The Jealousy Bit (Part 2)

So, I told you all last time about Peter asking Claire to go on a date and the foolish way I conducted myself afterwards.  Well, here’s the promised details of the horrid date!

I rode my bike to the theater and met Marco out front at 4:00 yesterday afternoon.  We went to the dollar theater, which shows movies that have been out of the theater for a while for $1 or $2, depending on the time of the showing and if it’s in 2-D or 3-D.  We got tickets to see The Hobbit, and went inside and stood around the concession counter.  Marco bought us popcorn while I watched and waited to see Peter.  After a few moments, I saw Peter, Claire, Anthony, and Angela all walk in.  Anthony and Angela walked over and got in line for popcorn, so I turned away really quick, hoping neither of them saw me.

Marco and I stood around, me watching out the corner of my eye, until Peter and his group went into the theater and then we followed them.  I led the way to seats right behind Peter and Claire.

I’m not sure if he saw me, or if he felt me giving him one of those looks that could freeze oil, but he turned around and saw me.  We locked eyes, and then he noticed Marco.  He looked angrier than I had ever seen him.  Well, good.  He turned away from us, and I could see that he crossed his arms and looked pouty.  He kept glancing over his shoulder at me, and I would make a face at him.  I guess I did that one time too many, because Peter took Claire’s hand in his and looked over his shoulder at me with a smug look on his face.

I don’t know what came over me.  I felt like I had a fever, but only on the inside.  I grabbed a whole handful of popcorn and threw it at Claire and Peter as hard as I could.  Peter turned around and threw a handful of his popcorn right back at me, and Claire shouted, “You stop that right now, Wendy Stein!”  Well, we all got into a shouting and popcorn throwing match right there in the theater.  Anthony and Angela tried to get us to all stop the commotion, but we weren’t listening to them.  We weren’t even listening to each other… just all being mad and horrible.  I’m so ashamed to think back on it now.  Marco was so embarrassed that he tried to leave, but before he could, an usher came and asked us all to leave the theater.  Less than twenty minutes into the movie, and we were all thrown out and told that we were banned for the next month.

But as soon as we were out of the theater and onto the sidewalk outside, Claire shoved me as hard as she could and I fell onto the pavement.  “I hate you!” she shouted.  “You ruined everything because you were jealous that Peter wanted me instead of you!”  And the worst part of it was that she was right.  I knew she was.  This whole thing had been my fault.  I should have left well enough alone instead of butting into Peter’s date and trying to make things difficult for him.  Claire, who lived within walking distance of the theater, ran off in the direction of her house, as Peter helped me up.  Marco called his mom to come pick him up and walked as far away from us as he possibly could, and Anthony and Angela walked across the street to the frozen yogurt shop… probably more to get away from me and Peter than anything else.

As soon as we were alone, I tried to say that I was sorry, but before I could open my mouth, Peter started to speak.  “I don’t like you dating Marco,” he said quietly.  “Well, I don’t like you dating Claire,” I replied.  He smiled a little smile and said, “I didn’t like it either.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little better.  I should have known better than to really think Peter would want to go out with Claire.  We apologized to each other right then and agreed to apologize to both Claire and Marco.  We also agreed to pay them, Anthony, and Angela back for their tickets and popcorn, since it was our fault no one saw the movie.  We agreed then that we wouldn’t be dating anyone else.  We’re still not boyfriend and girlfriend and we're not dating, but our understanding has been slightly adjusted… I guess you’d call it an exclusive understanding.  But I made myself a solemn promise that I would never do anything that embarrassing and foolish over a boy again.  I used to make fun of my older sisters, and I now I feel like I’m turning into them!  And I’m not even a teenager yet!

The Jealousy Bit (Part 1)

Hello, readers!  I hope there are still a few of you out there.  I’ve had a lot of crazy stuff going on lately…

So, as you all know, I’m very… fond… of my friend Peter.  Yesss…. I like him.  A lot.  But he is not my boyfriend.  He likes me too, and we’ve told each other this, but we’re not like dating or anything.  We’re really just not ready for it.  But I guess even though I know he’s not my boyfriend, I sort of think of him as… mine.  I know that may be sort of petty, but I can’t help it!  We have an understanding, and it works well.  Or at least it did, up until recently.

Peter came to me the other afternoon and announced that he wanted to go on a date.  Immediately, I began to blush.  You see, I thought he was asking me on a date.  But he wasn’t.  He was informing me that he wanted to go on a date, so he had asked “a girl we know” to go to the movies with him.  He went on to say that he would have liked to go with me, but his parents said he couldn’t.  My feelings were kind of hurt… I thought his parents liked me.  So I was standing there in the middle of campus, right in front of the library at lunch, trying not to cry as this guy… my guy… tells me how his parents are making him date some other girl.  He said they were worried that he and I spend too much time together… that we’re more serious than we ought to be.  But it’s really not like that.  The most serious thing we’ve ever done is hold hands once or twice and hug.

When we hang out, we never call it “a date,” but he had specifically said he was taking this girl on a date.  It was a double date, actually.  His best friend Anthony and Angela, this girl that he likes, were going as well.  Peter didn’t want to tell me who he was going with, but I had to know.  I didn’t want to know… I had to.  It was twisting my stomach in knots to just stand there and wonder who he could be taking, but he wouldn’t say.  He just kept saying “it doesn’t matter.”  He even told me that I might take the chance to go out with some other boy.  But I didn’t want to go out with another boy.  All the other boys in our grade are smelly and rude.  They’re not like Peter.

By the time I went to my next class, I tried really hard to put Peter and his new girlfriend out of my mind, and I was able to, for the most part.  But when Claire and Marisol walked in the class, Claire was grinning from ear to ear.  They sat down right near me and I heard Claire brag to Marisol about her big plans.  She said she had a date to go to the movies.  She turned and looked right at me and asked, “Wendy, do you think Peter would like me better in my blue dress or my green jumper?  I want to look good for our date.”  My face turned beet red, and I had to move away from her.  I knew I’d say or do something to her and end up getting myself in trouble.  How could Peter take Claire Lozano, the meanest girl in our whole school… our whole city!… on a date?  It made no sense!  Claire has always liked Peter (more reason for her to hate me), but he’s never liked her.  She makes him nervous, but apparently not too nervous to date her.

I got to thinking about how Peter said I should go out with some other boy.  Maybe I’d do just that.  Two could play that game.  So when I went to marching band rehearsal the next period, I just worked up my courage and asked Marco Garza, another clarinet player, if he’d like to go out with me.  Maybe this was kind of mean… Marco is really nice, and I had heard from a few people that he had a crush on me.  I knew I was using him, but I didn’t care.  He said he’d go with me, and we made plans.  It was just a coincidence that I happened to pick the same theater, the same movie, and the same showing as Peter and Claire.  At least that was what I would say.

Anyways, I’m really ashamed to be a part of this, but it’s too late to pull out now.  Plus I just have to know what happens between Peter and Claire!  I’ll update you all with the gory details after the date!

Nicki and Claire and Me

I have to blog fast, since I'm super grounded.

Okay, I trust you all heard about that evil Claire telling Jason the truth about Nicki. Well, I got really mad about that. And yes, I got into a fight with her. And I'd do it again too. Why? I know I was wrong, but so was Claire. She has been so mean to me and even more so to Nicki. I saw my friend crying, and instincts took over. Claire was at fault, therefore she had to be taken down. But this Jason thing was only the latest mean thing she's done. She's treated Nicki like crap ever since they met.

Nicki, Claire, and I are all in the same girl scout troop. Claire's mom is troop leader. Claire has picked on her about being from Colorado, liking horse, wearing boots, and for having freckles ever since the first day she met her. And in troop meetings, her mom doesn't even make her stop teasing Nicki. Claire calls Nicki a hick at least once a day. She makes fun of me for being Jewish, and she makes fun of Ashley for having friends that are hicks and Jews.

Claire hadn't talked to me at all since the fight. Until today. After our troop meeting, she pulled me aside and said, "You're going down. You're all going down. None of you losers is safe." I just ignored her. She is so mistaken if she thinks any of us is scared. Perhaps this is war. If so, she can bring it.

As for Jason, he still isn't speaking to Nicki. She's kinda miserable about it... I hope he comes around, but there's nothing I can really do.

Guest Blogger Nicki Speaks

Hello, everyone! This is Nicki M. Fleming... the person who I'm sure you've all heard way more than you ever cared to know about me or anyone else. I'm not big on this whole... online communication thing... I mean, I like IMing and e-mails, but I feel like I wouldn't be able to get my words together enough to write a blog all the time like Wendy does. See, I'm rambling already!

So what I wanted to tell you all about was why Wendy hasn't posted lately. It's sorta a long story...

Okay, so remember she said how Jason IMed her and asked to meet me at the library the next day? Okay, well, I was SO excited because Jason is just so amazing. Seriously. Anyways, I went to meet him and he asked me if I wanted to be his GIRLFRIEND!!!!! And I said yes. I tried to be cool about it, but I really wasn't. So anyways, the next day was the dance, and we all got dressed up for it... even Wendy, although Ashley and I had to beg her to wear a dress. So we were all at the dance, and I was with Jason. There was a slow song on, and he had his arms around me. He's so shy so he was blushing, and it was really cute. I thought he was gonna kiss me, but one of the teachers came by and blew her whistle at us since that's so not allowed at school. Everything was perfect until this nasty, horrible girl that Wendy and I DO NOT get along with named Claire Lozano came up to me and Jason and asked him if he was babysitting me. Claire has a sister in 8th grade and she knows Jason. But when she said that, he was really confused and then she told him that I'm only in 6th grade. He said he couldn't believe I was such a liar, and I ran out crying. I know it was wrong to lie... I don't know why I did it. And it messed everything up.

After Claire ratted on me and I ran out, Wendy got into a fist fight with Claire. Fighting is wrong, but I couldn't help but feel a little bit vindicated when I saw Claire with a bloody nose. But when I saw Wendy being escorted out by the principal I felt super low. She got suspended for two days, detention for two weeks, and grounded for two weeks... all because of me.

All this happened a week ago, and Jason still won't talk to me. Wendy isn't mad anymore, and I'm doing everything I can to make it up to her. What else can I do? Help....

Love, Nicki (no long Nicole) Miranda Fleming

P.S. Here's a pic of me, Wendy, and Ashley dressed up for the dance.

Fifth Grade Tour and Quinn-In-The-Middle

I'm sorry I haven't been on here to tell you all about everything that happened with me in the last little while. I was busy all day Thursday, and Friday was my parents' wedding anniversary. Then I got grounded on Saturday morning, lol.

Anyways, Thursday was the day all of us fifth graders went to tour our new junior high. We were divided into groups of three and given to sixth graders who had volunteered to lead us around for the day. And guess who I was grouped with? Claire (remember the mean girl who made fun of me for crying about the Holocaust and then wiped out during the play?) and Nicki. Nicki is homeschooled right now because she moved too late in the school year to be able to catch up, but she'll be coming to our school this fall. The girl who was chosen to lead us around was a girl who lives in Quinn's apartment building. She's pretty mean... from what I hear, she's kinda a nightmare. She was really dismissive with us while she was showing us around... not necessarily mean, but she certainly wasn't nice. Meanwhile, Claire and I haven't talked to each other since everything happened with the play, but that day she was trying to be really friendly toward me. It was weird... I pretty much just ignored her. And Nicki pretty much ignored me.

The school seems nice... no lockers or playground, but the library is open at lunch and they have internet (which you can use for 15 minutes at a time) and a pretty good selection of manga books. I met the woman who will be my English teacher and the man who will be my Math teacher. They seemed pretty okay. They have a marching and concert band, and the director seems really cool. That was about all... it was a lot more uneventful than I had expected.

Friday was the first time since the carnival Quinn spoke to me. She called to say she wouldn't be coming to my parents' anniversary dinner and to tell me that I need to know that she can have more than one friend and that I don't own her. I didn't know what to say... of course I know I don't own her! And I don't care how many friends she has... I just don't think that she should ignore me because someone new comes along. I told her that if she didn't think more of me than that, I didn't want her as a friend anyways. So we haven't talked since then.

But you know who I have talked to? Nicki! We had a Girl Scout thing on Saturday, and she sat by me while we ate lunch. Neither of us said anything for a long time... until we were done eating, actually. But we sorta came to an agreement after that.
"I just want you to know that I'm not the kind of person that would ever steal someone's best friend," she began.
"It doesn't matter anyways," I said. "She's not speaking to me."
Nicki sighed. "I don't want to mess things up. I just wanted to have a friend. I don't know a lot of people here yet..."
"I'm not trying to keep you and Quinn from being friends! It's not like I have a problem with you or something," I insisted. "I just don't want her to forget about me!"
"Well," Nicki began, "how about we make a deal? If I get Quinn to make up with you, we could share her. Then I wouldn't have to feel like the loser new girl and you wouldn't have to be best friendless." We shook on it.

So... I guess Nicki and I are okay. But I don't know about me and Quinn. She hasn't talked to me. Nicki said she talked to her, but I'm not seeing any results. What can I do?

Until next time,
Wendy (Angela Moira Darling) Stein XOXO

P.S. I'm sorry this was so long! You guys know how I tend to ramble, lol...