Real Love Or, Fake Love?

Julie High school sucks I say to Ruby. You would think at some point popularity wouldn’t matter so much anymore. Julie, when has that ever been anything to happen? Asked Ruby. I reply with I guess really never. Let get going before we are late to class before we are late. We will be late to history class and you know Mr. Tuck wont like that. Yeah we know will be make it on time. We wont really be missing much he is teaching about the great depression. Maybe he will be retiring soon. Julie speaking of that I heard in math class he will be. It was Meg who says that. She is my best friend has been since the second grade. My other best friend is Ruby she has been my best friend for about three years now. We all say good at the same time. We make it to class on time, thank god, I take my seat. I happen to sit behind the most handsome guy in school. He is also the most popular kid in school. His name is Ryder. He is the quarterback for our school football team. He doesn’t even know I exist. Story of my life though. I would be the one to have a crush on someone who doesn’t even know I’m a live. Even more saddest thing in the world is I spend most of my time daydreaming about him. I know I’m pathetic. Right in the middle of me thinking I was popular Ryder turns around and he talks to me. He looks even more handsome while looking at me. “Are you new here? No one used to sit here.” Ryder says with a confused look on his face. I reply with a little sass to his question saying. “ No I’m not new here I have sat here since the beginning of the school year. Not only that we have been in the same schools since elementary school. YOU JERK!” When I say the last part he has a surprised look on his face like he didn’t expect me to say that to him. He only says in response to that “ Okay I’m sorry.” I can say for our first conversation I am being really mean. With that being said I continue and say.. “Before you continue you might as well stop cause of course you don’t know who I am I’m not in your group of friends.” “Look I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?” Ryan says. He is getting kind of sassy back with me, not that I mind. This is a fun first encounter with him. I never thought I could hate a conversation and like one at the same time. “Nothing you PRICK!” I do feel kind of bad when I say that last part. “Prick.? That’s really rude don’t you think? I don’t make the rules for high school.” Ryder says, now I can see him getting very upset. I say very calmly. “ No, but you could try to change them. What did you want Ryder?” “Just to barrow a pen please.?” He says it like we didn’t just get into a mild argument, or was that just in my head? He could at least ask using my name. Unless… “You don’t know my name do you?” I ask after I moment of silence. Ryder says “Yes I do know your name.” “ What is it then?” I had to ask him. He sits there and thinks about it long and hard and finally says. “No I don’t I’m sorry.” “ You can turn around then. You have nothing else to say to me.” He is pissed that I said that but how are you going to ask someone for something and not even know their name? He does turn around but I can hear him say but under his breath. I look down and Ryder doesn’t say anything else. Maybe one day he will learn my name. One can hope. Mr. Bingo’s class is the most boring out of all my classes and that says a lot cause I love history. Hopefully the next teacher is better. Ryder turns around in his seat and hands me a note that reads. You could be popular if you wanted to. Your very beautiful, and by the Way Julie I do know your name. I always have. In the 8th grade I had a crush on you. I thought you had one on me as well but….. I can see I was way wrong. Ryder? I look up from the note. This has to be a joke. There is no way that Ryder Days liked me. I do however decide to write him back. In mine I’m going to see if he will meet me somewhere and if he does then maybe he is being for real. No I cant just be popular. that’s something that decided for people. Like you said you don’t make the rules. You being popular is ok and all but I don’t want it, I never did. If you did have a crush on me then meet me in the garden after school. Julie P.S. don’t write me back. Now I cant wait for class to end so I can show my friends this note. I have to also tell them what I said back to it. They will think the same thing I did when I read it that he is lying. That’s why I know he wont show up and the fact that he has a girlfriend. Class is finally over and I head right for my locker. Me and my friends always mee there before lunch. I show them the note and even though I know its not true they all said it at the same time not one of them thought it could be for real. I had to walk away cause I was so mad I would have said something mean. That wouldn’t be very nice to them for thinking the same thing I did. We all head to the cafeteria. Today for lunch we had two choices, cheeseburger’s or a salad. I chose a salad. They looked amazing. Everyone else got cheeseburgers. We all go to sit at our table but some one was already there… Ryder. When we reach the table I had to find out why he was there. “What are you doing here?” I asked. It did come out a little rude and I wasn’t meaning it to. There was a silence that made me feel weird I went to say something else but then Ryder spoke. “I’m sitting. What does it look like I’m doing?” He is a lot ruder than I thought to. I wonder if he notices it. He probably does and doesn’t care. “I can see that but why here?” I ask. “To show you I was telling you the truth.” Ryder answers. I come back and ask him about his girlfriend. “ What about Joe?” what he says to reply isn’t to shocking. “We broke up a while ago.” They are always breaking up and getting back together. Nothing new there I just didn’t know they was off this time around. Usually its all over school that they was broken up so that other girls could line up to try and date Ryder. Only to make Joe mad. Ryder asks me a question and I snap back from my thoughts. “The garden huh?” “ Yes, I love the garden. I go there when I need to think.” I say and Ryder puts a small smile on his face. For what I have no idea and I don’t know if I want to find out. I do though. “What if we skip that step and I just ask you to be my girlfriend now?” He throws me off. All my friends gasp but so do I before I pull myself together. “You wouldn’t.” I say it with the hopes he would say he would. To my surprise he does just that. What is he trying to prove? Why is this a big deal to him? “Why?” I had to ask. Ryder replies. “ You know why. Now that we have that out of the way will you be my girlfriend?” I shock myself by saying “Yes”. Why would I do that I know this is a game. I just have to figure out a way to have him break up with me before he can hurt me. If its not a joke then maybe I can be happy. Meg leans over and whispers in my ear “OMG, your dating the most popular guy in school!” How do I react to that? It just happened. I just look at her and she knows by my look I don’t want to talk about it. I can feel my face getting redder by the minute. I have to be dreaming cause there is no way this is real life. Ryder just asked me to be his girlfriend in front of everyone that was in the cafeteria. We all sit and eat our lunch. Ryder had to get his lunch still. He chose a salad and I was very surprised by that choice. We laugh and joke around with each other. Me and him have a great conversation and just laugh the two of us at jokes it seemed like only me and him understood. Joe walked by and she gave me a bitchface look. I know why but damn. I didn’t do s**t to her. She comes over to the table and has nothing nice to say. “Ryder how could you be into this thing? What will people say that you went from me to her?” Joe says in a voice that , makes me want to punch her in the nose. I wonder what would happen If I did that to her though? Ryder seems like he is going to say something. He finally says something, if he didn’t I would have. “Joe, I really don’t care what people say about it. Julie is an amazing person and she is very kind, funny, and caring. All things you would never be or understand how to be. Popularity wont always be everything, you would never understand that though. Now if you’ll excuse me I have a lunch with my girlfriend to get back to.” I cant help but smile at the fact that he just told his ex off for me and all the nice things Ryder said about me makes me happy. Joe just walks away without another word. Rest of the lunch period was great. But what made everything else better was the fact that me and Ryder had had our next class together. By the time we get there everyone knows we are a couple. All eyes was on us. It was a little weird. We walked into class together. I couldn’t really think in class today. All I could think about was how I’m dating Ryder. I do the class work at home all we have to do is draw landscapes I can do that in my sleep. My phone goes off in the middle of class and it’s a group chat with my friends Meg. Mike, and Ruby. Somehow they all say. “OMG, your dating Ryder!!!?” Even though two of the three was at the table when it happened. I get they are surprised I mean I am to. So my response was. “I know, who knew this would ever happen?” Meg replies with, “No one ever thought this would happen.” I really wanted to be mad at her reply but she was right. Mike is the sweet one of the group most of the time. He says maybe I dreamed to many times. Maybe he was right. Ruby says I’m lucky. I guess only time will tell. “Maybe this will help other jocks want to date girls who aren’t popular.” I say with total confidence in what I’m saying. ”You have to much hope.” They all say at the same time. I just say that someone has to. “ You know I love you and only want you to be happy, please just be careful.” Says Meg. I respond with I will and thank you and stop texting back. I don’t really care to hear what they have to say. They want what’s best for me I know that but at the same time they could sound happy for me. Pretend if anything. I cant get what they said out of my head. So maybe I don’t give Ryder all my trust and let him earn the other half over time. I’m just happy I’m with the guy I have always wanted to be with. Things couldn’t get any better, well maybe they could if he becomes my first kiss. Maybe I should give Ryder my number so we can talk and text each other. If he wants to I’m going to give him the number and he can text or call me first to tell me he does. The bell rings telling us that its time to go to the next class. When its going off Ryder comes to my side faster than I can ask him a question. We walk to my locker together. I hand him the paper I wrote my number on. Its nothing important but Ryder has a huge smile on his face. I never want this feeling to end. I grab my books out of my locker for my last class of the day. Reading. Another class I really love. I love to read. We are reading “To Kill A Mockingbird” right now. Its an okay book. We did just get done reading “The Giver” that book was amazing same with the movie. I cant believe it was pretty much in black and white. I have work after school, I want to be a vet when I get out of college and I need the money to pay for my tuition. Meg also works there so we have a great time when we are there. Maybe not the best place to play around.