didn't know why Todd wanted to break up with me in the first place. Especially over a bubble head like Veronica. But I have Jake now so everything's--whoa! Hold the phone! What did I just say? Me and Jake? Ha! That's funny. I'm losing it. I don't like Jake. Do I?

"Randi!" I jumped.

"Huh? What?"

"I said we're here. What's on your mind, kid?" I shook my head. I tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.

"Nothing. Just... thinking." Jake chuckled, "You're cute when you blush."

"I'm not blushing!" He laughed again and got out the car. I followed suit. He tossed me the keys, which I barely caught. When I looked up he was right in front of me.

"Oh!" I gasped. The keys dropped from my hands.

"You know," he started, "You weren't supposed to go out with Todd in the first place."

"What?" He grabbed my hands and rubbed my palms with his thumb.

:"He was my wing man. Things just didn't go as planned..." He chuckled lightly. He balled my laft hand into a fist and kissed it.

"Todd's a jerk. He snuck you away from me. Then he turns around and treats you like shit." He sighed and looked off into the distance. I was at a loss for words. Jake likes me? Wow!

"So," he said finally," Star Wars anyone?" I laughed and he smiled. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Let's go." He frowned at me.

"What was that? A teaser? You've got to be kidding me." I started towards the door. Jake grabbed my arm, spun me around, then dipped me.

"I don't like to be teased," he smiled. That's when he kissed me.

And that is the end of my tragic tale and the beginning of many romances. Operation: Get Him Back is officially a success. Over an out!