A Step to Love

“Oh my God, that’s great,” Sasha said, smiling. She looked down to her plate and started nibbling slowly on her rice.

As soon as I got out of Mr. Rosado’s classroom I began to doubt myself. "I don’t think I’m ready.” I just thought that a whole year was simply too much. A lot of stuff happens in a year.

“You’re going to be fine,” Sasha replied.

“Well for me, it’s not that.”

I turned to Brit. Ever since the news she looked a little bit distant. “Why?”

“Skipping a grade, Lilly? How the hell am I going to stand all of the teachers alone?”

“You’re not going to be alone,” I pointed out. “I’m still going to be in the same school as you.” I turned to Joe who was sitting next to her. When she looked up from her plate, I pointed suggestively with my lips toward Joe. “Joe’s gonna be with you.”

She laughed. “Sure, that’s some great help,” she said sarcastically.

Joe seemed offended. “Hey!”

“If anything goes wrong, just go to my house and we’ll sort it out,” I said to her. "I still eat here, too," I also reminded her.

She nodded.

I smiled “So, what did you guys did in the last three an—”

“Hi, guys.” I was interrupted.

“Hey,” we all said in unison when we saw our green eyed friend sat in the same table as us, holding his lunch tray with one hand and carton milk with the other.

“Sup?” Gaby asked.

“Not much, just that Lilly is about to skip a grade,” Joe said, smiling at me.

“Really? That’s awesome, dude,” Gaby said to me. He picked up his fork and started nibbling onto his food, just like the rest of us.

“You guys think so? I just need some feedback, really.”

“No. You’re going to be in the same classroom as me.”

There he was. Alex Rodriguez. The biggest pain in the ass you’ll ever have and also the biggest jerk in the phase of the earth. I’ve known him since I first came to this school. When we met, I was in seventh grade and he was in ninth grade. At that time, Gaby and Joe were also in the school. Joe was in the same as me and he still is, and Gaby is a year older than me. Joe and Gaby already knew him since little. They became pretty close.

I’ve never liked Alex because he’s always teasing me with the whole ‘nerd’ thing. He insults me every time he sees me and tries new ways to make me mad. And Gaby and Joe are no fucking help. Instead of defending me, they help Alex.

For an unknown reason, eleventh and twelfth grade are taking classes together. They have different schedules but since at last minute they told me I could skip a grade, I needed to share a schedule with someone. They didn’t tell me who, but they said it had to be someone that has been here the longest time and unfortunately, I already knew who that was.

Alex had belonged to this school since seventh grade. The other classmates came two or three years later or their families decided to change schools.

Before, I only had to see him between classes and in lunch.

Now, I had to see him all day, every time the guys come over to my house and in my dance classes, too. Life is a bitch, definitely.

Yep, the pretty boy is also dancer.

He’s the one girls are all over because of his great abs and wonderful looks. That’s basically him.

I could say no to Mr. Rosado, but yet again, this could be my only opportunity to get back to at the guy.

“Since when do I need your opinion, dumb ass?” I asked looking angrily at Alex, knowing he would say something unpleasant as a response. “Only friends get a say in my matter, and last time I checked you weren’t part of the circle.”

“Geek,” he replied without giving me much attention. He sat next to Gabriel, and put his tray right in front of me.

… “Moron,” I replied.

“Loser.”

“Jerk.”

“Nerd.” Ugh.

“Bitch.”

“But ‘bitch’ is for girls,” he commented, his blue eyes squinted.

“Oh, you’re thinking that you’re a boy again?” I asked raising my eyebrow and enjoyed the wonderful communication between us.

“Whatever,” he simply replied, finally facing defeat.