It wasn’t even close.
“Alex is a special kind of jerk,” I said to Rebecca, tossing my brown curls over one shoulder.
“God, I know,” Rebecca complained. She shook her head. “My parents just like, forgive him for everything! He can’t be stopped,” she added. “It drives me crazy.”
Now that Alex was in my head, I hated to admit it, but I was starting to feel all warm and fluttery.
“I remember the first time I met him,” I said, an unfortunate dreamy quality sneaking into my voice. “He was a jerk, even back then.”
Rebecca frowned. “What happened?”
I flushed. “Oh, it was dumb,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”
Rebecca nodded. “I should really be getting back to this anyway,” she said, pointing down at her work. “It’s due tomorrow.”
As Rebecca hunched over her work, I closed my eyes and thought back to the very first time I’d ever met Alex Travers.
“Hey, Molly! Over here!”
I glanced around in a panic, looking for my best friend Rebecca. We’d just started sixth grade, and it was the first year we’d be in separate classrooms. I’d been having anxiety about it all summer. My mother had basically told me to stop whining and get over it, that I’d make new friends, that maybe even it would be a good idea to put some space between Rebecca and me.
But that didn’t make me feel any better. I was a shy, nervous wallflower, just like Rebecca. We’d bonded in fourth grade, when a teacher had put us together on a project. Ever since then, we’d been close friends. I didn’t want to face the treacherous world of middle school without her.
“Hey!” I yelled. “How was your first day?”
Rebecca made a face as I pushed my way through the crowd.
“Not good,” she said when I got closer.
I sighed. “Me, neither,” I said. “I can’t believe this, it sucks so much. I wish my mom would call the school and have them put me in your class.”
“I know,” Rebecca said. She groaned. “My stupid brother is late – he’s supposed to be picking me up and taking me home. You want a ride?”
“Your brother?” My heart skipped a beat in my chest. Alex, Rebecca’s brother, was seventeen and a senior in high school. I’d never met him before, but I had seen pictures hanging in the hallway of Rebecca’s house. Alex was the hottest guy I’d ever seen. He looked just like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. Just seeing his pictures was enough to make me feel all hot and squirmy.
“Yeah, Alex,” Rebecca said, tossing her light brown hair over her shoulder and groaning. “I hate him, especially since he started driving! He thinks it makes him like, so cool, but he’s such a loser!”
“Why?” I wrinkled my nose.
“Because Mom and Dad let him get away with murder,” Rebecca said. She pulled her hair into a messy bun, then slung her My Little Pony backpack over her shoulder. I followed into the crowded hall and together, we pushed through the other kids. It was crazy – being with Rebecca always made me feel better, more confident about myself.
I had no idea how I was going to get through this year without her.
I shrugged. “I wish I had a brother,” I said, even though I was secretly happy to be an only child. “I get so lonely sometimes.”
Rebecca glared at me over the tops of her glasses. “You definitely don’t,” she said. “Having a brother sucks. It’s like, the worst thing on earth.”
Late August in New Jersey meant hot and humid days and I could barely breathe as I followed Rebecca outside. A line of cars was parked in front of the school – moms and dads hugging their kids and bundling them into the waiting cars.
“I don’t see him anywhere,” Rebecca said, shielding her eyes from the sun. “You should probably just take the bus.”
“No,” I said quickly.
Rebecca gave me a funny look. “Molly? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled, my cheeks burning bright red. “I’m fine.”
Rebecca slumped down and sat in a patch of shade on the concrete, crossing her legs over themselves and hunching over her backpack.