“Steve Robert Doucette! I made you your breakfast and you better come down before it gets too cold!” I hear my mom yelling from down the stairs. Better be blueberry waffles. “I made your favorite waffles, chocolate chip!!” Ugh, no way I’m eating that. She always makes her favorite kind. She never gets it right.

I slip on my favorite blue faded jeans and black thermal sweater, the one that Margaret said she liked. I shake my head to get her out of it and run down the steps. To avoid conversation and an argument about the stupid waffles, I quickly grab my books and jet out to the driveway, slip into my green ’98 civic and peeled out and down the street. Before I get to far away from the house, I look back to see Mom peeking her head out the door in her purple pj’s that I bought her and blow me a quick kiss.

“Hi Steve, I love that shirt!” Meagan from history class, right? D*mn it. Got to get that straight.

“Steve, good game last night.” James, left tackle. “Hey thanks man, you too.”

“Wassup Stevie, lookin’ good.” Donna? Dorothy? No, Danielle…I’ll get it soon enough.

Between all the ‘hey’s, ‘what’s up’s, and ‘great game, man!’s, I hear her voice in the crowd. I stop in my tracks that look around. I keep searching through familiar faces to catch hers. I finally find Margaret. I take in her beauty in one glance. Her pale skin, muddy brown eyes and her infamous tangled ponytail was too much to take in just a few seconds. She looks up and finds me and flashes a quick smile that is to absolutely die for. Then, just like clockwork, a water balloon pelts the back of her head, making her cry out and stand there dripping wet, trying to avert the pity glances and laughs.

“Hey, Margie!” Drew yells in a disgusting mocking voice, “Be careful, loser, there’s a puddle right there.” His voice makes my fist clench up. “Hey, Steve. Did you catch that? Totally got her so good. Too funny, right?”

I hesitate before answering, looking back and Margaret who has begun to tear up and whimper. My whole body and soul ached for me to hold her in my arms and comfort her. She looks up at my with a pleading look. “Ha ha ha. Yeah dude. Nice shot!” I finally answer back, loud enough for everyone to hear. She shoots and angry glance at me and storms down the hall and races to the closest bathroom. I couldn’t have felt sicker to my stomach. Just then, the bell for first period rings. Chemistry with Margaret, usually the highlight of my day, will probably ruin my whole week. I race to room 22 and slid in my seat, fourth row, and third seat. Like a habit, I glance at the seat next to me. Empty, of course. She probably at her locker getting her emergency set of clothes and shoes. Class starts to go along just smoothly. Then when she enters, the whole class bursts into hysterical laughs. Red faced and eyes focused on the color of the tiles, she slips into the seat next to me.

“Hey, Margaret, about this morning, listen-“

“Oh please,” she cuts me off, “save is for someone who will believe your bull. You didn’t do anything, like every day. You stood there, no warning, no nothing. You are so unbelievably-“

“Excuse me, Ms. Tiffom, I’m teaching here.”

“Sorry Mr. W, won’t happen again.” She threw one more glance at me and shook her head.

The bell rings and students start to file out. I chase after her. I catch up when she is just about to turn the corner and out of my sight.

“Margaret! Please! One second!” I yell but no one seems to hear me. Just then she turns around and stomps toward me, tears in her eyes and her cheeks puffed, like whenever she gets angry in biology. My legs begin to feel weak. I can’t have this conversation in public. People can see me. They can hear me. I got a rep to protect. Just when she is in arm’s length of me, I grab her arm and drag her into the men’s bathroom.

“What the h*ll are you doing!? Let me go, NOW.” She shrieks. I shush her; I don’t want anyone to hear us. “Oh I’m sorry, how very inconsiderate of me! How could I have forgotten that can’t let anyone know you associate with my kind!”

“Please just let me explain. I can’t act the way I do when we are alone in front of the guys. You have no idea how cruel they can be.” I start.

“Oh, but I do.” She points to her dark, wet sneakers. “How can you just stand there and say nothing at all. Are you that afraid of what other people may say that you can’t even speak up for yourself?! And you have to just look at me like I’m nothing more than a pathetic LOSER!!” her voice was getting louder again. “I feel sorry for you, ya know. You are so pathetically-“. Just then, three guys from the football team walk in. Amongst them is Drew.

“Uh, what the h*ll is going on Steve?” Drew asks with his nose stuck up in her direction. “What are you doing with the alien? And why the h*ll is she in the dude’s bathroom?”

Margaret whispers so low that only I can hear her, “Just do what you do best, lie and run away. You never loved me.” Those words made me want to scream and cry all at the same time. I quickly look at Drew and the other guys then back at Margaret, the girl who always believed in me and never let me down.

The rest was kind of a blur; I only remember my hands tightly around Margaret’s face, the
feeling of her cool, wet lips on mine, the surprised yells by the guys and lastly, the beautiful smile
Margaret flashed me.

“Uh, dude, what are you doing? You just planted one on a cross between an alien and wet dog!
Ha ha ha! Ew, man!” Drew yells loudly. Within the next four seconds, my fist swung out and made
contact with his face and he hit the ground.


I grab Margaret’s hand that fits so perfectly in mine and walk out the bathroom and down the hall. Despite the stares and yells, I only see her perfect muddy brown eyes.