Chapter 10 Chapter 10

My friends and I decided that we are carpooling today. We decided that they will carpool with me, so I was now driving to Amber's house to pick her up.

I was at her house in ten minutes and I honk the horn for her to come. Amber did not exit her house as yet, so I honked again. A few minutes later, Amber came running from her house. She came and sat in the passenger seat of my silver sedan.

"Geez Amber, what took you so long? You want us to be late?" I scold her accusingly.

"Calm down. It was only five minutes." Amber rolled her eyes and I glared at her.

"Whatever." I said as I pulled from her house and drove to Dylan's. As soon as we reached Dylan's house, he got in.

"Hello girls." He greeted, giving? us a big smile. We greeted him back and I drove to school.

We reached school and I parked in the parking lot and got out.

"Hey, so who is driving tomorrow?" I asked when all of us was out of the car.

"I am." Amber replied as we walked to the school doors.

"Okay. Dylan you are Monday." I said looking in his direction.

"No problemo." He said. We were walking down the hallway to our lockers, when I turned to my friends.

"So you guys are coming to watch me practice later?" I asked.

"Yes of course." Amber stated and Dylan nodded. "I will see you guys at lunch." She added as she waved to Dylan and I.

"Later!" Dylan and I both said. I followed Dylan to his locker and then he followed me to mine.

"Come on, we don't want to be late and anger Mr. Black." I said. Dylan agreed and we head to calculus class.

"Okay class, so an atomic mass includes masses of the three?subatomic particles that make up an atom. Who know what they are?" Mrs. Kristy, my AP chemistry teacher asked. It was almost lunch time and I was already drained.

I was busy watching the time for class to be over, while a girl at the back of the class answered. "Protons, neutrons and electrons."

"That's correct, Melisa" Mrs. Kristy replied. She was about to say something else, when the bell rang. "Alright class, please read up on protons, neutrons and electrons in preparation for next class." She said as the students got their things together.

I put my books in my bag and exited the class. I went to my locker to put away my things and then head to the bathroom to wash up for lunch. As I was nearing the bathroom, Ethan passed me in the hallway.

"Hey Red, see you in English class." He said winking at me. Seriously, this boy is always winking. Does he have an eye problem or something?

"Whatever. Just don't be a nuisance." I warned him.

"Ah, what's the fun in that?" He asked grinning.

I shook my head. "After I thought you'd abandoned your annoying ways."

"Never." He smirked and walked away. Shaking my head again, I continued to the bathroom. As I entered the bathroom, I saw Ramona inside touching up her make-up. I ignored her and went into one of the stalls.?

When I exited the stall, Ramona was still in the bathroom.?She had finish what she was doing and was now leaning on the facet counter, crossing her arms and glaring at me.

"Ignoring me I see." She said.

"Look, I really don't want to argue with you today." I said, as I went up to the facet to wash my hands.

"I really don't want to argue with you today." Ramona mimicked.

I wiped my hand on a paper towel and throw it away. I sighed. "What do you want?"

"What I want is for you to show me some respect." She said,?looking up and down at me.

"You know what I don't understand, Ramona?" I asked as I looked directly at her, "Why did you became friends with Amber and I if you didn't like us?"

"You see that was the fun part," She laughed cynically. "I wanted to get close to you to make your life a living hell. Ms. Goody Goody, who behaves like she is better than everybody else."

"No, I did not and you know it." I said and she turned her mouth up into a sneer. "You know what? If you were going to be two-faced, you should've at least make one of them pretty."

Ramona's green eyes turned cold and she looked at me with hatred. "You are so going to regret messing with me. I assure you that." She threatened with a lot of venom in her voice. She gave me one last once over, before she stepped out of the bathroom. I shake my head at her behaviour and left the bathroom as well.

I hurried to the cafeteria and noticed that my friends were already there. I bought my lunch and went over to our table.

"I thought you were not coming for lunch." Amber said as I sat down.

"Of course not. I just went to the bathroom and Ramona was there. She kept me up." I explained.

"Her again." Dylan said shaking his head.

"Yep." I said as I bit into my cheese sandwich. All throughout lunch, I noticed that Ramona kept looking over at our table. What was this girl's problem?

We were in the middle of lunch, when I noticed Ramona getting up from her seat and standing on the table. What was she up to? She smirked in my direction, before she spoke. "Can I have your attention everyone!" She said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I just wanted you all to know something about that girl over there." she pointed in my direction. Everyone looked in the direction that she pointed and at me.

She continued, "Don't think that she is Ms. Perfect because she is nice and can dance. I can't stand her and I'm sure a lot of people can't stand her either." She then smirked evilly in my direction. "For instance, her dad couldn't stand her either, which is why he is dead. You know what I think? I think he crashed his own car. He killed himself so he doesn't have to see the pathetic face of his own daughter."

How dare she talked about my father like that? I stood up from my seat. Tears started to cloud my vision and I seemed to be moving in autopilot, as I ran from the cafeteria. I didn't know where I was going, but I found myself heading in the direction of the bathroom. I opened the bathroom door and headed for the first stall. I closed the door and slid to the floor. Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead sitting on the bathroom floor or leaning on the walls, but right now I couldn't care less.

Right now, tears were streaming down my face as I leaned on the door. How can Ramona do this to me? She hates me this much that she would publicly humiliate me? Told those lies? What was she expecting to gain?

I heard the bathroom door being opened and I willed myself to stay quiet. I didn't want any one to know I was in here and I definitely didn't want anyone to know I was crying. I held my breath and covered my hands over my mouth to stop my sniffles.

"Jessica." I heard a voice whisper. I recognized that voice. It was Ethan's. Oh dear God. What was he doing in here?

"Jessica, are you in here?" Ethan asked. I couldn't hide in here forever, I had to answer him.

I took a deep breath. "What are you doing in here? This is the girls' bathroom." I stated.

"So what?" Was his only response. He paused for a few seconds, then added. "Are you crying? I can hear it in your voice." I stayed silent, hoping he will go away. But I had no such luck. "I was in the cafeteria. I heard all those mean things that girl said, so I know that you are not okay."

When he said that, everything that Ramona said came flooding back and I started crying again. I heard his footsteps and I thought he had left, when I heard his voice closer to the door. "Come on Jessica, open the door." He said quietly. Without a second thought, I pulled the door and stepped out into his embrace. He began to rubbed my back soothingly to comfort me.

I was more than a little surprise. To think that out of all the person who could be comforting me, Ethan was the last person I would think of.