Jealousy is a Strong Word (Chapter 4)

As Andrea sat by her desk in AP chemistry, all she could think of Randall. After realizing her feelings for Randall, Andrea could not stop looking at him every chance she had gotten. She watched him with her elbow on the desk and her hand holding her head up as he spoke to Leslie. Although he was short-tempered with anybody other than Andrea, he seemed absolutely calm and courteous with Leslie. Andrea was driven with anger while observing the nice way Randall and Leslie got along. They were so friendly towards one another that they were even singing a song together.

Hafnium, Tantalum, Tungsten, then we're on to
Rhenium, Osmium and Iridium
Platinum, Gold to make you rich till you grow old
Mercury to tell you when it's really cold

The two laughed as they playfully hit each other on the arms.
"God, she makes me sick," Andrea muttered to herself.
The geeky couple sat down in their assigned seats, along with other students, before the bell rang. After that, Mr. Emerson entered the classroom and closed the door. He walked in front of the class to make an announcement.
"Alright, class. It's time to work on our next project. Feel free to use your last night's homework for help. Please stand by when you're finished. Okay, go."
All the students got up and found their partners. Andrea sloppily walked up to her table with her notes and waited for her partner, Kienne, to come. She tried to look at Randall who was in the far distance but her view was blocked by other students at their stations. Soon, Kienne arrived with a glossy smile.
"Hey, Andreas," she greeted.
"It's Andrea," Andrea stubbornly corrected.
"Ooh, sorry. Did you do the homework?"
Andrea pointed at the papers in front of herself. "Yeah. Did you?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Why didn't ya? We need it to do this project."
"Don't worry; I'll just use your homework."
Andrea sighed. "Fine. Let's just do this."
She picked up the laminated instructions from the counter and read them. Kienne stood closer to Andrea to get an eyeful of the instructions.
"Okay, it's real simple," said Andrea, reaching for the goggles that were hung on a little rack. She handed a pair to Kienne and put them on. "Can you put some water in the beaker then heat it up?"
"Gladly," responded Kienne. She grabbed the empty beaker from the counter then looked for a sink to get some water.
As Kienne did so, Andrea tried to look her Randall from the distance. She eventually caught a glimpse of him, witnessing how well him and Leslie were working together. She never felt so jealous in her life. Soon, Kienne came back with water in the beaker.
"Now what do I do?" she asked.
"You heat it up."
"Okay." Kienne twisted the knob by the burner to ignite a flame.
"Wait, is the water twenty millimeters high?"
"I-I don't know."
"Kienne, the instructions said the water in the beaker has to measure up to twenty millimeters. Did you not read that?"
"Of course I read it. I just didn't remember it."
"You know what? Let's just leave the water in there like that."
"Okay. So what do I do next?"
"Put the beaker on the burner."
"Okay, I can do that." Kienne started singing quietly as she placed the beaker on top of the stove. "Put, put, put, put, put the beaker on the burner. Put, put, put, put, put the beaker on the burner." She began to notice Andrea's excessive staring into the distance. "Something wrong with your eyes?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing."
"It can't be nothing. Tell me."
"Well, my friends say that I might have a crush on my last lab partner, Randall. But I could never go with male Annie."
"Male Annie?"
"You know, the musical."
"Is he black Annie or white Annie?"
Andrea scrunched her eyebrows. "What? What do you mean? He's white so he would be-- Never mind. Let's just focus on this project. Do you know what to do next?"
"No."
"Wha-- It's in the instructions." Andrea picked up the laminated paper then swatted it down on the other side of the counter so it could be near Kienne. "We got to test the water with the things."
"What things?"
Andrea lifted up a Ziplock bag of multiple blue crystals with a label that said, "Specimen #1" on it. "These things."
"Oh, those things."
"We got pick one of the rock things and place them in the water. When the water changes, we have to take notes then pour out the water so we can use the other rock things."
"Okay, now I get it?"
"Do you?" Andrea scoffed before opening the bag of blue crystals. She picked up a tweezer and carefully used it to pick up one crystal from the bag. Then she slowly brought the crystal over the beaker before dropping it in. "Okay, when the crystal dissolves, we got to write down what happens to the water on this chart." She turned around, picked up a piece of paper with a chart on it then put on the other side of the counter so it could be closer to the girls.
"Got it. Do you got a pencil?"
Andrea picked up her cheetah-printed pencil and handed it to Kienne.
"Thanks."
"Don't write anything yet."
When Andrea looked up randomly, she saw Randall's partner, Leslie, approaching her. Her eyes widen as she did not know what she was coming over for.
"She's coming over here," Andrea whispered. "Why is she coming over here?"
Leslie was eye-to-eye with Andrea and Kienne. Andrea didn't feel intimidated; she was just a bit envious of her. But besides her intelligence, why would she be jealous of her? Leslie dressed as if she was attending a private school. She had on a white collared shirt under a black vest along with a black preppy skirt which seemed baggy on her skinny body. She was also wearing coke bottle glasses rimmed with black which made her eyes seem larger than they were. And her light brown hair was braided into two pigtails, making her look like a six-year-old girl.
"Hello, Kienne," she said in an almost robotic voice with a hardly emotional frown. "Hello, An-dree-uh."
"It's pronounced On-dray-uh," Andrea corrected, crossing her arms.
"My apologies. May my partner and I borrow your Specimen Number Four bag?"
"Why are you asking me if there were a bunch of tables right next to you?"
"Because Randall and I feel more comfortable asking someone we know."
"Ha, 'Randall and I'. Randall doesn't even like me. Why would he borrow something from me?"
"Well, you do not own Specimen Number Four. It just happens to be at your table."
"Yeah, and it also happens to be at everyone else's tables so you should ask them."
"An-dree-uh, stop tripping," demanded Kienne while doodling on their chart. "Leslie, of course you can borrow our bag."
"No, she cannot and that is not my name. Leslie, how are you and Randall in the need of Bag Four? I'm still on Bag One."
"Oh, Randall and I work quickly," responded Leslie. "It helps when you're smart and all."
"So what? I'm dumb? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"No, not at all. Look, can we have your bag or not?"
"We? Oh, look at that, you and Randall are 'we'. Well, guess what? You can't be 'we' 'cause Randall and I were 'we'. You don't get to be 'we' until... June, alright?"
"Andrea, stop tripping," Kienne repeated. "We're not using the bag so just give it to her."
Andrea sighed. "Fine. You can have the bag." She looked for the bag that said, "Specimen #4" and grabbed it so she could hand it to Leslie.
"Thank you," Leslie said before turning to leave. "You crazy chick."
Andrea's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. Did you just call me the 'S' word?"
Leslie turned around. "Uh, no."
"Yes, you did. Don't lie to me. I just heard you call me the 'S' word."
"No, I didn't. I did not say the 'S' word. I said 'chick'. I said 'crazy chick'."
"Oh, I'm crazy? I heard that loud and clear. I'm crazy?"
"Um..."
"No, no, no. You have not seen crazy yet. Okay?"
"Apparently, I have because that's how you're acting right now."
"I'll act how I want to act. How dare you! I give you my bag and you-- No, no. Nope, that's it. You crossed a line with me. See that line? Yeah, you crossed it."
"Whatever." Leslie tried to turn to leave again.
"No! Don't you 'whatever' me. I'm just trying to let you know, girl."
Leslie quickly turned around, practically jumping.  "Look, don't start none, it won't be none."
"Oh, what am I trying to start?"
"You know what you're trying to start. And guess what? I'm not afraid to hurt you."
"Oh, you not afraid?" Andrea rolled up the sleeves of her jean jacket then picked up a meter stick that was lying on her counter. "Then let's see how courageous you are." She pointed it at Leslie like it was a special weapon.
Leslie walked over to the other side of the counter and picked up another meter stick. "Game on, ho."
"Now you callin' people ho's? That's it, I'm taking you out."
"En guarde!"
The girls began to fight with their meter sticks, using them like swords. It certainly grabbed the attention of all the students in the classroom, especially the teacher.
"What's going on?" he asked. He walked up to the teenage warriors. "You better stop this instance-- Whoa!" He dodged a swing from Andrea. He was becoming afraid of the danger-ridden pair so he stood back.
The students were getting scared, too, as the girls moved around the classroom, striking their sticks together. The students try to stay as far away as possible but they couldn't take their eyes off the girls. The girls actually looked like trained sword-fighters that one would see in martial arts films. After a while, successfully, Andrea smacked the meter stick out of Leslie's hand, distracting her with her own newfound vulnerability. Then Andrea swept her stick under Leslie's feet, tripping her and knocking her down on the floor hard.
"Yes!" Andrea hooted, swinging her weapon in the air. "I am the meter stick master! In your fa-- Oh, you're bleeding."
"Hey, Andrea," said Kienne, "is this thing done?" she pointed at the heating beaker, which was discharging bubbles nonstop.
"Oh, Kienne, you fool!" Andrea ran towards her partner so she could fix the problem.

Jealousy is a Strong Word (Chapter 3)

A week later, the girls were attending school just like any ordinary weekday. Later, lunchtime began and the girls were situated in the cafeteria, at their usual table. Andrea had a lot to say since her normal routine had been changed in chemistry class.
"I can't believe I used to have a 'B' but now I have a 'C'," she said. "And not just a C, but a C minus. Do you know how low a C minus is? Pretty low. And tomorrow, I'll get a 'D', thanks to Kienne. Why did Randall ever leave me in the first place? He was the one who helped my grade stay up."
"Did you really just ask why did Randall leave you?" questioned Madeline. "Girl, you burnt his hand."
"Yeah, but his hand is fine now. He didn't have to be a big baby about it."
"So you want Randall to be your partner again?" asked Lizzie.
"Uh, no. All we did was argue. I don't want to work with someone who gives me stress and anxiety. I get enough of that when my clothes stop fitting."
"So you don't think you need him?" asked Skye.
"No, I need him. Not like that."
"Not like what?"
"You know. That! I just need him for my grades. He is the smartest guy in my class."
"So you've thought about it?" Debra questioned.
"Thought about what?"
"Being with Randall."
Andrea laughed obnoxiously. "No! What are you, crazy? I never thought about being with Randall. I can hardly think about standing next to him."
"Let me clarify," said Madeline. "So you don't miss him?"
"Guys, why you keep asking me questions that begin with 'so'? So this, so that. Keep your so's to yourselves!"
"So-- Sorry," said Lizzie.
"Look, we're just asking if you miss Randall," Madeline cleared.
"Then my answer is no," responded Andrea. "I'm fine at chemistry. I can do chemistry by myself. It's just that I was great at chemistry when I worked with Randall because he was a 'brainiac'. Now he's working with Leslie, who doesn't need to raise her grade. Her grade is high enough. Just because she's smart doesn't mean she has to work with smart people. Okay, she did not need to steal Randall from me."
"Steal Randall from you?" repeated Debra. "You're making it sound like Randall was yours."
"He was mine. Not like that."
"Not like what?" Skye asked again.
"You know. That! Listen, all I'm saying is that Leslie and Randall are not right for each other."
"Uh, they sound completely right for each other to me," said Madeline.
"Well, they're not. Sure, he's nicer to Leslie than he was with me. And they don't really yell at each other. But come on, doesn't anyone need a little drama in their lives? Like why be with someone so boring when there is an exciting person for you?"
"Why are we talking about Randall's love life?" questioned Skye.
"We're not! I just think he needs to be with someone who's nothing like Leslie."
"Andrea," called Madeline calmly.
"What?"
"Do you like Randall?"
Andrea made a face of disgust. "N-No."
"You hesitated."
"That's because I was about to throw up."
"Oh, my gosh-kabob!" smiled Lizzie. "You like Randall."
"No, I don't."
"Andrea, it's obvious," said Skye. "You want Randall all to yourself."
"That is a bunch of baloney."
"No, it's not, Andrea," said Debra. "Despite the rotten relationship you had with Randall, you talked about what he deserves in his life. That shows you care about him."
"Uh, you trippin', Debbie. I don't care about that bite-sized Carrot Top, okay?"
"I think you do," nodded Madeline, "and you want a bite of that carrot, no matter how much you deny it."
"Gross, Maddie. That is just gross. You guys know that I hate Randall and Randall obviously hates me. Why on Earth would I have a crush on him? Have you seen the guys I've dated?"
"Yeah, they were all nice guys," replied Skye. "Except for Kevin. Kevin is a douchebag. But he's a different type of douchebag. The reason it didn't work out with any of them is because the only guy who handle you is someone is completely like you. That is where Randall gets into the mix."
"How is Randall anything like me?"
"Well, let's see: he's short-tempered, he's fearless, he's self-assured and he's stronger than a rock even though he does not appear that way."
"Okay, you got me there. But I can't stand him. All we do is argue. Even when there's nothing to argue about, we still argue. I don't want to be with somebody that I can't have a calm and actual conversation with. What you guys are saying does not make any sense."
"It makes perfect sense," disagreed Madeline. "You like Randall because Randall is you. Face the facts."
"There are no facts to face. Look, you cannot convince me that I have a certain idea when I know that that idea does not exist within me."
"The one who is a pebble cannot believe that they are a rock," stated Debra.
"Oh, knock that crap off, Debbie. I can never go out with a guy who reminds me of Chucky, okay?"
"Don't be so self-centered, Andy," said Lizzie.
"I am not centering myself, Lizzie. Trust me."
"You're in denial," noticed Madeline.
"I am not in denial. I know how I think and how I feel. I do not like Randall." After a short silence, Andrea said, "Oh, my God."
"What?"
"I like Randall."

Jealousy is a Strong Word (Chapter 2)

A couple days later, Andrea's AP chemistry class was assigned to do another project using the countertops again. When everyone scrambled to get with their partners, Andrea stood by the counter she and her partner, Randall, was assigned to. She waited a while for Randall to arrive but he did not come as early as he used to. She could see him near the back of the room with his back turned. Andrea was confused so she called his name a few times before he turned around and had to walk up to her.
"What are you doing, man?" she asked.
Randall didn't answer. Well, he was about to but Andrea happened to notice the bandage on his left hand.
"So it was that bad?"
"What do you mean, 'it was that bad'?!" Randall snapped. "You've seen it! You know what? I'm not gonna argue with you."
"Good."
"Because I asked Mr. Emerson if I could swap partners with someone else and he agreed."
"Wait, what?"
"I am not your partner anymore, Andrea."
"Why? You couldn't handle it?"
"No, it's just that you're difficult to work with. I tried to push through it but, by God, how much do you push?"
"So who's my partner now, pushy?"
"Well, Mr. Emerson fixed me up with Leslie Holmes so you're gonna have to work with Kienne Abbott."
"Leslie Holmes? The super nerd? Good. You two belong together. Me and Kienne are gonna have a fun time. She's got a good style; I got a good style. We're the perfect pair."
"Fantastic. We obviously don't need each other anymore so now we have no distractions."
"Exactly 'cause I sure don't need you."
"The feeling is mutual." Randall began to walk away.
"Yeah, it is." Andrea started singing off-key, "Now I'm free! Free falling!"
When she was done singing, a girl walked up to her. She was African-American with long, relaxed, brown hair. And she had a bunch of various-sized butterfly-shaped rings on her fingers.
"Hi," she greeted. "I have to be partners with Andrea Gonzalez. This you?"
"Yeah, this me," Andrea answered.
"Great. I'm Kienne and I just love your style."
"Thank you." Andrea posed, super proud of her trendy, casual outfit. "And nice rings. I like butterflies."
"Cool. Are you a fan of In the Time of the Butterflies?"
"I don't know what that is but I'm down."
"What grade do you have in this class?"
"A 'B'."
"Great! Maybe you can help me raise my grade a bit."
"What grade do you have?"
"An 'E'."
"Oh. Does it represent a fifty percent?"
"No, more like a twenty percent."
"Oh. How are you failing if you were working with Leslie Holmes?"
"'Cause I don't like that girl. And if I don't like you, then you can't help me."
"Well, do you like me?"
"Of course! We're gonna be 'B' buddies."
"Heh, I'm more of a 'C'."
"What?"
"Nothing."

Jealousy is a Strong Word (Chapter 1)

On an ordinary of school, the girls were in their assigned classes around ten in the morning. Andrea was in AP chemistry working on a project. That would be nothing to her, except she had to once again work with Randall on the project. Randall was one of her worst enemies. He was super smart but very arrogant about it and had an anger problem. Him and Andrea were always arguing, especially when nothing went wrong. They just hated each other. Yet they were forced to work together on an assignment that was easy to Randall but hard to Andrea.
"Don't pour it yet," Randall ordered as he eyed Andrea, trying to tip a cup of an unknown, blue liquid into a heated beaker of a clear, syrupy liquid.
The partners stared at the beaker for a few seconds. After a while, Andrea tried to tip the cup again.
"Don't pour it yet," Randall repeated.
Andrea held the cup up so no liquid would fall. She and Randall stared at the beaker for a moment again. Once more, Andrea attempted to tip the cup.
"Don't pour it yet!"
Andrea sat the cup on the black counter. "Then when am I supposed to pour it?"
"Are you blind? The instructions say to pour it when the substance turns slightly yellow."
"Well, it looks yellow to me."
"Well, it's not. You got to wait for it to turn a canary color. The instructions say it might take ten minutes."
"How long has it been?"
"Nine minutes."
Andrea scoffed. "I'm pouring this in." She picked up the cup and attempted to tip it over the beaker.
Yet Randall put his hand in front of the cup and pushed it safely down. "Not yet. Wait another minute. And if the substance doesn't turn yellow, wait a few more minutes."
"You didn't have to touch me."
"I didn't touch you."
"Yes, you did. You touched me."
"I didn't touch you, Andrea. Stop being such a drama queen."
"I'm a drama queen? You're the one who's all like, 'Don't pour it yet!'"
"That's because you're not supposed to pour it yet."
"Well, you don't have to yell at me."
"I wouldn't have to yell at you if you weren't so hardheaded."
"Ha! Is that supposed to be an insult? Because for the record, Rand-all, heads are supposed to be hard."
"Shocker."
Andrea paused for a bit. "Was that sarcasm?"
Randall didn't respond; he just looked away.
"Excuse me. I said are you being sarcastic?"
"Yes, I'm being sarcastic," Randall said to her face. "What are you, the sarcastic police?"
Andrea began to fake-laugh. "What a jokester."
"What a drama queen."
"I'm not dramatic."
"Then stop being dramatic!"
"You know what? I think we've been arguing for a good minute. I got to pour the cup in." Andrea picked up the cup of blue liquid and poured it all into the beaker.
"No!" Randall yelled as she poured it in. He swiped the empty cup from Andrea's hand and sat it on the counter. "You're not supposed to pour it all in. You were supposed to pour half."
"Sorry, I didn't know."
"That's because you didn't read the instructions, blindy."
"Hey, just because I didn't read the instructions doesn't mean I'm blind."
"You're right, you're not blind. You're hardheaded!"
"Everyone is, redheaded."
"Is that supposed to be an insult?"
"Sorta."
The partners' attention quickly turned to the beaker, which was overflowing, coming out in big bubbles. Andrea almost freaked out while Randall picked up a small silver disk from the counter and immediately placed it on top of the beaker, ceasing the spillage.
"You fool!" shouted Randall. "You're supposed to put the lid on it after you pour the chemical in."
"Uh, I'm sorry," started Andrea, "but I was gonna put the lid on it if you weren't so busy yelling at me."
"No, you weren't. You forgot just like you forgot to only pour half of the cup into the beaker."
"No, I didn't. Besides, the lid was all the way over there. You should've put the lid on it."
"I did put the lid on it."
"Well, you didn't do it fast enough!"
"And look at this." Randall motioned to the blue liquid splattered all over the countertop. "You made a mess. You're not hardheaded after all; you're just a sloppy, dirty mess."
"You're one to talk, usted pequeño monstruo."
"English, please."
"Oh! English? English? I'm gonna beat you so hard, you won't even know how to speak English anymore."
"That's real ladylike. Your mother taught you that?"
"My mother? Oh, my mother?" Andrea began to take her gold, sun-shaped studs out of her ears. "You want to talk about my mother? Then let's go. Let's bring it on." She settled into a fighting stance.
"You're so pathetic. The only way you know how to settle something is to fight. You're an embarrassment to society." He swiped out Andrea's earrings from her hands as she slowly started to stand regularly. "So are your weird earrings."
"Give me back my earrings! And I told you to stop touching me." She smacked Randall's hands so he could drop the earrings he was holding tightly. But she was so strong that when she smacked Randall's hands, he slid around and fell into the table. When he regained balance, he turned around, holding his wrist. "What's wrong?" she asked in an irritated way.
"My hand is burning!" Randall answered, shaking his hand.
Andrea looked closer and saw a red rash slowly forming on the palm of his hand.  "Oh, my God! Why does it look like that?"
"Because you pushed me and my hand touched the puddle on the table, baby brain!"
"Well, you should've been more careful."
"Gah! I wouldn't have touched the puddle if it weren't for your gorilla hands."
"Who you callin' a gorilla?"
At that moment, the middle-aged teacher, who looked more of a mountain climber, came by with an urgent look on his face. "What's going on?" he asked through his long, brown beard. "You guys have been shouting and whatnot. What seems to be the problem?"
"Her!" Randall answered, looking at Andrea then at his hand. "And this!"
"Oh, my God." The teacher put his hand over Randall's hand, which was holding his wrist. "You need to go get that rinsed."
"Hey, do you think my earrings came in contact with the puddle?" asked Andrea, truly curious. "Because I just bought those."

It Was Just a Kiss (Chapter 5)

It had been a few days but Madeline was still depressed about her breakup with Homer. She tried calling him and everything but he wouldn't respond to her. He didn't want to. He wanted to be as far away from Madeline as possible. But Madeline wanted to be as close to Homer as possible. Yet she knew that she wasn't going to get ever.
Madeline sulked during classes. She tried to stay focused and did her best but nothing could get her to stop pouting about her lost love. During lunch, Madeline didn't eat. She just rested her head on Andrea's shoulder and Andrea let her stay there. The girls were so upset that they could hardly eat.
"Madeline, do you want my sandwich?" offered Lizzie. "It has whole-wheat bread. Turkey instead of ham."
"No thanks," whimpered Madeline.
"Come on, Maddie," said Skye. "You still can't be sad about Homer."
"Well, I don't know how to not be sad about him, Skye. He was the first guy I ever loved. And he dumped me because he wasn't the first guy I dated. Why am I such a whore?"
"You're not a whore," said Madeline.
"Yes, I am. I almost went to third base once."
"You did?" asked Skye.
"Yeah. But when I saw it, I got frightened then I ran away."
"Well, at least we know you're healthy."
"You got to eat something, Maddie," said Debra. "Or else you're gonna starve."
"So?" asked Madeline. "Let me starve. All I want to eat is despair so it can rot away my soul and I'll be put out of my misery."
"Is turkey close enough to despair?" questioned Lizzie, holding up her sandwich slice.
Skye put her hand on top of Lizzie's hand and forced her to put the sandwich down.
"I think I know how to get rid of your misery, Madeline," said DeMarcus.
"How?" Madeline asked with a raspy voice.
"Well, whenever Lizzie is down and out, sometimes I'll blow my mouth into her belly button which makes her ticklish, eventually making her happy again. Maybe one of you guys should do that."
"Uh, we're not gonna put our mouths on her belly button, DeMarcus," asserted Skye.
"Why? I shower," admitted Madeline.
"Are you serious?" asked Andrea.
"No."
"Listen, Madeline," started Skye, "I know you love Homer. That means you thought he was the one. Well, if a guy is the one, he should be very understanding about your past and focus on your future together. Therefore, Homer was never the one to begin with because he focused on your past more than he did with the future. If you want my opinion, Madeline, I think you're better off without Oz. He was a little bit overrated."
"Don't call him Oz. Whether he was the one or not, I still loved him. And love is not a thing to change."
"Yeah, Michelle," Andrea said to Skye sarcastically.
Almost impulsively, Madeline snickered. "She is nothing like Michelle."
The girls looked at each other and laughed a little bit.
"Yeah, you're right," agreed Debra. "She's more like Heather."
"Oh, how can you say I'm Heather?" inquired Skye. "She was in glee club."
"She was in the choir. Different thing."
"Well, I know she ain't Nadia," said DeMarcus.
"Right?" Andrea laughed.
"Hey, I think I can relate to Nadia," said Skye. "I once walked around the house with my shirt off all day."
"Did you?" asked Debra.
"I did. I didn't give a crap. I was free fallin'."
Madeline laughed, making everyone else laugh.
"What are we talking about?" asked Lizzie.
"American Pie," answered Madeline.
"American Pie? Isn't that just apple pie?"
"Well, they used an apple pie in the film so I guess that makes sense," said Skye.
"Madeline, you're laughing," noticed Debra.
"No, I'm not," Madeline tried to wear a straight face but lost it. "Okay, I am."
"We knew you were in there somewhere," Andrea said.
"Well, you guys bring it out."
"That's why we're B.F.F.s," smiled Lizzie.
"Something I'll never say," admitted Skye.
Madeline giggled. When she did, it looked like life was coming back in her face. Her cheeks were rosy and her smile was blinding. Madeline was back... only for a moment.
"So turkey?" offered Lizzie again, holding up her sandwich slice.
"Or jell-O?" DeMarcus offered from his tray.
"I thought that was meatloaf."
"No, it's jell-O. I tasted it."

It Was Just a Kiss (Chapter 4)

The day after, Madeline could not wait to tell Homer what happened at the fair. She didn't know what the right time to tell him was but she knew she couldn't wait forever. So after school, Madeline looked for Homer, who always had lacrosse practice, by heading to the gymnasium before he did. She waited until she saw him coming towards her.
He stopped and said, "Hey, baby."
"Hi," Madeline smiled bashfully.
Homer kissed Madeline on the cheek. "What's up?"
"Homer, I need to talk to you."
"Sure. What's wrong, babe?"
"I don't know how to say this."
"Then spit it out."
"I... passed my AP physics test."
"You always pass your tests."
"Yeah, but you know people always say that physics is hard so it's like a 'No, it's not' to the haters. You know what I'm sayin'?"
"I guess. Well, congrats, babe."
"Homer?"
"Yes?"
"That's not what I wanted to talk about."
"Then why did you talk about it?"
"Because I don't know how to say what I have to say to you."
"Then spit it out."
"You know what? I shouldn't be nervous. You're my boyfriend. You're sweet and understanding. Nervous is unlike me. Homer, while we were at the fair, a boy kissed me."
Homer scrunched his eyebrows. "Was that boy me?"
"No! An old friend kissed me. His name is Jerry."
"Jerry? That guy from Cabo that you used to hook up with?"
"No, that's Terry and I hooked up with him once. I mean Jerry from the Masquerade Ball."
"I didn't hear anything about a Masquerade Ball."
"That's why I'm explaining to you who Jerry is."
"Okay, so you met Jerry at the Masquerade Ball?"
"Yeah, two years ago."
"Was he your boyfriend?"
"No, we kissed and then he left me. Two years later, he sees me then kisses me. But I didn't kiss him back."
"Oh, my goodness, Madeline."
"What?"
"You've been with Terry then Gary and Jerry. Why do you have a thing for guys whose names end in '-ary'?"
"First of all, I never had a thing with Gary. Second of all, that's just a coincidence. I don't have a preference. If I did, I wouldn't be with you. Jerry had a chance and he blew it. I went over his house and straightened everything. I said, 'Look, man, I don't want to date you because I got a man'."
"Wait a second. You went over his house?"
"N-No. If you mean did I go inside his house, no, I never went inside his house. I was outside of his house. It's not cheating unless you're on the inside."
"But you know where he lives."
"It was the only way for me to talk to him again. I needed to tell him about you because I care about you. It was killing me inside that I didn't tell you at all. I had to tell you because I realized that you're the one. Homer, you're my first serious boyfriend and there's a reason why. You care about me more than any boy has ever cared about me. I've been thinking about this for a while and I couldn't think of a right time to tell what I was thinking. But I don't care anymore because I love you. That's right, Homer; I love you."
Homer didn't respond. All he did was stare. It was as if he was trying to soak up all the information he heard.
"This is when you're supposed to say that you love me back."
"Madeline, I don't know."
"You do know. You love me back. Bis, bam, boom, we're done. We love each other."
"Madeline, I don't even know if I love you."
"Yes, you do."
"No, Madeline. Don't tell me what to do."
"What's your problem?"
"My problem is you. There was Terry, then Chad, then Jackson, and now, Jerry? I didn't even know who Jerry was and I'm hearing about him now. I know we've been going out for almost three months but it feels like forever. How many boyfriends have you had? And I don't care if they were never 'your boyfriend'; there was some kind of relationship going on. Also, you don't feel comfortable telling me about a kiss that meant nothing yet you have no problem flaunting your ex-boyfriends in my face? Do you know how that makes me feel? Do you know how things like that make me change the way I think about you? I didn't even know you. I never knew you. And honestly, I can't love a girl I don't know."
Madeline was frozen. She was drained. She was numb. She couldn't believe what Homer even said. He didn't feel like he knew her but she obviously knew him. Her eyes began to water but she was not ready to cry. "How can you say that? I tell you that I love you and you say that?"
"Look, I'm sorry, Madeline. But you're not the girl I thought I fell in love with. I don't want a relationship with all these other men involved. You have baggage and I want nothing to do with it. I think we need some time apart."
Madeline's eyebrows ascended. "Are you breaking up with me?"
"Yes. Yes, I am. I can't handle this right now. You may love me but I have a hard time looking at you right now. I don't see you. But I guess my idea of you weren't you after all."
Homer turned around and entered the gymnasium without saying bye or looking back. He honestly was so furious at Madeline. Maybe even more than what she thought. Madeline stared at Homer's back until he disappeared. Then all she was staring at was nothing. Nothing was all she could feel at that moment. As she stood there with a tear rolling down her cheek, she realized that that was the last time she was ever going to see Homer.

It Was Just a Kiss (Chapter 3)

Madeline was really nervous to see Jerry again after their little kiss. She didn't have his number or his email so she checked social media. Apparently, he had a Facebook page which she never looked at. So she messaged Jerry to meet her again, only at his house. He accepted and gave her his address. He told her to come around any time the next day. So when the next day came, after school, she drove over Jerry's house. He was standing right in front of the door of his fresh, lovely bungalow. She was smiling brighter than the sun, consumed with hopeful thoughts involving Madeline. Madeline slipped out of the car and approached the happy lad.
"Hey, Madeline," Jerry greeted, stretching out his arms for a hug.
But Madeline leaned away from him, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh-uh-uh."
Jerry put his arms down. His smile was fading a bit.
"Jerry, we need to talk."
"I know. I really need to talk to you, too."
"You first 'cause I think I know what you're about to say."
"Madeline, I am so sorry for kissing and dissing you so many years ago."
"It was two years ago."
"But now, since I'm here, we can get to know each other a bit more. I am so excited to spend my time with you."
"Yeah, about that. Jerry, I can't be with you."
"May I ask why not?"
"Because I'm taken."
"Okay, I wish I never asked."
"I'm sorry. But you had your chance. You left me."
"I know. We should've started a long-distance relationship."
"Yeah, you should've."
"I had Skype."
"Maybe you should use it more."
"Oh, Madeline. I feel like such a fool."
"No, no. You're not a fool. You just really liked me and when you moved back here, you realized that you still liked me. That's totally understandable because I'm ridiculously hot. You didn't know any better."
"May I ask who's the lucky guy?"
"Homer Anderson."
Jerry snickered. "His name is Homer?"
"Shut the frick up!"
"Okay, sorry. How long have you been with him?"
"Three months. We were celebrating our anniversary at the fair."
"And I kissed you. Oh, my God, I'm such a jerk."
"You're not that much of a jerk."
"Three months is a long time."
"I know. It's enough time for me to realize that I love him. And I think he loves me, too."
"Wow. And here I am ruining it all. I wished I never kissed you."
"I wish that, too."
"Can we still be friends?"
"Not if you still like me."
"I'll get over it. I promise."
"Okay." Madeline hugged Jerry, only for two seconds. "That's long enough."
"So when are you going to tell Homer that you love him?"
"After I tell him that you kissed me."
"You haven't him told him yet? Madeline, you are living--"
"I know I'm living the low life!"