The Crush

Can you do me a favor?

[Ariel]: Fortmann, are you busy?

[Fortmann]: No, talk to me.

[Ariel]: Have you ever felt like the day went slow?

[Fortmann]: I had days like that before. Was today a slow day for you?

[Ariel]: Yes!!! I never wished for a day to be over in my life!

[Fortmann]: Bad day?

[Ariel]: Not really? It was just a long day. I have a problem.

[Fortmann]: Yeah?

[Ariel]: No names, ok?

[Fortmann]: Okay. Tell me whatever you want, without the names.

[Ariel]: Well, there is this guy.

[Fortmann]: Crap! I’m too late, am I? Some guy already made a move on you.

[Ariel]: NO! I can’t stand the guy.

[Fortmann]: Good, lol.

[Ariel]: A friend of mine likes him, and I can’t stand him.

[Fortmann]: May I ask why?

[Ariel]: He is very smug. He thinks too highly of himself. Annoying really.

[Fortmann]: Maybe he is trying to impress you.

[Ariel]: He likes my friend.

[Fortmann]: Did he tell you that?

[Ariel]: Tell me what?

[Fortmann]: Tell you that he likes your friend?

[Ariel]: Yes…No. You should have seen them today. They were flirting the whole time.

[Fortmann]: Or just being friendly.

Were Alex and Jordan just being friendly? Jordan has a very friendly personality. Unlike me, she can make everyone feel as if they knew her forever. On the other hand, I am shy and can come off as distant. Some may say cold. I am friendly to those I know. I wave and smile at those passing by. I was voted most likely to be Miss America in last year’s Sophomore yearbook section. I know I am friendly and don’t care what anyone says. I know flirting when I see it. Alex and Jordan were flirting, using me as a pawn in their twisted love story.

[Fortmann]: You should ask him if he likes your friend.

[Ariel]: Why should I? I don’t care if they date. I don’t want to be in the mix of it. Leave me out of all love affairs.

[Fortmann]: Not just yet. I hope to have one with you, lol.

[Ariel]: Yeah, okay. Lol.

[Fortmann]: I’m being serious. I can’t wait until we are face to face, saying all the things couples say. I believe we will make a fun couple.

[Ariel]: I think so too. I am waiting for you to make a move.

[Fortmann]: Who said I didn’t?

I giggled at the thought of Lathan saying hello to me in public and wondered if that was a step into his plan for us. Was he making a move? I can not wait until I can see him again. I enjoy learning who he is on the inside. Outside, he is too cool to express real thoughts on anything. However, he can be himself here, which is why I am super happy about this app.

We said goodnight because my mother called me down for dinner. I told her I would be down in a minute. I wanted to continue daydreaming of the near future of Lathan Michael as my boyfriend. How did I get so lucky? I screamed in a high pitch as I kicked my feet on the bed, excited about the possibilities. I can not wait until we walk the halls holding hands, kissing between classes, and me cheering him on as he plays football. “Lathan Michael,” I sighed softly with a giggle.

***

“How are the three guys that have triggered your crush app?” I asked Jordan, and I walked into school.

“They are fine. I had already identified one of my crushes.”

I was sure one of them was Alex, I thought to myself. “You did?”

“Yeah, he got tired of the games and told me. We have a date this weekend. Which brings me to ask you a favor,” Jordan bit the bottom of her lip and twisted her left foot, which meant this would be a favor I would disapprove of.

“I am not driving you two anywhere,” I said, opening my locker.

“He has a car, Winnie,” Jordan said playfully, rolling her eyes.

“I think I am the only one that doesn’t have a car.” Jordan then pouted.

“You have to get rid of your fear.”

“I don’t want to,” Jordan said, pouting and stomping her feet like a child. I smirked and shook my head.

Jordan has a genuine fear of driving. She was offered driving lessons and two cars but still refused to get behind the wheel. She claims she tried it, and her foot was too heavy. She gives great details of her first adventure driving into a ditch when she only put a pinky toe on the gas. I laugh every time she tells this story. Jordan is an animated storyteller, and her story changes its theme every time. You have to listen to her Speed version. Imagine no bomb. Jamie Miller (the guy she was dating then and her driving teacher for the moment) as Keanu Reeves. She is Sandra Bullock dodging cars on the street, which was an empty parking lot. The dramatics of it all. I cried from laughing at that story of Jamie begging her to take her foot off the gas and her swearing. She only has her little toe-tapping the gas. Long story short, the car hit a ditch at the end of a football field parking lot, and they broke up. Jamie said he still has nightmares from that day.

“What is this favor you have? And who is the guy?” I prepared myself for the name that made my blood boil with annoyance. Why did she have to like him?

“Well, the favor is a two-part deal.” I rolled my eyes.

“Come on before the bell goes off,” I sighed heavily.

“I want to go on this date, but I don’t want to be left alone with him yet. I need you to come.”

“What?! I am not a third wheel.”

“You won’t be a third wheel.”

I couldn’t believe Jordan tried to get me to be the third wheel on her and Alex’s date. I am no one's chaperone. Jordan thinks she will be going on all these dates with Alex, and I am going to be tagging along, playing mother goose, making sure he keeps his hands to himself. No! I will not do it. Especially if Alex is her date. However, she did say there is a second part of the deal.

“How will I not be a third wheel? Tagging along on a date is the very definition of being the third wheel.”

“Not if it is a double date.” I thought of all the boys I could quickly ask to tag along with me playing mama bear and papa bear to Jordan’s date with Alex. I thought of Richard Mendoza. Yeah, he would go without thinking I had any romantic intentions for him. “Okay, I’ll go.”

Jordan jumped up and down, clapping. “Yay! I’m super excited. I’ll text Marcus to tell him that the date is on.”

“Wait? Who?”

“Marcus Brown. My date. We have math together. We sat next to each other for a whole year. I never noticed how cute he was.”

“Your date is Marcus?” I asked in confusion.

“Winter, are you okay? You asked me that already. I think we will make a cute couple.”

I shook my head, “No, Marcus is very handsome. But what about Alex?”

“So he asked you?” Jordan asked with a brow raised.

“Asked me what?”

“The second part of the double date deal. You and Alex will be double dating with Marcus and me.”

“No!” I walked away.

“Come on. Just this once,” Jordan pleaded.

“You and Alex were flirting the other day. In my car!” I walked past Jordan and headed down the hall to my class. “I’m not going.”

“FYI, I was not flirting with Alex. I was being friendly. He and I are friends.”

We had five more minutes until class started, but I went into the classroom anyway. “I have class, Jordy. I’ll talk to you about this later.”

“Think about it, Winter,” Jordan pleaded one last time before leaving.

I sat in the empty classroom thinking about what Fortmann, I mean Lathan. He said Alex and Jordan were friends. I had to remind myself to tell him that he was correct. Why would Jordan set me up on a double date with Alex? She has to know that I don’t like him. Wait? Did I tell her?