This is the diary of Autumn Day Blake. Do not read the contents of this journal or you will suffer the consequences!
Namely, extreme boredom.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2006
My life sucks! Its official, no one has it worse than me. I saw Cross today. We were at Wal-Mart and I saw him in the men’s section. I was there with Alyson trying on boxers in the middle of the aisle and making a total fool of myself. Dear God…, Cross saw me in boxers singing “Some Girls” by J.C. Chasez in the middle of Wal-Mart. Not exactly the best way to make your first impression, right? Wrong! Cross started laughing hysterically, which by the way only added to my humiliation, and then he said, and I quote: “You know Autumn, you’re really funny”. First of all, Cross Taylor knows my name. Hold on a minute while I bask in my euphoria.
-Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala-
Ok, I’m done.
So, after all that we (and by we I mean me, Alyson was still laughing) were just standing there wide eyed in shock. I mean seriously, I was like a deer in head lights. Actually I wish I was a deer in head lights, then I would not have been able to further humiliate myself.
“Hey Craig, I um, I mean Cross. Sorry my dog’s name is Craig, sorry. I have no idea why I did that. Call you Craig I mean, cause I know your name. It’s not that I don’t know your name or anything, because I do. I mean you’re in some of my classes, and we’ve spoken before y’know?”
Can you believe I was rambling on like that? It was like Rapid fire! I was literally talking a mile a minute. And Craig! Craig died when I was NINE! Why on God’s green earth would I call Cross Taylor, Craig?!?
Someone please shoot me!
Ally wound up saving me by calling me a spaz and asking Cross to forgive me for my stupidity, if you can call that help. He smiled this dazzling white smile; he’s got these perfect white teeth, and said “sure”. This was when my tongue started to work properly again.
“What the hell are you doing here?” was the first thing I said. Cross looked a bit taken aback at my outburst, but he got over it quickly enough. I hadn’t meant to get at him like that, but I was a bit flustered at the fact that I had embarrassed myself so thoroughly.
“I just got a job working here. I heard that it was a pretty cool place to work, so I came to check it out. They liked me, they needed someone, I got the job,” was his response. Oh my God! Cross Taylor is going to be working at my Wal-Mart! The one I work at! Yay! Yay! Yay!
So Cross works in the sports department and I work in the gaming department, which are right next to each other. Bliss, bliss, bliss! Maybe my life isn’t such total crap after all.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Ok. So today I’m rushing to homeroom because, once again, I have missed the bus, and some girl going the other way knocks my shoulder and just keeps walking! Despite the fact that all my books, pencils, papers, etc. were all over the hall floor and I had cursed at the top of my voice when it happened.
Now, I’m on my hands and knees trying to salvage my stuff, when I notice some guy bending down in front of me. I’m about to yell at him (people at this school tend to steal your stuff when you drop ‘em) when I noticed that it’s not just “some guy” that was bending down in front of me, it was Nate Wright, Cross’ best friend! And he wasn’t stealing my stuff; he was helping me to pick them up!
After about a century of gawking at him (he is very gorgeous!) I smiled and said thank you. Then he smiled “The pleasure was all mine. It’s not every day you get to play knight in shining armor to such a beautiful maiden in distress.”
Can you believe he used a line like that?! I mean seriously, “knight in shining armor”? That is soo 20th Century. But it still was really cute and romantic. I immediately went red. I could feel my face and ears burning (comes with the territory of being a redhead).
“Some people can be so rude.” He said, looking where the girl had walked off. “And some people can be so sweet” I said looking at him pointedly, “It’s the world we live in. Give and take, sweet and sour. It’s the sweet part that makes getting up in the morning a little easier.” I wasn’t flirting was I?
He blushed. Oh my gosh, that is soo cute! I mean you’ve got to understand, this guy is like 6’3’’, and buff in just the right way. He’s not like those jocks that are so big you can’t tell which body part is which. He’s like Brad Pitt only 17 and slightly more attainable. Slightly, only because he’s in high school, otherwise forget it. Nate Wright is popular. Extremely popular. Nate Wright and Cross Taylor are two of the most coveted guys in all of Colonial High. In short I had no chance with either of them.
Nate looked at me, “Cross was right you are pretty cool.” My mouth literally dropped open. Had I heard correctly? Had Nate just said that Cross Taylor had called me cool? Cross Taylor talks about me? Cross Taylor talks about me with his friends? Nate Wright and Cross Taylor talk about me together? Nate Wright and Cross Taylor think I’m cool? I need to get outta here before I have a spaz attack in front of Nate. That would so ruin my new “cool” status.
“Thanks, I never thought I’d be one of the few people the royalty of Colonial High would smile on.” I was starting to get up off the floor when I noticed he was looking at me a bit strangely.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. My heart was starting to beat a little faster. I had never noticed that his eyes were so green. They were like little mini forests. It’s surreal. We stared like that for what seemed like hours but were probably more like 30 seconds. Even so 30 seconds is a long time to be looking into someone’s eyes whom you barley know. When he finally spoke he said, “Do you really think Cross and I are as cold and distant as everyone else thinks?” He had a look of concern and distress on his face that made you want to do everything right for him so nothing bad could ever happen to him.
I guess he was kind of upset with the nickname the school had given the popular kids; or rather he was upset with the reputation it came with. Basically, they hated anyone who was not them and every once in a while they would bestow upon some nobody the privilege of hanging out with them for a while then dumping them when they became lame again.
I guess I had been wrong in thinking that that was what Nate was about to do with me. “I think that you guys are popular and I am but a lowly commoner here to criticize and ridicule you at every waking moment… or whatever. Don’t listen to me. It is quite possible I’m on crack and just don’t know it yet. I have absolutely no idea what the hell just came out of my mouth. Ignore me while I climb in a locker and die.” What the hell was that?!? Can you say spaz?!
All of a sudden I hear an unexpected burst of laughter come from behind me, and I turn to see Nate laughing at me. “Wow. Cross never mentioned how funny you are” he said. Did he actually think that my outburst was some kind of joke? He thought I was trying to make him laugh? “Thanks but…, Oh my god! Look at the time, its ten minutes into class I have to go! Thanks a lot for helping me to pick my stuff up. I’ll tell Cross you said hi, ok? Bye!”
Note to self: Didn’t Cross just say I was funny yesterday? XP
Lunch
“And then I ran like hell to get to class. I probably looked like a complete idiot, as always.” I finally finished telling the group what had happened. Josh turned to me, “Do you really still have that stupid crush on Cross?” Liz slapped him over the head. She’s learning from me, I’m so proud!
“Ow! What, I can’t ask MY BEST FRIEND a question?”
“Not if your asking as her ex-boyfriend!” said Liz. “Don’t sweat it Josh. It’s just a little crush based mostly on his looks, his very good looks. Like his eyes and that one dimple in his left cheek…” I have a dazed look on my face by now and I’m pretty sure I can feel the drool edging toward the corners of my mouth. Wait… someone else is in my daydream! It’s Nate! He’s walking toward me. No. Wait. That’s actually Cross and Nate across the lunchroom. And Nate is actually walking towards me! “Oh crap! He’s coming over here. Just act normally, like we weren’t just talking about him. No one look guilty.” I stare at my sushi in front of me as if it’s the most fascinating thing in the world and everyone goes silent. I can feel them all staring at me. So much for acting naturally.
I see a pair of white sneakers standing next to me on the floor. I look up to see Nate looking at me. “Umm, hey Autumn.”
Oh my gosh, he knows. He’s uncomfortable because he knows we were just talking about him and Cross and he thinks we’re all freaks.
“Hey Nate, what’s up?” Just act normally; this is a totally natural occurrence. You can get through this… why do I lie to myself? I’m totally going to screw this up.
