Chemistry, Page 2

  *****

  I practically skipped to the cafeteria. Vivid visions of slow dancing with Jake bewitched my thoughts.

  After quickly assembling my lunch tray with a cheeseburger and a milkshake, I scanned the room for Chloe and Sage. My eyes stopped at the far right corner. Chloe waved both hands frantically while Sage motioned to come over with one hand, holding a sandwich in the other.

  I gripped my lunch tray with sweaty palms and with a wide eyed grin, nodded in acknowledgement that I was coming over. I walked quickly to arrive at the table.

  “Hey guys! Guess what?”

  Chloe and Sage spoke in unison, “What?”

  Maintaining a wide eyed grin, I continued,

  “I am volunteering at the coat check tonight at the spring dance. Are you guys going?”

  Chloe pulled her hair extensions behind her shoulders, looked at me for a minute, then lowered her eyes and poked at her salad with a fork,

  “Yep, I am going with Chad.”

  Still grinning and standing beside the table, I nodded toward Sage,

  “And you... are you going?”

  Sage swallowed her sandwich and straightened her glasses,

  “Sorry about talking with my mouth full, I’m going with Marty. What about you? Are you just doing the coat check or are you meeting someone after?”

  “I’m just doing the coat check.” I said relaxing my grin and sitting down. I smoothed a napkin over my knees and took a bite of the cheeseburger. There was a silence for a few minutes as we ate.

  It was then I decided I couldn’t hold it in anymore; it was a lie that I was only going to the dance to do the coat check. It was time my friends knew the truth,

  “You know what?”

  “What?” Sage and Chloe spoke simultaneously.

  “I can’t lie to you guys anymore,”

  “You’ve been lying to us?!” I ignored Sage’s bewilderment,

  “The real reason I am going to the dance is not to do the coat check,”

  “It isn’t?” Sage badgered before biting into a chocolate chip cookie.

  “The real reason I am doing the coat check is because... Is because... I am hoping to see Jake Wilder at the dance. I really like him... a lot.”

  Coke sprayed out of Chloe’s mouth. Sage choked on her cookie, as she talked between coughs,

  “Are cough cough, you kidding, gulp - Jake Wilder!?”

  “I have high standards!” I quickly interrupted.

  Chloe motions for Daria to look at the front of the cafeteria,

  “Daria, if you haven’t noticed he has girlfriends on every corner of the earth.”

  I turned around and see Jake walking with a cute girl with blonde hair, wearing a cheerleading uniform.

  I turned back around and shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly,

  “Daria, get over it! Jake is not going to go for you. He is too popular.” Chloe insisted.

  Sage chimed in,

  “Daria, trust me, listen to Chloe, to Jake we are the nerdy geeky nobodies, Jake is like... is like... prince charming... heir to the throne or something. Daria, you’re my friend, I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Stay at the coat check at the dance, we’ll come visit you and find someone for you to dance with... okay?”

  I crinkled my nose as the lump in my throat grew thick. My eyes narrowed.

  “You’re just jealous.” I said in a low hoarse voice.

  Chloe cupped her hands around mine and I quickly wrenched them away.

  “No! I don’t believe you! You are not my friends!”

  My voice was low and thick. I wanted to yell, but the verge of tears prevented me from saying all I wanted to say. I covered my mouth, ran to the ladies locker room, and burst into tears.

  Amongst the chaos of the tears, I found the nearest bathroom stall and slammed the door so hard the other stalls rattled.

  Babbling like a baby. I curled my knees into my chest. Babbling like a baby. Now what would Jake Wilder think of that, my higher conscience tried to console. Soon my babbling turned to sobs. I sobbed and sniffled until I could cry no more. I stretched out on the carpeted locker room floor, laid my head on my forearms, and let my eyes close to sleep.