I stared at him. “What are you saying?’’ Alex looked down. “I just think we should take a break for a while.” I glared at him. “ By “taking a break” you mean we should break up?” I snapped. “Yes, Belle. If it has to come to that, then yes, that’s what I mean” I blinked back the tears that sprang to my eyes. Alex ran a hand through his hair. “Come on, Lizzy , please, don’t cry” I turned around and unlocked the door to my mom’s apartment. As I opened the door, he reached for my shoulder. His hand never got there. I slammed the door and ran to my bedroom. Alex and I have been going out for about six months, and now this. I threw my self on my bed, sobbing. My mom knocked on the door, and when I mumbled come in, she sat in the edge of my bed and asked me what was wrong. “Al, he, he, he broke up with me” I sobbed. She hugged me. “Did he say why?” I shook my head. “Find out, dear, that might help”. She stood up, and walked toward the door. “Suppers in an hour” She left and closed the door. My computer made a noise, and I sat up. I sighed and went over to the chair in front of it. I opened my e-mail, and there were a few from my best friend Miya, and one from Alex. I opened that one. It said:
‘’Lizzy- I’m sorry. I just felt that I needed to do this. I met someone really special, and I feel I need to be with that person. I hope both of us will move on. Please don’t hate me. Your Friend-Alex’’
Crap, the prom is next week. I forgot about that. I thought I was going to it with Alex. I’ve already gotten my dress. It’s a deep russet red. That was my dads favorite color, so I’m wearing it for him. Last summer he died in a car wreck. Sad. I had thought Alex already had his tux. Maybe not. I don’t care. I will not go as Norma No Date.

Later that night after supper, I was in my room cleaning up, when my cell phone rang. “James” blinked across the screen. James is Miya’s older brother, whose a year older then me. He and Alex are best friends, and it was through him I met Alex. I held my breath, hoping it wasn’t him, James that is. It was Miya, thank God. “Hello Lizzy, how are you?’’ Miya’s soft voice came through the phone. ‘’Okay, I guess, why are you on James’ phone?’’ I said. “Oh, mom took mine, James said I should call you. Did Alex really break up with you?’’ I sighed. “Yes. For some perfect pumpkin girl. How are things with John?” John is Miya’s new boyfriend, and she’s crazy about him. “Oh, he’s so wonderful, I just adore him” Miya rattled on, and I listened. In a few minutes, she asked me who was going to take me to the prom. I shook my head, then, realizing that she couldn’t see me, I said “Nope, not a clue”. Miya was silent for a moment, then she said “Maybe I could set you up?’’ I giggled. “No way!’’ I shook at the idea of a blind date. “No?, okay, fine, well I need to go, James is yelling at me for wasting his minutes, I’ll see you tomorrow’’. I smiled “B-Bye’’ She hung up, and I sat on my bed. Ever since I met Miya in first grade, we’ve been really good friends, telling each other everything. Well, all most everything. I’ve never told her I have a crush on her older brother. Or I did, before I met Alex. Miya and James look a lot alike, with the same curly brown hair and brown eyes. The one thing that’s different about them, is that Miya isn’t popular, and James is. He’s the quarter back, and he dates the head cheerleader, Barbie Wells. (Yes, her names Barbie). Barbie’s your normal high school cheer leader. She’s blond and perky, and always giggling. She and I are as different as a tree and a flower. I’m the tree. I have dark hair, dark eyes, and glasses. When I first met James, Miya and I were having a sleepover. We were very excited. We were building a blanket and chair fort in their living room, when James came in demanding his pillow. At that time I thought he was a rude boy, but by the time I was 12, I really liked him, and I think I still do.

The next morning, I got up, and got ready for school. I was going to show Alex what he was missing out on. I put in the contacts I rarely wore, and pulled my hair into two low pigtails. Then I put on my Bob Marley T, and my favorite pair of jeans. This wasn’t any other pair of dumb jeans, these were jeans that make anyone feel good in. they were dark blue, and tight in all the right places, without being trampy. Then I went into the bathroom, and put on some eye shadow. Long ago I gave up using eyeliner. I always poked my self in the eye. Next I put on my combat boots, and tip toed out of the apartment, trying not to wake up Mom and Laney. I walked to Miya’s house. I knocked on the door, and I heard a yell from inside, so I went in. I guess I forgot to say that Miya had five younger siblings. They were really wild, and her mom had her hands full. I went up stairs, watching that I didn’t step on any of the toys that lined it. I knocked on Miya’s door, and she shouted “Come in” over the Pink that was playing. I found her in front of the mirror, putting on make-up. “Hullo, how are you?’’ she said, looking up from her many brushes. She’s always been a morning person, so I smiled. She leaned over hit the off button on her radio, and threw the rest of her stuff in her hot pink back pack. “Prettied up today?’’ She asked me. I nodded. Miya and I headed out the door, and I turned around to flip off the light. When I turned back around, Miya was fighting with her brother, who was standing in the hall, shirtless. I held my breath, and soon Miya noticed me, and grabbed my hand, pulling me down the stairs. James smiled at me, and suddenly I was on the sidewalk in front of their house. “Where did he get his brain?” Miya fumed. “He’ll probably be late for school too, he’s such a bum”. We walked the few blocks to our high school. As soon as we got there, as if he’d been waiting for us, John appeared, and pulled Miya off to go do who knows what. I walked to my locker, rolling my eyes. Ever since I started high school, my lockers all ways been next to Barbie Wells’. her number is 13 and mine is 14. So, ever morning, she’s usually there sucking face with her boyfriend, James. She was there again today, but, I realized with a jolt, she wasn’t with James, she was with…Alex. I felt like she’d smacked me in the face, then I thought of James. I wondered if he knew. I was about to ask when I saw him coming down the hall the his locker, on the opposite wall. He spotted me, and waved. Then, his eyes fell on the pair of eels next to me. A small look of shock, then pain flitted across his face, and he turned and walked the other way. I sighed and headed for my first class. I’d see James there.