"Please."
"No.
"Please!"
"No."
"PLEASE!"
"Okay okay. Just don't do that again." I said.
Skyler smiled.
"Thank you." She said.
"Don't mention it." I replied.
Yeah, it was lunch. The other girls and Flynn (who all of a sudden sits with us) were in line getting food while Skyler begged me to let her interview me for the newspaper.
"I'll come over to your house at 5. It should only take an hour." She said
"Only!" I said.
"Hey, I could add more questions and make it TWO hours." She mocked.
"One hour is fine." I said.
She was quiet for a second then said,
"Oh! There was someone who I want you to meet."
Then she scurried off and came back after a couple of minutes.
There was a tall guy with her. He had short light brown hair and brown eyes.
"You can finish your conversation later." She said as she continued to drag him over.
She stopped at our table.
"This is Alice." She said.
"Okay?" He said.
She rolled her eyes.
"Alice, this is one of mine and Zoe's friends from elementary and middle school."
"Hi." I said.
She smacked his arm.
"Oh, uh, I'm Luke." He turn to Skyler, "Is that what you wanted me to say?"
"I just thought that you guys would be good friends." She said while sitting him in the spot next to me.
"Um, sorry but, I was in the middle of a conversation with someone." Luke said.
"That one eighth grade girl from our old school? What is she even doing here?" Skyler asked.
"I don't want to talk about it." He answered.
"She likes you doesn't she." Skyler continued. "Ick that's just weird."
"What? That's hurtful." He said
"Not because of you. Because...how do I word this...oh, because you guys are like salt and cereal. It's disgusting."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said.
He got up and walked out.
Skyler raised her eyebrows at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Do you like him?" She asked.
"Is that what that was all about!" I yelled.
She started laughing.
"You guys would be so cute together though!" She said.
"Whatever, you're weird by the way."
"Thank you." She said.
~
"Sky, why did you drag me along?" I heard Luke say.
I was in a different room, and could still hear their whole conversation.
"Because you ramble about her all the time and I know your part of her "fan club"." Skyler replied.
"There is no fan club and if there was I would not be in it."
"What if I told you that she liked you?" Skyler kept on going.
"Then I would say okay and move on with my life." He answered.
"Oh really?"
"Yep. Sky, I just met her."
"Love at first sight?"
"Quit. Just quit."
"Answer!"
"Drop it."
"You ruin my fun."
I walked in.
Luke's face started turning red.
"Hey guys." I acted normally so he wouldn't be embarrassed for the nothing that happened.
"Okay, now for the interview!" Skyler said.

One hour later I'd basically taken a test about myself.
Zoe came over during the middle of it and now we were all in the living room, sitting.
Luke stood up to leave.
He held his hand out to Zoe for her to shake.
"I don't do handshakes!" She yelled as she pulled him into a hug.
Luke had a hilarious look on his face.
Skyler joined their hug, then pulled me in too.
We were all laughing and then Luke left.
"Hey," Zoe said, "we should have a sleepover!"
"Nah, I have a date with Flynn tomorrow."
Zoe gave her a disapproving look.
"Not without me you're not." She said.
"Zoe, I'm sorry but, whenever you come along, everything is a little weird."
"I don't care about weird and awkwardness." Zoe said.
"It's just gonna be me and Flynn, Zoe." Skyler said.
"Humph, I know when I'm not wanted." Zoe said. "And just to let you know, I do not approve of Flynn."
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Skyler said. "I gotta go, bye."
She got up and left.
"I'm gone too." Zoe said and she also left.
After they were all gone a feeling of happiness went over me.
I have true friends.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Okay class," Mrs. Ellers said. "as you might know the end of the year is coming up-"
Everyone cheered.
"Let me finish. That means that we're entering the project unit."
Everyone groaned.
The class I'm in is science. Science just happens to be my worst subject, and projects are what I do the worst in. Not a good match.
Mrs. Ellers continued, "You will be with the same partner for every project. So that means, no drama. You can't get mad at this person because, no swaps."
Everyone seemed okay with that.
Then she changed that too.
"And I get to choose your partners."
Then it was like the plane just crashed.
"The partner pairs are posted in the hall." Mrs. Ellers finished. "You can check after class. Right now, work on the homework I assigned."
I knew Skyler was in this class. I looked over and mouthed to her. "I hope we're partners."
She nodded then made a smug face.
A gave her a look that said what?
She looked to the back of the class where Luke was sitting.
Wait, Luke!
"He transferred to this hour." she mouthed.
I was surprised. Then I went back to my work.
~
At the end of class Skyler beelined out the door.
She came back in with a smile on her face.
"We're partners?" I asked.
"Nope, I'm with Zeke." She said.
"Then who am I with?" I asked.
"Someone named..." I knew what she was going to say before she said it. "Luke."
I put my head in my hands.
She ran off laughing.
I went to art. It's my last class so I'm usually really happy, but today I just sat there with a blank expression on my face.
I drew a flower for the entire class time, too drowned in my thoughts to notice if anyone was talking to me.