Just Friends by Madison Butt (recommended ebook reader TXT) 📕

Aaaaaaand send. I shut off my phone (lock screen) and get off the bus. *Ding Ding Ding!* I hear my phone go off.

| Carson: oh my god. this again? i told you i'm sorry. pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase forgive me. i like you, a lot. well, as a friend. maybe. i don't know! look, i just want to be friends. i want you to like me as a friend (or more *Crying laugh emoji*) but i just want to start over. | 

I roll my eyes and lock my phone. I put my phone in my purse and I'm off to English II. On my way to class, I see Carson staring at his phone, pacing in circles. I cover my face while I quickly walk over to my classroom. There, I am greeted by Lola. She waves for me to come over. I wave back and smile. As I'm putting my stuff down, I see this cute boy keep looking at me. I squint my eyes. "Luis?" I say very loud. He nods his head and I squeal. I jump up and run over to his desk to hug him. 

"I've missed you Stella!!" Luis tells me.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh! I've missed you way too much!! Why aren't you still back home? Did you have to move back to Florida? I mean obviously you're back and I've missed you, but what are you doing back? What happened? This is such a huge coincidence! Why didn't you text me?!?!?!" I rapidly say.

"Jeez girl, calm yourself. I'm just here for a week to see how I like it here again. Last time I was here, I was in 8th grade, getting bullied. But now, you're here and I know you'll stick up for me. If I don't like it here, I go back. To Minnesota." Luis informs me. 

"Oh noooo! Wait, what does this mean for . . . us . . .? Are we still a thing? . . . ." I ask.

"Oh . . . um . . . after you left, there was this girl . . . Mandy . . . we um . . . kinda . . . dated for a while and now we're in a long-distance kind of thing . . . so . . . I guess . . . no?" When Luis says this, he sounds concerned. That just hit the nail on the head. My boyfriend for 2 years and he moved here, didn't tell me about it, and dated someone else in Minnesota? What has my life come to? Oh my gosh. My day is officially ruined. 

 In math class, Luis follows me because incidently we have the same classes. Woohoo! Not. Daniel looks at me while he's sitting next to Andy. Ew. Just because Daniel isn't available doesn't mean Leila isn't, too! I motion over to the teacher to notify her that I'm moving seats. The reason I notify her is because we're getting our tests back. So I go over to Leila and she makes a face at me. Now this isn't the type of face that you want to cringe at the sight of, this is waaaayyyy worse. Wayyyyyy worse. I quietly whisper something to her. "What's wrong, Leila? Did someone hurt you?" "Cause I'll beat their tiny ass up." I smile and chuckle at her a little. Her face looks red and puffy and she has dried up tears on her face. 

"I-I . . . failed . . . ." She looked up at me and I saw her red eyes. "I'm going to die. My mom will never accept me now. She told me if I get another failing grade, I'm grounded for 3 months. Yay me. I'm grounded" She cried. 

"You can stay with me . . . I can ask . . . ." I re-assured Leila. Leila smiled and put her hand on my leg and clenched it hard.

"I know you don't want me, you're just being a really good friend. I understand. Your parents don't want someone stupid in their house either I bet." Leila said.

"Well, they already have someone stupid in the house! Me!" I tried to make her laugh. She looked up, wiped her eyes, and chuckled a little. 

"In all honesty, my mom would never let me stay with you." Leila looked down. I got up because before I knew it, the teacher called out my name and told me to move. I rolled my eyes and got up. Andy (ugh) and I had to change seats. Daniel's smile faded a bit when I came over and rolled my eyes. "You know, miss Josie. There are no second impressions." My teacher said. 

"I'm sorry Mrs. Parazzi." <--- (ppl who go to my school probably know what her real name is)

"Yeah Johnny. No second impressions." Andy says with attitude while snickering to herself. 

"My name isn't Johnny. But, you're too stupid to realize that, huh?" I force my butt into the seat. 

"Oh it isn't? I just thought since you looked like a boy . . . ." Andy told me. I roll my eyes some more. I'm literally on the verge of crying at this point. 

"You alright? Andy is a bitch sometimes, I know." Daniel told me. He smiled. I managed to try a fake smile. He frowns at me "What the hell is that, Josie? Are you trying to fake smile?" Daniel laughed.

"Well, yeah?" I laughed too. "Alright lets listen up. I'm a star student." We smiled at each other, and started to pay attention to Mrs. Parazzi.

 Daniel and I walked out of math class together. Of course, Andy followed us. Daniel and I smiled at each other. 

"Bye, Josie! See you on the bus!" Daniel said in that sexy voice of his.

"See you!" I said as I walked to shop class. Before I knew it, Andy followed me. 

"What the hell are you doing with my boyfriend? Is he cheating on me with . . . ick . . . you?"  Andy asked me. I stopped. "The hell I'm doing is minding my own business, so maybe that's what you should be doing." I slumped my bags over my shoulder and walked away. As I walked into shop class, I saw Carson eagerly waiting in his seat. Either he was waiting for me, or he was excited to do something in shop class. My vote, is he was waiting on me. Carson greeted me very warmly. "Hey Josie. I like your outfit today. You're looking good." 

"Oh um . . . thanks!" I smiled and put my stuff down under my chair.

"So how was your day so far?" Carson smiles and leans on his arm. Wow. He's as cute as a puppy! I smile and say "It was . . . good . . . ." I do a quick nod, smile and look at the shop teacher. A thought bubble pops into my head. I zone out. Dreamland is taking me somewhere. "Hey!" Carson and Daniel say in unison. They look like anime characters . . . okay . . . this isn't real life. I look down at what I'm wearing. I'm wearing a tight red dress and black stilleto heels. I'm holding a rose. Am I on the bachelorette? Both boys walk up to me and their eyes sizzle off (like the snapchat filter) their regular eyes show. Beautiful. I hold out the rose. I walk up to Daniel. He walks up to me and kisses me. Wow. I feel like melting in to a big gooey mush of like. When Carson walks up to me, I cross my arms and roll my eyes. Daniel is so careful and perfect. Carson is loud and sexy. Lets see if it's true. Carson grabs my hands and kisses me. Perfect. Even more perfect than before. Now I want to melt into a gooey mush of love. He's great. Amazing. Better than . . . oh no . . . Daniel. Maybe this isn't real life. Carson starts slapping my arm. "Ow. OW!" it gets harder and harder. I wake up quickly. I dozed off. Aw crap. 

"Morning Josie!" Carson laughs.

"Oh man, this is so embarassing." I say. I look down and see a little pool of drool under my forearm. Carson looks down and I quickly put my arm on the drool. Ick. 

"Josie?" Carson says in a quiet tone. I look over and he is eagerly smiling. I wonder what he's about to tell me. Something bad like 'I know you like me' or 'I can't date you'. 

Carson starts again. "I -- um . . . " Oh no. Here it comes. I close my eyes peacefully as if I'm starting to fall asleep again. I hear him say . . . 

 OH MY GOSH. I fell asleep. No. Oh no. I fell asleep this cannot be good. I can't believe this. No. I can't ask him what he said, because what if he said he liked me? What if he said he just wanted to be friends? That'll be so rude if I said I fell asleep. Oh God. If he did say he likes me, he'll quickly change it to a no if I said I fell asleep. I look over at Carson. He looks sort of sad. Does he know I fell asleep? 

"So, how do you feel?" Carson rolls his eyes. "Have a nice sleep?" He knows. 'Say something' I tell myself. 

"Um . . . Um . . . yeah?" I guess if he wanted to be just friends I'd have to agree too. I do like him though. 

         Carson smiles a little. 

"So, we're good?" Carson says. I look down. I feel saddened. I don't know what to think. I'm sad. I'm mad. I'm . . . I'm .