Curious.

"Why must you be such an idiot, Drathan?" I bopped my best friend in the chest.

"What's my name?" He acted all offended.

I rolled my eyes. "Drathan, or as I like to call you - Neanderthal."

"Exactly." He puffed out his chest and looked up heroically. "Drathan the Neanderthal - doing stupid shit since the caveman days."

Again I rolled my eyes. Drathan has been my best friend for years, and he's been just as stupid for that long, too. I don't mean he's stupid as in, he sucks at school, because he's really good at school actually. By stupid, I mean he does really stupid things, like getting in a fist fight with Ryan for example.

Ryan hates Drathan because he's gay and Ryan is a homophobe. The sad part is, they used to be best friends until Drathan came out. Now they've been fighting for two years. It's usually just insulting each other in the hallway, the occasional shove into the lockers. Drathan never starts anything because he's just too nice. He still thinks Ryan is a nice guy because they were such good friends before, but Ryan wants nothing to do with him now. I don't know how today's fight got so physical, since Drathan just shrugged when I asked him if Ryan did it and why he did it. Guys are so stupid.

"So, what was with that magical moment you shared with your girlfriend?"

I punched him in the arm, which had no effect on him as he laughed. "She is not my girlfriend."

"She will be someday, you know, if you actually try talking to her."

I sighed as I thought back to the moment Kendi. We stared at each other, but I don't know what she saw. I saw the same thing I always see: a beautiful girl with a great personality that will never give me the time of day. I'm sure that she just saw a weird girl who stares at her a lot and causes a scene in the middle of the hallway.

I was in love with Kendi. There was just something about her that I couldn't get out of mind. It wasn't her looks, or her humor, or her attitude - it was everything. I loved everything about her. And I've been kinda stalking her ever since I realized how much I liked her.

I have absolutely no courage whatsoever. I could never talk to anybody if they looked directly at me, I couldn't speak up to ask for what I wanted, I couldn't yell at somebody if they were mean to me. I was a coward. When Drathan and I became friends, it was because he used to be just as shy as I was. Hard to believe, huh? I guess we just gravitated towards each other because nobody else was as quiet or nice as we were, and we became friends. As the years went on, he grew more loud and stupid, and I began to call him out on his silliness. But that was as far as my confidence went. Even answering questions in class made my hands shake.

Clearly, I will never be able to talk to Kendi and tell her how I feel. The worst part is, she's straight. So even if I ever grew the balls to ask her out, she would probably just laugh in my face.

"I'm going to be single forever." I sighed again.

"No you won't. You just need to get over your shyness long enough to talk to a girl."

"And how am I going to do that? Girls terrify me."

"Me too, but luckily I don't have to talk to them because I am only looking at guys."

I smiled at him. Even though Drathan has only been gay for two years, I've known I liked girls my whole life. He's the only one that knows about it. I can't even tell my parents.

"And yet you are still better at picking up girls than I am. How sad is that?"

"Aw, that's not sad. It just means I can hand the girls off to you. I'll try to attract the bisexuals for you, okay?"

I rolled my eyes - I do that a lot around him. "Okay, fine."

The rest of the day went by as boring as usual, but I was supposed to walk Drathan to detention after school. He didn't turn Ryan in for starting the fight, which confuses me even more because it's not like Ryan has been nice at all ever since they stopped being friends. I don't think he deserves Drathan's kindness. But it turns out Ryan was there after all. Maybe somebody else turned him in or he got in trouble for something else.

He brushed past Drathan and went into the detention room without looking him in the eye. Drathan just shrugged and looked back at me.

"Why do you let him mess with you?" I asked him.

He shrugged again. "I really don't know. I mean, I don't let him mess with me. If he hits me, I'm gonna hit him back. I just don't see the point in making this bigger than it has to be."

"He's deliberately attacking you because of your sexuality."

"We used to be best friends, Riley. We were as close as you and I are. I know every thing about him, even things he doesn't realize about himself. He may not like what I've become, but I can't hold him responsible for how he feels just like I can't control how I feel."

"He doesn't have to take it out on you."

"I agree with you, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to make him suffer. I don't like seeing people get hurt."

"Even if it's you?"

He sighed. I wasn't done with this conversation, but he was. We've had this argument for a while now, and it never gets any better.

Just then he looked up and a smile spread across his face. I turned to look where he did and soon wished I hadn't. There she was - Kendi. She grinned at Drathan and walked up to him, completely oblivious to the fact that I was standing right next to him. Why am I so short and unnoticeable?!

"Hey, it's you," she said to him. You? How do they know each other?!

"Hey, thanks for the soda. It really was a good ice pack."

"Did you ever actually drink it?"

"No, it was warm after I stopped using it on my face."

"You're stupid."

"I know, Riley tells me that all the time," he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to him. She looked down at me, blinking.

"Riley." My eyes widened. I didn't expect her to acknowledge me. I wanted to talk, to say hi or compliment her - say something! But my voice was stuck in my throat, and all I could do was let out a squeak.

She smiled at me. "So you're the one who's been stalking me."

Another squeak.

"Ha, Riley is a very curious person - she stares at lots of people, right Riley?"

I appreciate Drathan for trying to help, but he's really bad at it.

"Right. See you in detention?" she asked. He nodded and she went into the room, her hips swaying naturally.

I hit my head against his shoulder. "Now she thinks I'm a creep."

"She already thought you were a creep."

"Gee, thanks Drathan."

He patted my head. "It'll all work out. Just go to home and relax."

"I don't want to go home. My dad has been extra pissy lately."

"Ignore him. I'll come over in an hour."

"Okay. Please try not to say anything embarrassing about me around Kendi."

"Do I ever embarrass you?"

I stared at him. "Please I'm begging you - don't say ANYTHING to her!!!"

"Alright alright, my lips are sealed."

I stared at him, daring him to disobey me. He just smiled, ruffled my hair, and went into the room. I stole another glance at Kendi. She was staring straight ahead, her head resting in her hands. She seemed to perk up when Drathan sat right next to her. I knew he wouldn't keep his promise not to talk to her. I wonder if him talking to her is a good thing, since I'll never be able to do it myself.

I'm probably not going to find a girlfriend. I'm too shy, and too hung up on a girl who will never like me back. I've only ever had one other girlfriend, and that didn't end well. I didn't stand up for myself, or communicate with her, so the whole relationship just collapsed in a horrible mess and I never spoke to her again.

I'm no good with people. Maybe I should just get a dog.