LOVE IS HARD

By MistressELEMENT

8/26/06

I'm writing this in class, so I have to be careful. I just turned and looked at my other friend, Mehemiah andI caught his eye. I smile. He smiles. Nehemiah has known me since 3rd grade. He is 6 feet tall, and I am 5'5". Pretty tall people here, huh?Yep. Nehemiah is black and Phillipino. Plays football and basketball. More football.

I look at the teacher, pretending that I still care about what she is saying. Finally, the bell rings, and as everyone is leaving, she yells out our homework. I don't hear it. I'll get it from one of my "girlfriends." I catch up to Nehemiah and look up at him. He smiles down at me. I smile back.

"Hey," he says.

I just smile, "What's up," I ask in a bouncy mood, singing a little tune in my head.

He laughs-and it's a full-throated laugh. The kind when the person sorta throws their head back and laughs out loud. Very kind and enthusiastic- then with a hint of laughter still in his voice, he answers, "Nothin'. In class, I could tell you were pretending to pay attention to the teacher. What were you writing?"

I'm shocked that he realized so much with such little info, but I don't let it show on my face. I just flash him my evil smile, and reply, "None. Of. Your. Business."

"Aww." He winks at me, then smiles, and once again, laughs. I don't like Nehemiah, but I practicallly live to hear him laugh. Grinning from ear to ear, I just walk away, almost bursting with held-in laughter.

I go to the baskerball courts and there's Gary. When I step on the court he turns and looks at me. I give him my evil smile, and he just gives me his sexy, "half-smirk" smile; unaffected. So I walk over to him.

"Whassup, Jade." He puts out his hand.

"Nothin' much, Gary." I swipe my hand against his, then hit his knuckles with mine. Our handshake. He walks away from me and yells, "Come on, everyone let's get into a line! I'm second captain, Cody's first!"

I step into the line and keep my eyes on Gary. If someone really watched me and heard my thoughts, they'd say I watch, and think about Gary like a hawk or some love-sick puppy. After he chooses D'Marcus, P.J., and two other people, he looks atme walks over saying, "And I pick my home girl, Jade." We do our and I am really smiling at him, proudly.

After the game, I run up to Nehemiah. He looks at me and smiling, asks, "Do you like Gary?" I just look at him and allow the shock to show on my face. But despite myself, I state without flinching, "No." Like always.

He just walks away, "Okay." But I can tell he doesn't agree.