Secret Crush

Chapter 2 - [Best Friends and Older Brothers]

I adjusted my glasses and typed a couple more words into my first history essay of twelfth grade. “World War One was once said to be the war to end all wars, however World War Two still happened.” I said. I then turned in my office chair. “Does that sound cheesy?”

My best friend Valerie snorted as she rolled over onto her belly on my bed. “It’s only worth two percent of your mark.” She said, rolling her green eyes. “And Ms. Jamie is just trying to see how good you are at writing essays.”

My close friend Maria nodded her head, her short brown curls bouncing as she did. “And you’re the queen of essays. You’re going to get an A plus no matter what.”

I grinned at them. Essay writing was the one thing I was good at.

“Okay, can we please discuss something more important?” Maria said, throwing her book onto my bedroom floor, in front of the spot where she was sitting, and looking at me.

I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

She raised a perfectly threaded eyebrow at me. “You told us this afternoon that you were working on a project with Gale Dallas.”

I turned around into my desk, looking at my laptop and ignoring the sudden, uncomfortable stare of Valerie.

“Gale Dallas.” Maria sighed, blinking her brown eyes. She sighed. “You are so lucky!”

I chuckled. “Aren’t I?”

“Is he sweet?” Maria asked.

I shrugged. “Sure.”

“I heard he smells amazing all the time.”

That made me laugh. “Okay…”

She sighed dreamily. “Gale Dallas…” She said. “Wow. He's like... the king of the school.”

Valarie snorted. “He’s just another snobby popular and rich kid, what’s so great about him?”

Maria kissed her teeth. “Gale Dallas, Valarie. Gale. Dallas.”

I turned around in my chair again and saw Valerie shake her head. She then ran her fingers through her red-ish brown hair and looked at me.

“I heard he’s like, a superb artist.” Maria said.

“Alright, Maria.” I said, smiling at her. “It’s eight. Didn’t your mom say you have to go pick your brother up from the babysitter?”

Maria rolled her eyes, packed her bag and stood up. “I can’t believe you two don’t want to talk about the godliness of Gale Dallas.”

I kept my smile on my face but Valerie rolled her eyes.

Maria was something.

She was extremely bubbly and instantly had crushes on attractive guys. So it was only natural for her to have an interest in Gale.

But honestly, it wasn’t something we could really make fun of. She was a cute, social and perky girl who loved to talk and gossip. She was up to date when it came to fashion and was probably the closest to popular in our little trio.

“Alright, I guess I’ll be off.” She gave us a little wave, and we waved back as she left my bedroom, closing the door behind her.

When she was gone, Valerie looked at me. “You could have asked Mr. Dmitri to get another partner.”

I sighed.

Valerie was like my guardian angel. She was beautiful, with her red-ish brown hair and green eyes and perfect, fit body… but she was unbelievably scary to some girls because of her tough, smart-ass attitude and her lack of fear for anything. She's been asked out a ton of times by the more popular guys because well, Valerie is supermodel material.

But her genuine disgust for materialistic snobs was what made her one of us rather then one of them. Though she was scary, she was one of the most good hearted people I knew.

She was the one friend in my life that I knew I could depend on. Someone who has gone out of her way to do so many things for me.

If anything was wrong in my life, she was first to be up in the face of whoever made it wrong.

And right now, Gale was what was wrong.

“I’m not going to ask Mr. Dmitri to switch.”

“Why not?” Valerie asked. “Because you have a soft spot for him?”

“No!” I said, looking at her. “I’m just not going to bring what happened back up… we’re just two kids in the same class right now and we were forced to be partners. It happens to people all the time.”

Valerie closed her book and sat up. “Well, let me tell you this now. If that d**k does anything to hurt you again, I swear, he’s going to be eating my fist.”

I chuckled.

Valerie had a special hate for Gale.

She was one of my friends since elementary school but we had never really been close until my first year in high school.

She saw me sitting down in front of my locker in the second week of school, miserable and lonely. And for a tough chick, she approached me with the biggest smile I have ever seen on her and made me happy again. I will never forget that.

She was the only person in our school who knew what Gale and I once were and she hated him for choosing his popularity over his best friend. Gale was a d**k in her eyes and he probably always will be.

I smiled at her. “Val, I’ll be fine. Trust me. It’s just a project. What’s the worst that could happen?”

She shrugged and got up off the bed. “Who knows? But trust me, I’m ready to beat the dick.”

I rolled my eyes but laughed.

“Anyways, I should get going too.” She said. “My aunt’s gonna beat the s**t out of me if I don’t take Ruffs for a walk.”

I smiled, picturing the big bulldog in my head. “Have fun!”

She walked over to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Take care sweetums.” She smiled. “Call me if anything.”

I smiled widely and felt the happiness I always felt when I remembered how awesome of a friend Val was. “I will.”

She saluted me before picking up her bag and walking to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised by my brother. “Hey there, hot stuff.” She said to him with a grin.

My brother chuckled. “Hey Val.”

She grinned happily at him before walking past him and leaving.

I looked at my brother Nathanial. “What’s up?”

He walked into my room. “Don’t hate me for eavesdropping but-”

I rolled my eyes and started to groan.

“Mimi.” He frowned. “Val’s right. You should have told your teacher-”

“Nate, relax.” I said. “I’m fine! Like I said before, he’s just another kid.”

Nate pressed his lips into a thin line and leaned against my wall, watching me carefully.

Nate was my twenty-six year old brother. Though he had moved out and had a lovely apartment of his own in downtown, he would often come and hang out here with me. Mostly because I was alone with my mom.

Ever since my parents had their divorce, Nate had developed a very large sensitive spot for me… because he knew how much their divorce ripped me apart. And since it was my mother who had ‘lost her feelings’ for my father… her and I never got along very well.

So Nate was often at home to keep me company, and the only time he really left for a while was when I was hanging with my dad.

Nate was a great brother. We were closer than most siblings are and I trusted him with all my secrets ever since I was a kid.

But my old crush on Gale wasn’t just a secret to him.

You see, my brother was dating Gale’s beautiful sister. They’ve been dating for the past eleven years actually.

And that’s how Gale and I even met. It was because of my brother and his sister.

So ever since the whole Gale issue started, my brother has always thought it was his entire fault.

“You know, I could tell Gina-”

“No Nate, you will not.” I said as I turned back around and tried to focus on my essay.

Nathanial walked over to me and then messed up my hair with his hand.

I pushed it aside and gave him an annoyed look, but when I saw him grinning, I couldn’t stop myself from grinning too.

“When are you going to go visit dad?” He asked me.

I pursed my lips and shrugged. “Soon.” I said with a sigh. “It’s been a little awkward to visit him… now that he’s got that girlfriend.”

Nate chuckled. “He called me.” He said. “He was worried about that.”

I looked at my brother. “Really?”

Nate nodded. “He wants to see you, so go drop by soon.”

I nodded, suddenly feeling a little happy.

I loved my dad so much and missed him like no tomorrow. The thought that he missed me too made me very happy.

Nate gave me a pat on the back before turning around and walking off.

“Oh… Naomi.” He said, stopping and looking at me.

“Yeah?” I asked, turning around.

“If anything happens… tell me, okay?”

I smiled and nodded.

He smiled back, and then his eyes drifted to the pictures I had on my desk. But he blinked and turned around, leaving the room.

I turned around in my chair and looked at the pictures he was looking at. They were pictures that were a little hidden because Maria was just here.

It was a picture of Gale hugging me when we were ten. And right next to it was a picture of Gale and I at our grade eight graduation.

I leaned back in my seat and sighed.

When I first realized that Gale was ignoring and avoiding me, I was ready to throw these out the window… but when I tried, I didn’t have the heart to.

I turned around in my chair and looked around.

Almost everything in my bedroom had a little bit of Gale in it… it was actually weird when I thought about it.

I loved my bedroom though. It was my safe haven.

It was a small room. My door was at the right corner of the room and right across from it was my desk and next to my desk was my bookshelf. To the left of the door was my bed and right next to that was a huge window.

And my walls were covered with photos and posters and all kinds of other stuff.

This room was literally my childhood and beyond.

And that’s why my bedroom had a little bit of Gale in it. Because Gale was pretty much my childhood.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

People change.

I changed.

And Gale changed too.

I took a deep breath. I guess I just have to get used to it.