The Crush

Hello

[App]: Would you like to communicate? Yes or No?

I looked at this question for way too long on my phone. Sure, I would like to talk to my crush, but I don’t know what to say. I’m 90% sure the crush on the other end is Lathan; however, 10% is some random student in this school. I mean, I’m an active girl. I am in what seems like a million clubs, and being on the yearbook committee means I talk to every student at least once. My crush could be crazy. My crush could be someone I have nothing in common with. Thank goodness the crush pool is locked into this school. It would be horrible if the App allowed outsiders to access my profile.

Before I give my answer, I am not a risk-taker. Not even a little. I took an online college class in statistics, so I would never be surprised by the odds of life. I also don’t believe in online dating in general. The idea of strangers falling in love online belongs in a romantic comedy. I’m just not buying it.

[App]:

Would you like to communicate? Yes or No?

[Winter]: Y…E…S

Pray for me, guys. *Enter*

I looked at my phone, not believing I had actually accepted. What is my problem? Could I take it back? Where is the delete button?

[Crush]: Hi.

[Winter]: Hi. Who are you?

[Crush]: I am not ready to say. This is a crush app, after all. Lol.

[Winter]: Okay, then tell me what to call you.

[Crush]: Fortmann

[Winter]: Who is Fortmann?

[Fortmann]: An old football player.

[Winter]: Of course.

I giggle to myself because I am now positive the person on the other side of this app is Lathan. Lathan has been playing football ever since he was a freshman. He is the star quarterback. Lathan Michael has a crush on me.

[Fortmann]: Am I that easy to read, or do you think it’s just a guy’s thing to pick an athlete?

[Winter]: Both.

[Fortmann]: LMAO!!! You are funny. Do you want me to continue calling you Winter, or do you want me to call you by another name?

[Winter]: You can continue calling me Ariel.

[Fortmann]: Like the Little Mermaid?

[Ariel]: No, it’s my middle name.

[Fortmann]: Will do.

As I lay in my bed, my thoughts stayed on Fortmann. The thought that Fortmann is Lathan and his crush on me sends butterflies to my soul. How brave is it that he approached me? My heart still flutters from the memory of him talking to me and stating he noticed me. He even paid the pizza bill for me. How is it possible I like him more?

*Phone Ring* “Hello.”

“Hey Winnie,” Jordan sounded as if she had taken a nap as soon as she got in the house.

“Hey, Jordy.”

“How was the French club pizza party?” Jordan asked sarcastically.

“The pizza party was fun. However, something interesting happened.”

Jordan is known to talk a mile a minute; however, at this moment, you can cut the silence with a butter knife. She knows my crush app went off. “I talked to Lathan Michael today!”

Jordan screamed at the top of her lungs. “What was he like? What did he say? How did it happen?”

“One question at a time.”

Jordan started exaggeratedly hyperventilating over the phone. “Okay,” Jordan took a deep breath, “How did it happen?”

“He was at Rossi’s meeting friends.”

“What did he say to you?” Jordan asked quickly.

“He introduced himself to me, was charming, and paid for the pizza when I was stuck with the bill.”

Jordan screamed again. I could hear her kicking her feet on her bed.

“He is such a good guy, and he made my day better after that

leech Alexander intruded on my French club pizza party.”

“Alexander?” Jordan asked, already forgotten seeing him earlier that day. “The new guy.”

“Oh, the hot nerd.”

“He is not hot,” I rolled my eyes. “He’s a jerk. A mister knows it all.”

“A hot mister knows it all.”

“I haven’t noticed.”

Of course, that was slightly a lie. Had Alex not been a huge imposing jerk, I would agree that maybe he’s easy on the eyes. I shook the thought out of my head because I was reminded that he was a jerk.

“Well, I’ve noticed,” Jordan said.

I rolled my eyes and let out a deep breath. “I’m tired. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. Good night Winnie,” I could hear Jordan’s smile through the phone. “Dream about your new boo Lathan Michael.” I giggled at the thought as I hung up the phone.

I closed my eyes as sleep waved over my body. There is so much to do tomorrow at school. The thought overwhelms me. Tomorrow, I have to go to the yearbook meeting and pick the country I will be debating about for Model UN. I wonder if Lathan will talk to me in public. I know he wants to stick to the App for a while. We should get to know each other on a deeper level until we are strong enough to deal with the pressures of high school nosiness.

When we are out, there will be a lot of jealousy from the senior girls who have been priming him since day one. I can hear them now, asking, what does he see in me? Why her? They don’t even have anything in common. The faces of those who wish for the end before it even started would be strong with the force of all the Avengers. I yawn as my mind assures me that by the time everyone finds out about us, we will be so connected a tornado wouldn’t be able to pull us apart. He will be mine, and I will be his. Soon. Soon everyone will know we are a couple. I have to relax and let all of this come naturally.

I don’t know if you noticed, but I can be neurotic. It’s the perfectionist in me. I don’t need anything perfect. I need it to be perfect. Yawn. As I lay in my bed having my final thoughts before I went into a deep sleep., my mind wondered. As we all know, at this stage of tiredness, we are unable to control our thoughts. Sometimes our thoughts are of fear, and sometimes it is filled with hope.

Tonight’s final thoughts were on that jerk Alexander Tyler. *Phone Ping*

[Fortmann]: I look forward to seeing you at school tomorrow.

[Ariel]: Will you say hi to me.

[Fortmann]: Of course.

[Ariel]: How will I know it is you? Lots of people say hello to me.

[Fortmann]: I will know.

[Ariel]: That doesn’t help me, lol.

[Fortmann]: I know. I wish I was brave enough to come out with it, take your hand in the hall, and tell everyone I had a massive crush on you the first time I laid eyes on you.

[Ariel]: You liked me right away?

[Fortmann]: Of course. I don’t think I’ve made a great first impression; however, I hope my second is winning you so far.

Lathan said he didn’t think I noticed him at the pizza place. Why does he believe that? I am an academic, but I don’t have a sports scholarship to pay my way. We are just using our gifts to get to college. I wish I could play a sport, but that’s not going to happen after the soccer incident. Yes, we should build a strong bond on here before we claim our affection to anyone else.

[Ariel]: So far, the second impression is winning. Lol.

[Fortmann]: Lol, good. I want to impress you.

[Ariel]: Just be yourself. I want to know the real you.

[Fortmann]: Okay. Only if you give me the real you.

[Ariel]: Deal.

[Fortmann]: Deal.

I yawned as I was about to write another sentence.

[Fortmann]: I wish I could text you all night, but I must wake up early for something.

[Ariel]: Me too.

[Fortmann]: Good night A.

[Ariel]: Good night, Fortmann.

***

I beeped the horn for the third time as I waited outside Jordan’s house. That girl is always late. I wish she would overcome her fear and get her driver’s license. However, that may mean she will be super late for school because she wouldn’t have me forcing her to leave her bed.

“I’m coming! Hold on!” Jordan yelled out her bedroom window.

Her mom opened the door to wave and shake her head at the agreed disapproval of her daughter’s lateness. Jordan finally burst

through the door, halfway kissing her mom on the cheek. “Later, Ma.” Jordan then crashed into the car like a madwoman escaping the crime scene. I drove off as she put on her seat belt because I was late.

“Why are we going to school early again?” Jordan asked as she applied more makeup in the mirror.

“It’s not early, it’s on time, and I have to make it in early enough to study for the history quiz. Which, by the way, did you study for it?”

Jordan bit the side of her lip, which meant she was about to lie. “I

studied a little bit.”

“If you don’t pass this class, you’ll be in summer school,” I sighed in disappointment.

“Don’t worry so much. I promise I will not be in summer school. I will work with you at the ice cream shop this summer.”

I smiled because this would be our first summer working together. I

want this summer to be the summer to dream of. Hopefully, it is filled with

lots of kisses from Lathan.

As we walked down the hallways to our history class, I heard a familiar annoying voice. “Winnie!” I looked at Jordan, “Don’t stop.”

Jordan, in Jordan’s fashion, stopped and turned towards Mr. Annoying. I mean Alexander.

“Hi,” Jordan said, waving her flirtatious wave. I don’t know why, but it angered me.

Alex stopped in front of us and smiled. I have to admit, he does have a fantastic smile. But it doesn’t mean I like him. He is still annoying.

“Hey, Winnie,” Alex said.

“Hey,” I replied as I rolled my eyes.

Alexander looked at Jordan with a smile. “I don’t believe I know your name.”

“Funny because I know yours,” Jordan smirked.

Why are they flirting in front of me? Why does she even like Alex? They have nothing in common.

“Winnie, are you on the yearbook committee?”

I smiled because I knew what he was going to say next.

“I just signed up for the yearbook committee. The meeting is an hour after school. I thought we could hang out until then.”

Why does he want to hang out with me? He does know I find him

annoying, right?

Jordan twirled her braid, “Maybe I can hang out with you two

too. I have nothing to do.”

Great! Now he is stealing my best friend away.

“No,” I shouted. They both looked at me in shock.

“Remember, Jordan, I am taking you home and heading back to school. Unless you want to take the bus.”

Jordan hates the bus with a passion. I knew she wouldn’t decline my offer, although the plan was for her to take the bus while I waited in the library for the meeting to start. Jordan gave me a look of knowing. She knew what I was doing, and she had two choices.

“Aww, I’m sorry, Alex. Maybe next time,” Jordan said, pouting.

Good Jordan. Let him know we are not all friends.

“However, maybe you can ride around with us as Winnie takes me home. It will be boring hanging around the school when you’re new and hardly know anyone.” Jordan looks at me, pleading for me to confirm her offer.

I hate the thought of being stuck in a small space with Alex; however, it will be mean of me to leave him at school alone to wait.

I smile, “Yes, you can ride around with us. I’m just taking Jordan home and then coming back to school.”

Alex smiled a different smile than I had ever seen him do. I realized then that he has other smiles for different moods. I couldn’t read this smile.

“Great. I’ll meet you two at the front.” I squeezed out the most natural smile I could.

“Great.” Jordan danced while clapping to celebrate her first step into getting Alex to notice she was alive.

As I turned to my class, Lathan Michaels walked past us in the hall, surrounded by other football players, stopped in his tracks, and smiled, “Good morning, Winter.”

He said hello in public. He said hello like he said he would. Oh my God!!! Lathan Michael said hello to me in front of people.