The One I Loathe

Chapter 9

Monday morning at school, things between me and Sophie were pretty awkward. We hadn’t talked since that Saturday, so I wasn’t sure if we were okay or not. I couldn't believe our parents told those stories. Sure, we had a childhood crush on each other but that didn’t mean we still did! Sometimes our parents could be so revolting.

I still couldn’t help but think that Will knew something I didn’t. If I didn’t know any better I would think that he was hinting that Sophie liked me or something. But that couldn’t be it. We’d just become friends. She wouldn’t compromise that by deciding she liked me as more than that. She was smarter than that.

In English that day, Sophie seemed really distracted. Normally, she was on the ball, raising her hand to answer every question and always getting it right. But, today, she had her head down in her spiral, constantly writing down, scribbling out, and chewing on the end of her pen. I found quickly that that was one of her quirky characteristics. She was always writing. Still, she never showed me any of her work.

Mrs. Barry noticed that Sophie was a little out of today, so naturally she called on her even when she didn’t have her hand raised. She answered each question absent mindedly, but correctly. Geez! She could get the right answers without even trying!

Today’s assignment was to bring in a self-written poem to share with the class. I’d scribbled down a few rhyming lines about grass, and hoped that would suffice.

“Now, class, who would like to share their poem first?” Mrs. Barry asked us.

No one raised their hands.

“Very well, then I shall have to choose you,”
The whole class sat at attention. Anyone caught not paying attention would be chosen. And today that person was...

“Miss Jameson, you always have some lovely work,”

Sophie’s head popped up from looking down at her notebook, and nodded. She started to shuffle through her normally organized papers, and looked up in horror.

~*~

I had put it in my notebook, I know I had. But, as I searched frantically through my binder, it was no where in sight. I had written that poem weeks before when the assignment was given! But, now it was no where to be found.

“Well?” Mrs. Barry asked sharply.

What could I do? Then I remembered what I was writing in my notebook. It was a poem. But it was about Trent!

Miss Jameson, if you cannot provide a poem then I’m afraid I’ll have to give you a zero for this assignment,” Mrs. Barry said menacingly.

I had to. I didn’t have another choice.

I pulled out my spiral out from under my binder and found the poem I’d just finished. Taking in a breath, I stood up and went to the front of the class.

“I found it!” I told her, giving a nervous laugh.
She huffed, and went to the back of the classroom to listen.

I made a quick glance at Trent. He gave an encouraging smile that made my heart pound. I looked down at the page and began.

“We’ve known each other our entire lives, so everyone thought they knew
That we’d end up together, that prediction was far from true.

We set out to prove that we’d only just be friends.
But in that course of time, a new emotion begins.

Now I feel it in my heart so why can’t it be true?
I just now realize I’m beginning to fall for you.

If love is blind then I’ll always be blind to you, you see.
But, you, in the opposing sense, still are blind to me.

Here I am! Don’t you see I’ve been waiting since day one?

But Darling, please hurry before I find someone.
You’ve loved all the others and still you don’t see

I’m standing right in front of you, but still you’re blind to me.”

The class applauded, and the girls ‘aww’d. Mrs. Barry gave me a curt nod. I glanced at Trent, he looked awe struck. Well, there went any chance of a relationship right there. Unless, I could somehow persuade him that the poem wasn’t about him.

“Where did you get the inspiration for this piece, Miss. Jameson?”

“Umm...Cyrano de Bergerac.” I thought quickly, “its Cyrano speaking, talking about his love for Roxanne.”

That seemed to impress Mrs. Barry a bit.

“Unique. Very well, Miss. Jameson, a 95”

She never gave 100’s. She didn’t believe in perfection.

I nodded and returned to my seat.

After class, I went to my locker to get my lunch. As I spun in my combo, someone tapped my shoulder.

Hoping it was Trent, I turned around. To my complete disappointment, it was Jeremy.

I groaned.

“What do you want?” I asked him, turning away and shutting my locker.

“I want to talk to you,” He said grabbing my free hand and turning me around.

My heart pounded. I hoped he wouldn’t notice how my palms were sweating. I looked up into his emerald green eyes and my cheeks flushed. Why was he talking to me? I mean, I certainly hoped he would, but why would he pay attention to a girl like me?

I blushed and smiled, “Ok,” I barely whispered.

Still holding my hand, he lead me under the bleachers of the Little League field.

“So,” he began, smiling at me, “I’ve been noticing you around here a lot,”

I felt so special.

“You have?” I croaked out.

He gave a laugh and began playing with a piece of my hair that had fallen from my ponytail. It sent shivers down my spine.

“How could I not?” then he lowered his voice and stepped closer to me, “You’re the prettiest girl here.”

Was this the prince charming I’d been waiting for?

I yanked my hand loose of his grip. “Leave me alone Jeremy!” I yelled at him.

“Chill, girl! I was just going to ask you is you wanted to go to Winter Formal with me,”

Did he not realize that he broke up with me?

“Well, gee Jeremy, I’d love to, but I’m afraid I’d actually rather stay home and claw out my own eyes!”

Suddenly his expression changed, it went from calm and cool to enraged.

“Hey!” he roared, “Every girl in the school would kill to go to the dance with me!”

He grabbed my arm and squeezed. Hard.

I’d never seen this side of him before, I was scared. There was only person I wanted to see right then.

~*~

I was headed down the hallway toward the cafeteria, when I heard Sophie’s unmistakable yell, telling Jeremy to leave her alone. Suddenly my protective instincts kicked it.

“Will! Ouch! Stop! Leave me alone!” A 6 year old Sophie yelled as Will drug her across the floor by her hair.

My mind was conflicted. Did I protect her and risked being called a sissy by Will, or did I go with my first thought and defend her like I always did.

My first thought won.

“Hey let her go, Will!” I yelled at him, grabbing my NERF gun from the ground.

“Or you’ll what?” He taunted.

I held up my gun to his head.

“This!”

Sophie smiled at me. She was missing her two front teeth, but I still thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Instead of the fear I’d anticipated from Will, he started laughing. “Sissy! You like GIRLS!”

He let go of Sophie’s hair and walked off.

Sophie ran up to me and cooed, “Oh thank you Trent!”

“Shut up!” I said right before running off after Will.

Jeremy had her pinned against her locker and had grabbed hold of her wrist. She struggled, but he was still much stronger than her.

Without thinking twice, I ran up to him, grabbed his shirt and pulled him off Sophie.

“Hey punk! Leave her alone!” I yelled in his face.

Sophie ran off down the hall, I wanted to follow her, but Jeremy looked like he was about to pummel me. Just as his fist curled up, and was about to meet my face, the Principal came running up, following Sophie.

“RUSSELL! BENNETT! SEPARATE!” he bellowed.

We stepped apart.

Oh great. Now I was going to be suspended for fighting.

Suddenly, Sophie spoke up, “Actually Mr. Lawler, Trent didn’t do anything but defend me! Jeremy’s the only one who wanted to fight!”

That wasn’t entirely true, but I went with it anyway.

“Fine. Russell, come with me. Bennett, good job.”

After Jeremy was towed off by Principal Lawler,

Sophie ran up to me and gave me a huge hug.

“Oh my gosh, thank you, Trent!” She looked up at me, and I saw tears stinging the corner of her eyes.

Suddenly, I felt that same feeling I had that night when I’d rescued her from the “Shaded Pine” dogs. But, instead of acting on them like I did then, I reached up and took her hands from around my neck and said, “You’re welcome. Just be more careful next time, huh?”

She nodded. Then I realized I was till holding her hands, so I dropped them abruptly. She still looked up at me and smiled.

“I will.”