The Island

“I’m so happy for you Niki.” Carrie was sitting on my bedspread next to my suitcase, talking to me as she packed. They had sleepovers pretty often, but usually they didn’t talk about things like this.
“Why?” Honestly confused I cocked my head to the side a little.
“Oh don’t act like you don’t know.” She grinned a little. How could she not know? It was so obvious.
“I'm not acting I honestly don’t know what you're talking about.” What in the world is she talking about? I thought.
“I'm happy for you because you're crushing on a guy who totally likes you back!”
“What?” Carrie was obviously talking about Kyle, and she did like him. But he didn’t like her back. Carrie was just being herself and doing her job as my best friend by making me feel better. “He doesn’t like me.”
“Girl are you blind? He was looking over at you and smiling at you the whole class.”
Oh my gosh, Kyle was looking at me? No way. He doesn’t like me. It’s not possible. He’s so much cuter than me. Stay cool girl. “I didn’t notice. Besides, he can’t like me, there's no way he could.”
She doesn’t believe me. And she never will unless Kyle makes a move. Darn him! That boy needs to get a move on! “Okay you need to wake up girl. If he doesn’t like you then maybe he would like you if you made a move. Get him to like you!”
“Oh yeah,” I said sarcastically “Who do you think I am Superwoman? Have you seen how I act around him?”
“Yes! You act like a chicken. Not talking and blushing when he walks by. Face it, you're a chicken. Bawk bawk!”
Do I really act like that around him? Oh I hope not. And it’s true, I am a chicken around him, but isn’t everyone around their crush? She occupied her mind with folding shirts. Trying to ignore her burning cheeks. Side, side, over. Side, side, over.
“I know you're trying to ignore me. It’s not going to work though. Face it, you're a chicken. Bawk bawk bawk! You know I'm right.”
“Fine I admit it, you're right. I'm a chicken around him. But he’s so cute and shy and sensitive. How can I not be?”
“Just finish packing.” Carrie had a devilish grin on her face.
Uh oh. What's she up to? “Why?”
For her answer she held up a fluffy makeup brush.
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“Hey man what’s up?” I was packing my bags for the trip tomorrow. I was so excited and nervous about the trip. Tons of questions rushed through my mind. What if Niki sits by me on the plane? What if she talks to me on the bus? What if Cole tells her to talk to me? Ugh, just fold your jeans.
“Dude, you need to get your act together, big time.” For once Cole was being dead serious.
“What are you talking about?”
“Niki, that’s what I'm talking about.”
My heart immediately sped up. Oh lord, what did he do? “What about her?” I tried to sound as casual as possible, it didn’t work.
“She completely likes you and all you do is look at her from a distance. Be a man, make a move.”
“I can’t just walk up to her and start a conversation. And how do you know she likes me?”
“How can you not know? Whenever you walk by her she blushes bright pink and becomes silent.”
“She does?” Wow… She must like me. Now it’s going to be even harder to talk to her!
If Cole was there in person instead of over the phone he would have smacked Kyle in the back of the head. “Yes she does. And she’s too shy to ever make a move, so you're going to have to if you want to be even remotely close with her.”
I hated the truth in my friend’s words. But I knew Cole was right, as usual. “I know, but it’s so much harder than you make it sound.”
“Okay man, but I'm telling you, this trip is a golden opportunity to talk to her. You’ll never get a chance like this again.”
“I know. I have to go.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow then”