FicWad

I sped to school as fast as I could. I was just barely into the room before the bell rang. Gerard wasn’t there for first hour. Or second. He also didn’t show for biology to help me dissect a rat. The whole time I held the scalpel I was thinking of the knife last night, wondering what had come over me. I was rather enjoying his absence when he showed for English. I refused to look across the room at him, although my wild imagination was dying to know if he was really staring at me or if it was just me wishing he would.
Wait. Wishing he would?
No. I can’t stand Gerard. This is not gonna happen, I thought urgently.
The bell rang and I got up to gather my stuff, all too eager to escape the room. But Gerard was in front of me in seconds, blocking my only exit.
“I gotta get this project done,” he said.
“Yeah, well, there’s a lot of that going around.”
“Wanna meet after school?”
“Where?”
“My house?”
I don’t know why his suggestion shocked me. I guess it scared me to see his place. But I knew I had to agree. I wanted to finish this project as soon as I could. “Fine. Where do you live?”
“Downtown. It’s hard to find. Can I give you a ride?”
“Um, do you know where I live?”
He laughed. “Not at all. But my car shall definitely make it farther than yours. What’s your address?”
“I’m in the house behind the gas station.”
“Yeah, not sure where that is. Just give me an address.”
I told him my address, which today I don’t remember. He nodded, as if remembering each word. “I’ll be over around five. See you.”
I watched him leave the room. One thing I knew for sure. If I didn’t ask him to the dance tonight, Tina would claw my eyes out.

I was sitting, staring out the window, when I saw an unfamiliar car roll to a stop in front of the lawn. I knew it was Gerard even before he called me, telling me to get outside. Sucking in a deep breath, I got up and ran downstairs to his car. It was an old-fashioned Mustang, a sweet muscle car, with a sleek black paint job. But I wasn’t jealous. I knew I didn’t have the money for such a car and I didn’t have the willpower to get it.
I pulled open the door to find him laughing. “Is that your car?” he asked, nodding in the direction of my crappy car sitting in the driveway.
“Don’t diss my car. It’s served me well.”
“Is that spray paint?” he asked, backing out.
“I know you’re jealous.”
He was still laughing when we reached his house across town.