A Thousand Ways to Love

(You Drive Me) Crazy

Katie“What are you doing?!” I yell as I turn to the person that pulled my ponytail.

Evan just smiles at me. “Took you long enough,” Evan says. “The whole class left before you.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “What’s up?”

“Hockey practice,” Evan says and then puts his hand down to mimic a short person, “for the little ones.”

“When?”

“Saturday morning?” Evan says and holds his hands together. “Please!! I will owe you big time!”

“Of course,” I say.

“You’re the best!” Evan says.

“Where are you this weekend?” I ask.

“Just the Saturday morning,” Evan says, “family stuff. I’ll be back to play the game in the evening.”

“Such a good captain,” I say.

“I try to model myself after you,” Evan says. “Except I haven’t hooked up with half of your team.”

I roll my eyes. “You know that’s not true,” I say.

“Only joking, Katie. See you around.” And then he leaves me, and I remember how angry I was only moments ago. Stupid Colin. Grade 11 thinks he knows everything and is better than me. He doesn’t know what’s going to hit him.

Colin“Someone is in a mood,” Ryan, my best friend, says coming up to my locker.

“It’s nothing,” I say, turning to him. “Just assigned lab partners in Chem.”

“Who’d you get?” Ryan asks.

“Katie Ryder,” I say.

“Ohh…” Ryan says with a smile. “The hot hockey chick. Lucky guy.”

“More like, annoying popular kid that thinks she is better than everyone,” I say.

“What’s the big deal?” Ryan asks. “You usually do all the work anyway.”

“Not with her,” I say. “She kept budding herself in, slowing me down, demanding to do half the questions.”

“The b***h,” Ryan says sarcastically with a smile.

“She ripped up the work I had already done!” I say, throwing the pieces of paper that she ripped up on the ground.

Ryan laughs. “Clearly you ignited her fierce temper.”

“She just thinks because she’s pretty, popular, and some hotshot athlete that everything has to be her way,” I say annoyed.

“So let me get this straight. You are upset with her because she wants to help with the lab?” Ryan asks.

"I accept her role in this school as this popular jock that hooks up with a bunch of guys. Can't she accept that science and school is my forte and not butt herself in?" I say.

“Colin, you’re one of the best guys I know,” Ryan says. “But when it comes to schoolwork, you can be a bit controlling. And while most people love sitting back and letting you take control, clearly this girl isn’t one of them.”

“So, what do I do?” I ask.

“Forget your pride and let her see the kind, respectable, and funny guy I know you are,” Ryan says. “Put away the controlling egomaniac side of you that comes out whenever it comes to schoolwork.”

“Funny,” I say.

“Seriously, Colin,” Ryan says. “I worry that I’m the only one that gets to see the real you.”

“I have class,” I say, grabbing my books from my locker. “I’ll see you later.”

***

KatieThe boys’ hockey team is waiting to get on the ice as we step off. I’m the last to get off and feel a stick hit my ass so I turn to the culprit.

“Look guys, it’s our favourite little hockey captain,” Jared says.

“Funny,” I say.

“Don’t worry Katie, we like you short and compact,” Tyler says. “Easier to carry you to the bed.”

“Ohhhh…” a bunch of the guys say. Typical.

“Top or bottom, Katie?” one of them says.

“She prefers being bent over,” someone else says.

“I should go,” I say and turn from them. Evan and I steal a glance at each other, and I just walk by him. He would never joke about me in such a way, but he doesn’t stop it either.

“Who’s next on your list, Katie?” I hear one of them call out and I just ignore it. It’s easier this way.

***

“Looks great,” Sierra says while we sit at her dinner table looking at our history project on her laptop.

“Great. Save and print,” I say and start getting up.

“You’re not going to stay?” Sierra asks.

“I have to finish a Chem lab,” I say, grabbing all my stuff.

“I thought it wasn’t due ‘til next week,” Sierra says.

“Yes. But I have the most annoying, smartass Grade 11 as my partner,” I say. “So, I’m going to finish it early and then throw it in his face.”

“That cutie genius in Grade 11?” Sierra says. “How can you hate him?”

“Easily,” I say. “He thinks he’s so much better than me when he doesn’t even know me.”

“He can’t be that bad,” Sierra says.

“He called me a dumb slut,” I say.

“Bastard,” Sierra says immediately and then we just laugh.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, grabbing all my things.

“Kick his ass!” Sierra calls after me.

***

I stayed up ‘til midnight to finish all my homework, plus my part of the lab. I grab my portion of the lab from my bag and walk down the hall to Colin’s locker, seeing him standing there.

“Here.” I shove the lab to his chest.

“What are you doing?” Colin says, stepping back before grabbing the lab.

“Giving you my part,” I say.

He starts flipping through it, not believing that I actually finished all the work so quickly and that it’s done well.

“Katie.”

“Still think I’m a dumb slut?” I ask.

“I’m sorry,” Colin says. “I never should have said that.” He puts the lab away in his locker. “Let me…”

But I turn away from him and walk away, not wanting to hear what he has to say. He’s a judgemental jerk and I have no time for a guy like that.

Colin“She looks pissed,” Ryan says coming up behind me.

“You think?!” I say back.

“What did you do?” Ryan asks.

“I was trying to apologize,” I say. “And then she just turned and walked away.”

“What did you do?” Ryan asks again.

“Might have called her a name the other day,” I say. Ryan waits. “I called her a dumb slut.”

“Wow,” Ryan says. “No wonder she’s pissed.”

“She called me an arrogant asshole!” I say.

“Which you probably were acting like,” Ryan says. I glare at him. “At the time. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. You can’t say that to a girl.”

“I told you she’s annoying,” I say.

“You just pissed off a hot and athletic girl, Colin,” Ryan says. “They are one of the scariest when they are angry. I suggest you make amends. And fast.”

“I already tried to apologize,” I say.

“Try harder,” Ryan says and then walks away.