Us

CH.9

**Beep, Beep, Beep**

I got up and got dressed and ready for school. After I ate and brushed my teeth I headed to the bus stop and there he was again walking his brother out and he waved just like yesterday. I blushed and waved back. As I was sitting down in a seat his brother walked past me and told me Brooks liked me. He took the seat behind me and I asked what he meant by that and he told me Brooks never walked him outside for the bus before until after he met me so he had to like me for him to do that. I laughed and said I doubted he liked me.

"By the way my name is Jonah." He said.

"My name is Crystal."

"I know."

I asked how he knew my name.

"This is probably going to sound weird and I may end up getting beat by my brother for telling you this but my room is next to the bathroom and I can hear it while he is in the shower saying your name and sometimes if I am walking through the hallway I can hear him say it while he is in his room."

I looked at him.

"Why would he be?" Jonah looked at me and raised his brow and it hit me why he would and I blushed.

"I don't know why he would be doing that because I know it could never happen with us."

He leaned forward.

"It's ok Crystal. I get it. Y'all don't want anyone to know because of the age issue, don't worry I won't say anything."

"Please don't because I don't want him getting into any trouble because of me having a crush and I didn't know he liked me back. I won't tell him you told me, Jonah." He said thank you.

When we pulled up to the middle school, I told him thank you for keeping it between us. He smiled at me and got off the bus.

After we got to the high school I got off and headed into the gym to wait until we were let out for first period and when I walked in I saw Kinzlee. She waved me over to sit with her. When I sat down she asked why I looked so flustered and I said it was nothing just something embarrassing happened on the bus.

"Come on tell me, girl. We are friends aren't we?"

I smiled.

"Yeah, we are and ok I'll tell you."

I told her about Brooks and just told her he was older than me and about Jonah saying Brooks liked me.

"Sounds like he does like you if he walks his brother out to catch the bus and has never done it before until meeting you."

"I doubt he likes me because I am not one to attract guys they usually laugh at me and call me names."

She smacked my arm.

"Girl you are attractive don't think negatively about yourself. If guys are laughing and calling you names it means they know you are too good for them and you'd never stoop to that level."

"I've never even had a boyfriend." She looked at me.

"Have you ever been kissed?"

I blushed.

"Yes, and it happened recently. She laughed.

"Let me guess Brooks?" I nodded.

"You go girl."

The bell rang and we headed to our first periods.

By lunchtime, I was thinking more and more about what Jonah said this morning so I took out my journal and carried it with me to the lunchroom, and wrote Brooks a letter. I wasn't sure if I was going to give it to him or not yet but I went ahead and put his name on the front. I stuffed it back in my journal and finished my lunch. After school, I was sitting on the bus waiting on the middle school to let out and I was debating on if I should give it to Brooks or not. Jonah got on the bus a few minutes later and sat behind me again.

"Please don't tell my brother I told you all that this morning."

I told him I wouldn't say anything and he told me thank you. When we got home, I saw Brooks standing out by their mailbox. I said bye to Jonah and I looked over at Brooks and walked towards my house. I was nervous all of a sudden and I didn't know what to say and I was too nervous to wave at him. I went straight to my room and plopped down on my bed and sighed. I want to give him the letter but at the same time, I don't want him to give Jonah crap because he told me or even worse look stupid for thinking he likes me if he really doesn't. I lay there thinking about what I would say to him if I gave him the letter and about what he might say after reading it. Either way, it went I needed to know what he was thinking when it came to me so I decided to go for a walk and if he was outside I'd give it to him today. I changed my clothes and headed out for my walk. When I got to the stop sign I looked down at his house and saw him on the porch. The nerves kicked in and I felt like I was going to throw up. I headed down the road and when he saw me he walked off the porch and asked why I didn't wave at him.

"Sorry I wasn't feeling so hot and wanted to get home and lay down for a few minutes."

He asked how I was feeling now and I told him I felt like I was going to throw up and as soon as I said that he asked if I was ok and wanted to know why I was feeling sick.

"I'll be fine Brooks it's just nerves."

He asked what I was nervous about.

"If I tell you now I'll end up throwing up so I think I'll wait until after my walk that way I can run home if I need to. I am going to go ahead and walk now I'll come back by before I go home." I walked off without waiting to hear if he had anything to say.

When I made it back around to the stop sign I took a deep breath and walked towards his house and he was standing by his SUV.

"Here." I took the letter I wrote out of my sock and handed it to him

. "Read it, don't read it whatever you want to do but this explains why I am so nervous today." I turned around and headed back to my house.

When I got home I went and got some clean clothes and headed to the shower.