Sara and the Friendlies - Chapter 1

Photo Credit: yeuphimthai.net

Today at school I am going to see the boy I love. The boy I love is tall of course, which is important because I am tall. He has black wavy hair and a confident grin. Whenever he walks by, everyone looks up from their work and admires him because he is so handsome. All the girls love him, too, but I am not jealous. I know we are meant for each other.  I love him. I made him lunch today, home-made fried rice and chicken, and I bought a coke from 7-11. It is still cold sitting there in my backpack. The lunch bell rings, and I find a seat at an empty table. He walks by, and I look up and grin at him. I hold up his coke. Before he can sit down, my best friend jumps into the seat. She nearly knocks my lover to the ground.

                

“Is that coke for me?” Dream reaches over, but I quickly put the soda back in my bag.

               

“No, that was for P’Jem. Great, now he’s gone! You scared him away.”

               

“It’s not like he was going to sit with you. He has a girlfriend, you know.”

                

I look at P’Jem and sigh. “Please don’t remind me.”

                

“You always like the boys with girlfriends.”

               

I shake my head. “That’s not true.”

                

“It’s true. You liked that fat boy, um, Rick, last week.”

“He wasn’t fat! Just really strong.”

“And the week before that you liked P’Em. Every week it’s a different boy. You’re so silly.”

I chew my food and say, “I’m sixteen and a boy has never liked me. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Dream laughs and slaps the table. “Not true! There’s that boy in our English class. He likes you.”

“Who?” I stare at Dream. Is she joking?

“Ya! The one with the birthmark under his eye. He’s always looking at you. Don’t you remember him?”

I laugh and shrug my shoulders. “You’re joking. No boy has ever liked me.”

              

“Seriously! I’m not joking. His name is…Oh, I don’t remember.”

              

I remember a boy with a birthmark, but I don’t remember if he is handsome, tall, or if he has wavy black hair. I don’t remember his name either. “I’ll have to see next class. But I think you’re joking.”

                

Dream argues, “Why don’t you believe me? Anyway, he’s just one boy. You’ll fall in love with a different one next week.

I grumble. “I want a boyfriend, you know. All the other girls have one.”

               

Dream laughs and knocks the back of my head with her hand. “Hey Sara! I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’m a girl, right?”

               

I stay silent, eating and staring at P’Jem, and Dream tries to hit me again. I catch her hand and laugh. “Too slow!”

              

We try to pinch each other’s ears, and a little girl I’ve never seen before skips up to me. She is a couple years younger than me.

                

“P’Sara! This is for you.” She hands me a small folded piece of paper. Everyone at my table stops what they are doing and stares at me as I take the mysterious note.

               

“What is it?” Dream says, but the girl runs away and giggles.

               

I open the piece of paper. The author has beautiful handwriting for the first two sentences. The last few sentences are not beautiful at all. Maybe the writer rushed to finish. I whisper quietly so only Dream can hear.

                

Dear Sara,

I have loved you for six years. I think we are soul mates. Meet me at the old tree after class. I will wait for you there.

               

Sincerely,

Secret Admirer

                

“There you go, Sara! You don’t have to wish. Here is a boy who likes you.” Dream grabs the letter out of my hands. I get angry and try to take it back. “Wait, wait! What’s this?” Dream points to a small doodle of a flower. “He’s very romantic. Or maybe he’s gay.”

                

“He’s not gay! He likes me, doesn’t he?” I cross my arms.

                

“Yes…but why don’t you look happy?” Dream bows and hands the paper back to me. She’s laughing. She thinks she is funny.

                

“I don’t know if I like him!”

                

Dream laughs again, loudly. “Sara! You’ve had a crush on every boy since second grade. You will like him.”

                

I look at the paper again. She is right. “Okay, but I’m going alone!”

                

“Of course. Text me after!” Dream jumps up. Everyone in the cafeteria is standing and walking out of the room. Finally, I realize the bell has rung and I am going to be late for class.

#

I walk to the old tree alone after school. I walk slowly because I don’t want to be first. I don’t want him to think I am excited to meet him. I want to look cool, so I carry my bag with one shoulder. Earlier, Dream let me borrow her lip gloss, and I found an old case of eye shadow in the bottom of my bag. I’m sixteen years old, but with makeup, Dream says I look seventeen.

I’m almost there. I see a boy leaning against the tree. It must be him!

                

“Hello,” I say. I want to sound cool, but I speak too loudly. He jumps. I think I scared him.

                

“Hi,” the boy says.

It takes me a minute to recognize him. He is in my class. “Your name is Dino, right?”

“Yes, and your name is Sara.”

“Yes.”

We are quiet.

I look at Dino. He is taller than me. He has long, thin eyes and his hair is short. I like his nose. It is bigger than mine. Dream teases me. She always says my nose is too small. Sometimes I say her forehead is too big. Dino has an average forehead, but his ears are big. His ears are clean, so I don’t mind. Finally, I decide Dino is handsome. I think I do like him. I wait for him to speak, but he doesn’t say anything. Suddenly, I get a text. It’s Dream.

<Who is he???>

Dino gets a text, too, so I answer Dream’s question.

<Dino. I think I like him. What should I say??>

Two seconds later another text arrives.

<Don’t tell him about the love letter. Ask him how he’s doing. Talk about school. Don’t let him know you like him yet.>

<Kk thanks.>

“How are you today, Dino?” I put my arm on my hip. He looks at my arm so I move it behind my back.

“I’m good. How are you?” he answers. He has a deep voice.

“I’m good…um…well, I have a lot of homework in Mrs. Wall’s class.” I put my arm back on my hip because I am nervous and I don’t know what to do with my arm.

“You have Mrs. Wall? I have her, too. Are you writing the history paper about local myths?” Dino looks unhappy.

“Yes. It’s due soon. I’m writing about friendlies."

“Friendlies! That’s really interesting. I like stuff about them.” Dino’s face looks happier. I think he might like me.

“Ya, well, it’s an interesting myth. Friendlies are invisible people who protect you and help you. It seems nice. I wish it were true.” I smile and blink my eyes. Maybe he will ask for my number.

“You don’t think they are real?” Dino smiles and crosses his arms.

“Nope,” I answer the truth, and he laughs because I am honest.

I put my heavy bag on the ground. When I stand up again, Dino is standing close to me. He says, “Do you know some people can see friendlies?”

I giggle. He’s so tall. I say, “Yes, and they can pass that ability to another person.”

“Yes, if another person wants to see them, too,” he says. Dino looks at my eyes. I think he notices my eye shadow. “Are you wearing make-up?”

I nod my head. Yes, I am. I cannot speak anymore. My heart is running a marathon.

“Do you still wish friendlies were real?” Dino asks.

I nod my head again.

“Do you wish you could see them?” Dino smiles.

Maybe I nod my head. I don’t know what I am doing anymore. He is standing so close. His big nose is getting bigger. He smells like fried eggs and ketchup.

“How should I do this?” Dino says, and I wonder what he is doing. I think he wants to kiss me! My phone whistles. Dream is texting again.

Maybe I should move? Maybe not. I don’t know what a kiss tastes like. I think I’ll stay.

Dino is centimeters from my face, and I start to close my eyes. Suddenly a hand grabs my arm and yanks me backwards. I fall to the ground and hit my head on the sidewalk. Slowly, I move my neck. There’s a different boy standing next to me. He’s shouting at Dino. He is angry, but I don’t know why. I can’t see his face clearly. There are shadows in my eyes. I must have hit my head pretty hard. I still can’t tell what they are saying.

“I can’t believe you almost did that!” The interfering boy glanced down at me. Before he turns his face away again, I see a dark birthmark under his eye. Dino appears again. He is fighting with the other boy. Dino reaches towards me and a bright light explodes in my face. I can’t see anymore. I see nothing.


Sara and the Friendlies - Chapter 2