Jealous Orchard

"Sorry."

"Hey," I stuttered but she was already gone.

"You are pathetic," my friend, Adam said laughing at me.

I rubbed the spot where her U.S. History book stabbed me. I turned to look at her hips sway in her jean shorts, and her already tan arms cling to her school books.

It was the end of May and Junior year was almost over and of all the three years I've been in high school, I have yet to have an actual conversation with Morgan Lee.

"Dude why don't you approach her, instead of hoping she'll talk to you after she bumps into you. This isn't some teen movie where you guys meet because she knocked down your books," Adam said as we kept walking to our Chemistry class.

We too had all our books in our bags and arms, looking like freshmen on their first day of school.

"Fuck you," I said laughing slightly as we walked into class.

I sat right next to Morgan's best friend Taylor White. They've know each other since they were born. Their mothers took pregnancy yoga together, and they too were best friends. Each generation of the Lees and Whites were destined to be best friends.

In spite of how they looked and the normal stereotype, Taylor and Morgan were actually intelligent. Not to the point where they we're in all AP classes, but to the point were they were start A students in regular classes.

Taylor sat next me twirling her hair, while I stared at her friendship bracelet which was a peace with little diamonds on it, held together by multiple strings.

"My best friend gave it to me," she said pushing it up her wrist.

I know.

"Really?"

"Yeah it was a friendship bracelet. Do you know Morgan Lee?"

"No." I wasn't lying, because I really don't. I only wish I knew her.

"Oh, yeah well that's who gave it to me," she said going back to twirling her hair.

If only Morgan was easy to talk to as Taylor.

The Monroe piercing, and the long blonde, is pretty intimidating, when you put them on one of the prettiest girls in school.

I've gotten to know Taylor well because we've sat next to each other the whole year thanks to our lazy Chemistry teacher.

"You'd like her," she said pulling out her Chemistry book.

"Yeah?" My heart was beating so fast. I wondered if Adam, the only friend of mine who knew of my crush, had said something to her.

"Yeah, everyone loves her. She's just so nice to everyone. It's actually her birthday tomorrow," she said before standing up to give her book back to the teacher.

I knew all of this. I knew she was the nicest person. I knew it was her birthday tomorrow.

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"Man, you should write her a love letter," Adam said while we drove away from the school parking lot.

"Do you know how creepy that is?" I asked turning the radio down.

"Do you know how creepy you are obsessing about her?"

"Yes, we've gone over this, but don't you think it would be worse if I told her?"

"Good point."

"Well you've got one whole year to make her want to jump your bones," Adam waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Sick."

"Shut the hell up. That is exactly what you want from her."

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She usually sits two tables away from me, but today it was only one, and if I wanted to reach out and touch her, I could.

Her and her friends pulled the two tables together to make room for her other friends who ditched class for her birthday, and for her overload of flowers.

I couldn't even count the flowers she had. In chemistry, Taylor had been carrying around seven of them for her.

"You know half the people that give her flowers rarely even talk to her. Creepy right?"

I remember Taylor telling me this as the letter burned through the back pocket of my jeans.

Today Morgan's hair was up in a ponytail, and she had her glasses on.

God how I wanted to tell her how much I loved her in her glasses.

"Brendon having you been listening to a fucking word I've said?" Brent, my friend asked.

"No," I mumbled.

I looked up and mine and Taylor's eyes met. She waved and I gave a smile.

But then Morgan turned to see who Taylor was waving at. We looked at each other for a moment before I looked down at my water bottle. She was wearing a princess crown that Taylor had gotten for her. It made me want to touch her so bad.

It's fucking annoying being a guy and having uncontrollable urges.

"What the hell are you thinking about?" Brent asked shoveling fries into his mouth.

"Finals," I lied.

"That's stupid."

"Yeah, I know."

I could hear Morgan and her friends push back their chairs. And start to leave.

And soon everyone at my table was also getting up. The rush of people after lunch was horrible.

I turned to grab my backpack, and Morgan reached for her own, giving me an eyeful.

I'm disgusting.

"See ya Brendon boy," Brent said waving, leaving with the other guys.

"Taylor, I love it!" I turned to watch just Taylor and Morgan stand in front of each other. Morgan had blue pieces of paper in her hand, and a small box in the other. Her flowers were still all laid out on the table.

I started to walk away, but I couldn't help but notice the mass swarm of people wishing her happy birthday. She really was the most liked person in school. She was also the most
different.

I couldn't even begin to explain the type of person she was. If I had to put her in a stereotype it would probably be a hippie. But she wasn't dirty, she hated talking about politics, and she never smoked.

But she had long straight hair, she loved tie dye and peace signs, she hated violence, and she never swore.

As I walked down the halls I saw Adam waiting for me by my locker.

"Did you give it to her?"

"No," I said looking into my almost bare locker. I pulled my math book out and slammed it shut.

"You're not going to ever talk to her if you don't make a move."

"What's the point she doesn't even know who I am."

"Maybe that's what she's thinking about you."

"Right, like Morgan Lee would be thinking that about me."

"No fucking way!"

On the other hand Taylor was a complete opposite Morgan.

I could feel my stomach turn as I heard Taylor and Morgan come up behind us. Adam did a quick look and patted my back.

"It's cool."

I turned to see they were absorbed in their own conversation to even notice us talking about Morgan.

"Sorry!" I felt the stems of her flowers all brush against my arm as the walked around us.

"Happy Birthday," I said rubbing my arm.

She turned her head slightly and smiled before going back to her conversation.

My heart almost stopped, from lack of oxygen.

"Praise the lord! We got a smile in return! Things are going to turn out okay after all!" Adam shouted shaking my body, as I watched her disappear into a class room, her math class that is. She had it with Taylor.

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"Last day, baby! It's over with!" Adam yelled as he jumped through the crowd of people leaving.

"We still have finals, and senior year," I said dragging along my empty backpack.

"Hey," he turned and pointed at me. "Don't ruin my joy." He continued to skip to the car.

"Hey, look who it is. Probably waiting for a ride."

I turned to see Morgan standing about thirty feet away. Her hair was still up and she stood next to a pile of flowers on the ground.

"Why don't you offer her a ride?" Adam asked closing the door.

"Because she clearly has a ride," I noted.

"But it probably hasn't come- ah, looks like Michael Cox beat you." My hands tightened on the steering wheel.

Everyone knew that he liked her, but that's everyone except Morgan.

"Dude, if you're not going to make a move, then just forget it. I mean there's tons of girls that like you," Adam said as I pulled up to his driveway.

I nodded and looked out the window. Every house had a sprinkler on, and the elementary kids were all running through them.

Summer had always come early in Nevada. Sometimes the heat was to much to even go outside, but today was a decent day at 78 degrees. I had my windows rolled down as I drove to the smoothie shack I worked at.