"Hey Lyzy!" Natalie calls. She waves happily at me, looking at Zack and then at me. Half of the class is already in front of the bus station. All of us are wearing sneakers, and practical clothing.

We are going on a scientific pedagogical field trip in a forest this Friday's morning. I noticed that she and Kaila tried positioning themselves as close as possible to Zack and Jonathan.

I appreciated their efforts, but I knew that all hope was lost. He always stayed with Mathilda and Cora anyway. "We thought about pushing you two in the school elevator and cutting all the power," Kaila jokes.

"Girls... You can stop now... I don't have any chance with him. I'm just not his type," I shrug.

They nod understandingly. The field trip took forever. We had to collect data, to make a file later on. The teacher suddenly calls us, asks us to gather up and sit down I the damp grass. Everyone starts complaining and I roll my eyes of exasperation.

It was harder and harder for me to stand other people's company. My anti-social instincts were growing every second. I was afraid to snap at any time... Like I had done once.

We were in 9th grade, and my group of friends and I were sitting together, in the middle school's recess area. Kaila and Monica, her best friend, we're singing together. Thomas, Alex, and Caleb were talking with Natalie, and I was watching Adam, on the opposite side of the park. My old crush was flirting and playing with the popular girls. I stared, letting the jealousy invade me.

They were laughing together, and spending some good time. He played tag and catched Deborah. He hugged her against him and she laughed some more.

The bell rang and I clenched my jaw tightly. My friends were laughing, but I felt bad. On the way to French class, Thomas started stepping on the heel of my shoe again and again, making it slip off. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me react the way he wanted to. So I didn't react at all. He continued, and continued and I snapped.

"STOP!!!" I had yelled. Every one in the hall jumped, including the french teacher who was standing in front of the class, waiting for us. No one had every seen me, the soft and quiet Lyzy, get angry like that. My teacher came to see me privately and I fought hard to keep the tears in and tell him that nothing was wrong.

Thomas had only wanted to tease me, but it was the wrong thing, to do at the wrong time, in the wrong place. Everyone gathered around me and Nat had defended me, telling everyone to scurry away.

"You have a grass stain on your butt," I hear Zack point out to Mathilda. His remark made me shake out of my thoughts. She had sat between his legs and now was standing up. She tried wiping it off but missed. "Here, let me do it," Zack offered. He rubbed his hand against her behind and shot a knowing glance at Jonathan.

"Just so you know, Mathilda," he started. "I'm not taking any pleasure at touching your butt," he laughed. Nat pulled me away and patted my shoulder comfortingly. "He doesn't deserve you, and she's less than nothing. She doesn't even deserve your jealousy."

"You're right," I sigh. Kaila joins us and changes the subject clumsily.

"Isn't it Thomas's birthday soon?" She asks.

"Yes!" Natalie replies enthusiastically. "He organized a paintball in the morning, a picnic at lunch, and then there is an attraction park near your house! So he suggested we go have some fun there."

"Sounds awesome!" I smiled. "It's going to be incredible. "Who's coming?" We chat and work at the same time.

"Everyone in the group! Except Alex and Monica, they couldn't make it," Kaila explains, photographing a plant with her phone.

"Just like during the good old days," I grinned.

"Didn't Thomas use to like you?" Natalie inquires, smirking.

"Yeah... He had a crush on me, and it was a bit awkward between us after that, but everything's back to normal!"

"Yeah right," Kayla scoffs.

"Just look at those twinkling eyes when you speak about him!" Natalie teases, while jotting down some information on a flower she found.

"What?" I choke. "No way!"

"Yes way! And by the way... He passed puberty you know?" Kaila smiles. "He's grown quite cute!"

"Really? I haven't seen him in a while..." I thoughtfully comment.

"Ooooh! You can't wait to see him can't you?" Natalie giggles.

"You two would make such a lovely couple!" Kaila insists.

"Giiirls!" I whisper yell. "I friend-zoned him!" I shamefully state. "He won't want to try again."

"Oh! But you never said you didn't want him to!" Kaila jumps up and down.

"Time to play Cupid again!" Natalie laughs. She high-fives Kaila and I make a face palm.

"I'm not even sure I like like him!" I protest.

"What did you not understand in "time to play Cupid again!" "Natalie asks, as if speaking to a mentally retarded camel.

"You can't make someone fall in love with another person!" I argue.

"You under estimate our power of influence," Kaila shook her head confidently.

"He's a smart guy, he's good looking, he has good grades, he's polite, he's nice and gentle, what more could you ask for?" Kaila throws her hands up in the air.

The teacher called us and announced that it was time to return to the school. In the bus, Cora ran to sit next to Zack, and he started drawing circles on her thigh. I quickly looked away disgustedly.

Why was he interested in her? She had absolutely no personality. If that was his type of girl, he deeply disappointed me. I didn't even feel jealous, I felt pity for him. Anger filled me.

On the way home from school, after a long and boring day, I thought about Thomas. I had refused his proposition a few years ago because I liked him as a friend. But we had become really good friend over these four years.

In my bed, past 11:30 p.m, I decided to grab my phone and send him a message.

Can't wait for tomorrow! 🔥😋 I waited a few minutes before I felt my phone vibrate.

Me neither, I've missed you... 💕 I smiled.

I missed you too! 💋 Impatient to see you and your paintball team go down. 😂😌✌️

Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen. 😏😎

We spoke until one a.m and I finally decided to wish him a good night's sleep.