‹ Prequel: It Started with a Bet...
Sequel: Panda Boy ›
Status: It may be over, but I still want to hear you guys' comments!
Operation Beautiful
oh, just can it. you like her.
“Wait, Jessica!” I call as she marches back up the stairs. She turns around half way.
“What?” Her voice is sharp and harsh.
“Are you...are you talking about the whole Valentine’s Day--”
“--and what happened afterwards? Yes. Yes, I am.” She glares down at me from the top of the stairs.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking and it all just sort of happened.” I look up at her, trying to convey my sincerity telepathically. I’m not entirely sure what else I can say. She glares at me for a minute.
“It just sort of happened? And telling her it meant nothing just “happened” as well?”
“I didn’t mean it!” I protest loudly. Oh, crap. A slow smile spreads on Jessica’s face as I desperately try to correct my slip up. “I mean, I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, not, you knoe, that--”
“Oh, just can it,” she says. “You like her.”
“Well,” I stutter. She just looks at me. “Well, yeah, but that wouldn’t be fair considering...” I gesture weakly between us. “So I just said the first thing that came to mind.”
“You took it back because of me?” She asks, astounded.
“Well, yeah.”
She looks at me for a moment, the sullen anger dissolving on her face. “That’s...” she scratches the back of her head. “That’s really nice of you.” Her face breaks into the smallest of smiles before she glares at me. “Well, you better go take it back now.”
I stand in the middle of the stairs, watching her climb upwards. It’s 10 o’clock now, but I guess I’m calling Emma now.
“Um, hey...” I say awkwardly back at the kitchen table. Matt’s upstairs and I really don’t need him listening to this.
“Hi.” Her voice is short and the slightest bit bitter. Any courage I had before is gone.
“A-are you busy?” Wow, Corey. Great conversation starter.
“Right now?”
“Yeah. Haven’t hung out with you in a while.”
“It’s kinda late. Besides, we still do tutoring.”
“Yeah, but it’s not...it’s not the same.” I take a deep breath and let it out. “Are you still mad at me?” There’s a sigh on the other end.
“No.”
“Then why have you been avoiding me?”
“Just...because. Why does it matter anyway?”
“Because--!” I say loudly, my voice fading uncertainly at the end. Jessica bounds down the stairs and sits across me. She holds out a piece of paper.
DON’T TELL HER YET
“Why?” I mouth. She just shakes the paper at me. I just nod, turning my attention back to Emma.
“Em, I miss hanging out with you. Please, I’m really sorry, okay? At least...let’s at least hang out during lunch tomorrow.” There’s a long silence.
“Okay. I’ll meet you outside the cafeteria.” After we hang up, I turn to Jessica.
“Okay, what was that about?” I ask her.
“Emma deserves better,” she says simply, crossing her arms.
“Better?”
“Better than you just telling her over the phone or at lunch tomorrow. Besides, you think she’ll believe you? You told her you didn’t like her and then more or less ignored her for, like, two weeks.”
“She ignored me!” I protest loudly.
“She had a reason,” Jessica snaps, glaring at me. “You didn’t.”
I sigh. She’s right. I screwed up. How can I expect her to believe me if I randomly take it back?
“Fine. Tell me what I need to do to win her over.”
“Step one,” Jessica says, getting up to leave. “Be a good friend.”
***
I swing by the locker that morning to put my response to Jessica in the locker.
Yes, definitely more creative. Um...I’d probably be a green one.
Oh! So you know Ms. Tibbet? We were watching a video on the Holocaust and some kid was texting in the back of clas. So she yells: NO HIJACKING MY CLASS WITH UNDERWEAR BOMBS!!! And dragged the kid to the front of the class and nearly depantsed him! I swear, she’s lucky she has tenure XD
You like wacky questions? Okay...here we go. Would you rather be a unicorn or Big Foot?
“What are you doing here?” Haley asks as she walks past.
“Just...stuff. What’s up?”
“Nothing really. Well, there is something, but I’ll tell everyone during lunch.”
“Oh!” I say quickly. “That reminds me. I’m gonna be eating with Em and Jessica today.”
“Niiice,” Haley smirks. I just shrug.
“So what’s the big news?”
“Um...it’s a long story. I’ll just call you about it later, ‘kay?” She waves and heads to her third period.
“What?” Her voice is sharp and harsh.
“Are you...are you talking about the whole Valentine’s Day--”
“--and what happened afterwards? Yes. Yes, I am.” She glares down at me from the top of the stairs.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking and it all just sort of happened.” I look up at her, trying to convey my sincerity telepathically. I’m not entirely sure what else I can say. She glares at me for a minute.
“It just sort of happened? And telling her it meant nothing just “happened” as well?”
“I didn’t mean it!” I protest loudly. Oh, crap. A slow smile spreads on Jessica’s face as I desperately try to correct my slip up. “I mean, I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, not, you knoe, that--”
“Oh, just can it,” she says. “You like her.”
“Well,” I stutter. She just looks at me. “Well, yeah, but that wouldn’t be fair considering...” I gesture weakly between us. “So I just said the first thing that came to mind.”
“You took it back because of me?” She asks, astounded.
“Well, yeah.”
She looks at me for a moment, the sullen anger dissolving on her face. “That’s...” she scratches the back of her head. “That’s really nice of you.” Her face breaks into the smallest of smiles before she glares at me. “Well, you better go take it back now.”
I stand in the middle of the stairs, watching her climb upwards. It’s 10 o’clock now, but I guess I’m calling Emma now.
“Um, hey...” I say awkwardly back at the kitchen table. Matt’s upstairs and I really don’t need him listening to this.
“Hi.” Her voice is short and the slightest bit bitter. Any courage I had before is gone.
“A-are you busy?” Wow, Corey. Great conversation starter.
“Right now?”
“Yeah. Haven’t hung out with you in a while.”
“It’s kinda late. Besides, we still do tutoring.”
“Yeah, but it’s not...it’s not the same.” I take a deep breath and let it out. “Are you still mad at me?” There’s a sigh on the other end.
“No.”
“Then why have you been avoiding me?”
“Just...because. Why does it matter anyway?”
“Because--!” I say loudly, my voice fading uncertainly at the end. Jessica bounds down the stairs and sits across me. She holds out a piece of paper.
DON’T TELL HER YET
“Why?” I mouth. She just shakes the paper at me. I just nod, turning my attention back to Emma.
“Em, I miss hanging out with you. Please, I’m really sorry, okay? At least...let’s at least hang out during lunch tomorrow.” There’s a long silence.
“Okay. I’ll meet you outside the cafeteria.” After we hang up, I turn to Jessica.
“Okay, what was that about?” I ask her.
“Emma deserves better,” she says simply, crossing her arms.
“Better?”
“Better than you just telling her over the phone or at lunch tomorrow. Besides, you think she’ll believe you? You told her you didn’t like her and then more or less ignored her for, like, two weeks.”
“She ignored me!” I protest loudly.
“She had a reason,” Jessica snaps, glaring at me. “You didn’t.”
I sigh. She’s right. I screwed up. How can I expect her to believe me if I randomly take it back?
“Fine. Tell me what I need to do to win her over.”
“Step one,” Jessica says, getting up to leave. “Be a good friend.”
***
I swing by the locker that morning to put my response to Jessica in the locker.
Yes, definitely more creative. Um...I’d probably be a green one.
Oh! So you know Ms. Tibbet? We were watching a video on the Holocaust and some kid was texting in the back of clas. So she yells: NO HIJACKING MY CLASS WITH UNDERWEAR BOMBS!!! And dragged the kid to the front of the class and nearly depantsed him! I swear, she’s lucky she has tenure XD
You like wacky questions? Okay...here we go. Would you rather be a unicorn or Big Foot?
“What are you doing here?” Haley asks as she walks past.
“Just...stuff. What’s up?”
“Nothing really. Well, there is something, but I’ll tell everyone during lunch.”
“Oh!” I say quickly. “That reminds me. I’m gonna be eating with Em and Jessica today.”
“Niiice,” Haley smirks. I just shrug.
“So what’s the big news?”
“Um...it’s a long story. I’ll just call you about it later, ‘kay?” She waves and heads to her third period.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hey, guess what! I made a one-shot for a contest. My very first one-shot for my very first contest entry! read it here and leave feedback? Especially all you awesome one-shot professionals :) I wrote an alternative beginning, I'm not sure which I like better ^^ok, what's Haley's big news?
Okay, here's something odd: Valentine's Day Part 2, has more readers than Part 3. Isn't that unusual?
Personally, Jess's sudden attitude makes sense to me because (a) she's probably still kinda upset about Corey and (b) we've seen how bitchy she can be to get what she wants. Is that viable or should I tone down her I-Hate_Corey attitude?
In other news, fmonkey9, now known as Monkey :D has kindly rewritten my kiss scene, kinda, because he thought it needed to be a little more dramatic. It's on the 24th page on the comments. Anyone else want to critique my kiss scene? I am absolutely horrible at writing them. Even my friends thought so about the "It Started with a Bet" one, which I liked more than this one. Anyway, critique away! I'd really appreciate it ^^