Chapter 29

      

"CAN THIS DAY GO by any slower?!" I complained to Diane and Mason in my college prep class.

"I know! Winter Break is tomorrow but school makes it feel like WEEKS away!" Diane added to my rant.

Mason leaned in his chair. "Come on Aika, you're just excited because you and Justin have a date on Sunday."

     There was something in the way Mason said "Justin" that just sounded.. odd. Bu anyways..

"It is not a date!" I assured him.

"Haha, yeah, suuuure it's not!" He giggled and went to writing down his homework in his notebook.

"What what? You two have a date?! I thought we were all going ice skating on Sunday!" Diane panicked, it made me want to laugh.

"We are going ice skating on Sunday! It's not a date, I swear!" I reassured her.

     Nick and I were talking about the times we used to have hanging out together at his house. I remember once I tied him and Issac up to a telephone pole and I sprayed them with a hose. Those where the days.

     Anyways, since winter was around the corner, Nick brought up that some time we should all go ice skating. We as in him, me, Kevin, Diane, Issac, Macy, Mason, even Kaitlin, and some other people in our little group. It sounded like a great idea, so I told everyone about it and the plans where a go!

    Sadly, over the week a few people had to cancel (Mason, Nick, and Macy), but it was still all good! But then Kevin almost cancelled, and I started freaking out. Luckily I was able to fix the situation, and now he's going again.

"Listen Aika, ask anybody and they'll say that you and him are definitely on date." Diane tried to sound like an expert.

"But it's not! Seriously, what kind of date consists with him, me... and whole bunch of my friends?"

"Group date?" Mason threw out.

"Nah. No one else is dating." I crossed my arms. "Listen, it's just us friends going out for some ice skating."

"Yeah, ok." Mason and Diane both said sarcastically and smiled.

"Hey hey." Kevin came out and swung his arms around me.

"Oh, hi." I looked up towards him and smiled. He was looking as cute today as ever.

"Boyfriend alert! Back to business!" Diane stated and she went to her work.

"Shouldn't you go back to work?" I asked Kevin and opened up my own notebook.

"Nah, I already finished mine. And theres no one over there to talk to," he sits across the room from me. "so I decided to come and chat with my favorite girl."

     He made me blush. I told him thanks, but there really wasn't anything to do over here either, since instead of doing my own work all I did was complain along with Diane about the neverending weekend.

"Hey about this weekend.." He started, and I went to panic mode. He wasn't going to quit on me too, right?!
"Y-yeah? Why? What about this weekend?!" I shook a little.

"Gosh, nothing wrong!" He gave me a look. "Anyways, I was going to say I might be a little late, like 20 minutes maybe."

Oh, phew. "Oh, w-well.. Why?"

     He tilted his head and gave me the "Are-you-kidding-me?-you-should-know" look.

"Oh..." I felt like an idiot.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'll try to see if I can finish work up earlier though and try to make it, close to on-time, but I wont make any promises." As in work, he meant helping his dad look for Justin.

"Well thats alright. As long as you go." I giggled.

     Then the teacher, Ms. Hill, came to my table. She said since I wasn't done with the assignment yet (write about what I'm going to do over the break), Justin had to go back to his seat and I needed to get back to work.. which I did.

    Finally I was done, but when I looked across the room at Kevin... he knocked out on his desk.

    Oh geez... You definitely are not going to pass as Justin if you fall asleep like that. I shook my head. Then plop! A note landed on my desk. I looked to the right and was VERY surprised to see... it came from Bea!

    Ok... what on earth could she want? I thought. I looked at the note sitting on my desk. Should I open it? Read it? Reply? I noticed Bea giving me the "hurry-and-open-it" look, and as much as I didn't want to, I did anyways.

 

Watcha been up to.... *^_^

 

    The only thing I could do was reply, so..

 

Nothin. Just sittin here bored.

 

Gah. It's so boring.

 

Lol. bro im so excited for sunday!

 

Oh, u mean ur date with justin? ♡ ♡

 

Wait, how did u kno about that?? and its not a date! its a group get together gosh its not  just me n him! 

I hear things, k? n it is a date :) 

 

oh ok. i just wish it was sunday!

 

ha, ur so in love with him ;D

 

  Love, huh? I never really thought about it like that before. I didn't think I was ever in LOVE with Kevin, I just knew I really liked him. But then again, my heart always pounded whenever I called or talked to him. It's a weird feeling.

 

lol xD i dont LOVE him. i just really really like him! ^-^ its a dif feeling ^///^ he is so tall though!

 

lol you'll fall in love with him! he is tall! lots of heights! means lots of piggy back rides!

 

i want a piggy back ride! lol!

 

   After all this, I kind of felt... ok, talking with her again. Which is really weird. I probably know why though. She tried being a loner to see if we'd go and talk to her again, which didn't work. So she tried starting over (as a 'popular') to get new and 'better' friends, which didn't work. So now she's just going straight for the nice act.

   Well, I thought about it, and I guess if she wants to be nice to me then she can go straight ahead. I definitely don't want to start up any problems again, so I'm not going to be mean back, but that still doesn't mean we're going to be friends again. Honestly, I don't want to get sucked back up into her mess. And so I put on a smile and continued to my next class, 'happily' chatting with Bea along the way.

 

   Finally the school day was over. No homework. No classwork. No reading. No books. For 2 whole weeks. And Christmas and New Years is just around the corner! And on Sunday is the ice skating day! Nothing could ruin the excitement of the rollercoaster I'm hypothetically riding on.

"Why are you walking this way?" Mason called from behind me as I walked down the road leading to my old middle school.

"Oh, I'm going to pick up Kaitlin." I told him. I already new he had to pick up his siter.

"Where are you and Kaitlin going?" He asked as we crossed the street.

"Me and her are going to McDonalds. She wants to hang out."

"What? But you two are already going ice skating." We crossed another street.

"I know, but we havent seen eachother in FOREVER so we planned this little get-to-gether last weekend."

    When we approached the school, we noticed that their classes haven't been released yet, so he and I sat on the bench outside the front door and continued chatting it up.

Mason scooted over and plopped his backpack right beside him on the bench. "Can't you guys wait 2 days? Haha.."

"Mason.. It's been so LONG since the last time I saw her!"

"Well yeah, me too. I mean we only talked on the phone a few times."

"Exactly! And besides," I bent over to fix a loose shoe lace. "she wants to meet up with her boyfriend at Fred Meyers."

    Mason's reaction to ''her boyfriend'' was... kinda hysterical.

"HER WHAT?!" He yelled. I never knew his deep, grown man, voice could be so high.

"Yeah, it was a shock to me too." I smiled.

    One of my friends, Ray, started talking to Kaitlin (I don't know how they found eachother) and the two seemed to really be getting it together. I thought it was cute, so I supported her. Even though I know she's not allowed to have a boyfriend, but hey, you can't help love. And oddly, this is the first the two will actually meet! Weird, right?

    Anyways, I promised to keep my mouth shut about it and I made Mason promise to do the same. If her mom found out we'd ALL be dead.

"I can't believe they're actually going out now." He went into his "lecture" tone.

"I know. She's kinda too young, honestly, and Ray's older than me!" I met Ray last year at an anime convention.

"Let's just hope nothing bad happens." He chuckled.

    Then 15 minutes passed and the schoolbell rang. Kaitlin was one of the last kids trailing out of the door.

"OHMYGOD AIKA!!!!!!!!" She screamed and ran over to the bench.

"Hehe, she said hi to me first!" I teased Mason.

    Then she gave him a hug.

"Ha, she gave me a hug first." He teased back. Oh man, fun times.

Kaitlin jumped up and down. "Omigosh omigosh omigosssssshhh! Aika come on! Let's go to Mickie Dee's!!" She cheered.

     Gosh, I really missed her. With a wave of goodbye to Mason, still waiting for his sister, Kait and I trotted to McDonalds. She told me all about her middle school life. How my favorite teachers last year were her favorites this year, how all the boys in her 7th grade class were chumps, how some of the preppy girls got on her neves, then she ranted about her nerd brother, Art (no lie, that's really his name), and finally spilled about how she just couldn't WAIT to see her boyfriend for the first time... Ok, now was I the only one that found that sentence odd?

"Aika! I can't believe we're finally hanging out again!" She chowed down on some fries at McDols.

"Haha, yep! It's been forever!" I took a big bite out of my Fish Filet.

     We continued talking about the ice skating trip. When I first told her about it, she couldn't wait to say yes! It definitely is going to be a blast!

Then Kait's phone rang. "Whoa! Oh my gosh, Aika, it's Ray! EEEK!!!" She shook.

"Well don't just sit there," I nudged her. "Answer it!"

"Fine ok ok!" She flipped the phone open and answered with a jittery, cheery, hello.

Then my cell phone rang. It was my mom "Hello?" I slid a little bit away from Kait so my mom couldn't hear her spaz out.

"Yes, Aika?" She said on the other line. "I'm at McDonalds now with your brother."

"What? Why?" I told her 4:30 and it was still 4:00.

"Well I had to pick him up from his after school club. I didn't want to drive back home and back here, so I just came here instead. Hurry and eat we're going home."

     I took a look at Kait, who just got off the phone. I told my mom to hold on and I put her on hold.

"Why so happy Kaitlin?" Even though I kinda knew why.

"Ray's here!"

"What? That was fast." He told us 15 minutes ago he was taking the bus from a 35 minute away mall.

"He's at Fredmeyers," across the street, "so come on finish that sandwhich and lets go!!"

    I couldn't help but think twice after looking at her eager face. And I haven't hung out with her in such a long time, and I want to meet this boyfriend of her's too (since Ray and I haven't actually formally met before). But I just can't leave my mom waiting in the car.

"I'm sorry Kait, my mom just called me and said she's waiting outside to pick me up."

"Huuuh?!" She puckered up and put on the cutest (no homo) puppy dog face ever.

"Ughh, Kaitlin do not do that!" I tried to look away.

"Aikaaaaa!" She moaned.

"I'm sorry!" I collected my things. I put my left over sandwhich in a to-go bag and stuffed it into my back pack.

     I gave Kait a hug, and a thumbs up for meeting her boyfriend. I told her to PROMISE to IM me on Facebook when she gets home, and with that I went to the car.

 

     About 3 hours after I got home, I logged onto Facebook and Kait IM'd me the second I got on.

 

Kaitlin:

AIKKAAA!!!

 

Me:

KAIIIIT!!!

 

Kaitlin:

OMG OMG best day  of my life!

<3 <3 :DD

 

Me:

I take it you had a great day with Ray?

 

Kaitlin:

THE BEST!!

He's so funny, and really nice! I found a great guy ^-^

I gave him a kiss on the cheek too!

 

     Kiss? I thought. No fair.. I don't even know how to kiss a guy on the cheek! Let a lone hold his hand...

 

Me:

Aww :) That's so cute! I'm happy for you two hehe!

 

Kaitlin:

I'm IMing him right now! Gosh I love him so much <333

 

  Love? That was such a strong word. I mean, to me, I don't believe in a forever love. There will always be that little hint of doubt. I mean, I absolutely really really like Kevin, but I still have those suttle little feelings for Justin, and other guys guys i see walking around. In fact, I was completed infatuated with Justin before I met Kevin.

 

Aika:

That's great :D

 

Kaitlin:

OMG I'm gonna go call my boyfee, ttyl!!

 

Aika:

Lol, have fun (;

I can't wait for the ice skating on Sunday!

 

Kaitlin:

I will :D

I know me either!! I'll see u on sundaaay!!

 

-KAITLIN IS OFFLINE-

 

 Short conversation, but I guess it was a pretty good one. I was just going to log off too, but then Bea IM'd me. Ugh.. Are you serious? I hovered my computer mouse over the "LOG OFF" button, but then she sent me another. And another. AND ANOTHER.

   It would be rude if I logged off now, so I had no choice but to send her an IM back. Things went pretty good, we chatted for an hour, then I made up an excuse to leave and logged off. It's so weird being all nice with her again. I think she may be getting the wrong message though. But still in the end, she will never be a friend of mine again.

   The rest of the night I watched T.V. and checked my other online accounts a few times, and before I knew it it was 10:00. I actually felt like going to sleep! That was weird, considering I usually stay up til around midnight. But I just couldn't stay up any longer. This whole day was weird! But maybe it would all change if I just took a nice long sleep.... wrong!

 

   I woke up the next morning to the worst phone call I could ever have. It was from Kaitlin.

"A-Aika!" She sounded so terrified and worried and scared.

"Kaitlin? What's wrong? What happened?" I jolted out of bed, pushing tangled pieces of hair out of my face.

"My mom... She found out about Ray and I!" she seemed to start to break down.

"Oh my God, what?!" I was now angry, but still concerned for her.

"She heard him and I on the phone last night. She took my cellphone away and she's gonna.. she's g-gonna send it back to the store. And I'm, g-grounded."

   I really couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But I was also a little mad that she couldn't keep him a secret for just 1 day. And now, I'm pretty sure, she won't be able to go ice skating.

"Uh A-Aika, I gotta go. I think mom's home." She sniffled.

"Ok. Please talk to your mom, ok? Be really nice, and try to see if you can still go ice skating. And if not, ask if Art can come."

"O-ok. Wait, why Art?"

"Well, as nerdy as he is, I haven't seen him in a while either, and I kind of felt bad at first not inviting him to go with us."

"Ok. Well I really gotta g-go now, I'll have Art call you later. Bye." And she imediately hung up.

    Boo.. This weekend just exploded before me. My bestest gal friend is in major trouble and can't go on with our plans. Actually, shes the 4 person to have to cancel on me! First Michael, then Nick, then Macy.... Now Kait! Why does the world hate me?

    And Kevin will be late too.. Looking for Justin, who's missing somewhere out there. Man, this week has not been my week. Maybe I just need something to renew myself..

   So I asked my mom to take me to a salon and get my haircut. I've been wanting to get it cut anyways, and maybe it would look good for Kevin. And it would be the first good thing that happens to me. So I did get my hair cut today, and it looked great!

"I love it so much, mom! Thanks a ton!" I said about a thousand times on the way home.

"Yes, your welcome, honey." I could tell from the sound in her voice that she was getting tired of me thanking her so much.

   Things got better at home too! My cousin Jamie surprised me by visiting. I haven't seen her in months! She and I sat in my room watching K-Pop music videos and eating sandwhiches. It was great.

  The night was finally going good! Until she went home and Kaitlin's mom called me..

"Hello? Aika." Her mom started.

"Yes."

"Hi, this is Lillian, Kaitlin's mom."

"Oh hello."

"Yes, now I want to ask you a question, and I want you to be completely honest, and tell me the truth, because I remember last time you lied to me and I don't like that."

"Ok..." And I didn't lie the last time Kaitlin got in trouble. I told the truth, but Kaitlin had a different story..

"I care very much about my daughter, I love her so much and I do worry about her, and I just want to know the truth. I can be a very understanding parent but I don't like lieing. And if I find out shes making you lie to me, or your parents, I don't have any problems contacting your parents about this."

"Yes, ok."

"And so now I'm going to ask you, does Kaitlin have a boyfriend?"

    I ended up telling her mom EVERYTHING. I really didn't want to, but I just told her everything I knew. I know Kaitlin might be a little mad at me, but I couldn't  lie to a parent at all.

"All right, thank you Aika." She said, with a kind of refrained tone.

"Your welcome. Oh, but I have a question!"

"Yes?"

I just had to ask.. "So, does this mean Kaitlin can't go tomorrow? Ice skating?" The other line was quiet, so I kept going on. "Because we planned this last weekend and we both have been looking forward to it."

Finally she responded. "Well, honey, I'm just really pissed off right now. I don't think she's going to go."

Darn... "Oh. Ok. Can Art still go?"

"Art? He never told me about it." She called Art over to the phone.

"Aika?" He called on the other line.

"Hey. Did Kaitlin ever ask you about the ice skating thing? She was suppose to."

"Yeah she told me. But I never told my mom."

"Well ask!" I didn't mean to be pushy, but I needed at least one more person to go. And Art's the closest thing to Kait so... yeah.

"Fine, I'll ask her now."

    He put me on hold and I waited for 5 minutes. I almost hung up, because I thought maybe he hung up by accident, but then his mom came back on the other line.

"Hello? Aika? Yes, this is Lillian again." She seemed to be in a hurry. So I hurried my reply too.

"Oh yes?"

"Sorry for the wait. Um, yeah Art will go tomorrow."

"Oh ok. Just tell him to be at my house around--"
"Yeah, I know. Kaitlin told him. Thank you honey."

"Oh. Thanks, byeby--"

"Bye." And the phone on her side clicked off.

    Well that was kind of rude. I thought. But it wasn't too bad. Man, I can just imagine how much pain Kait is in right now. And now I'm going to bed because it's 11:45 and I'm going to have a big day ahead of me tomorrow.