Alone In the Middle(Ch.12)

by Solana in World of Books

On Monday, I woke up early again. I was planning on leaving as early as possible and meet up with Jamie, Melody and Mike. So when I was done getting dressed at seven, I headed downstairs.

Now, you must remember that most of my family is asleep in the mornings. I, wake up early purposely, so I can not worry about stuff most people worry about in the morning. So that means I have to be sneaky. And quiet. Which I'm good at. But one of my key rules of being sneaky, is that you must change your way of sneaking every so often. And if you don't, you will eventually get caught. But I had gotten cocky lately, and had just totally forgotten about that rule. So I walk downstairs, into the kitchen, to find my mother sipping warm milk.
(I have no idea why she drinks warm milk in the morning. It's supposed to make you sleepy, but she says it's perfect for waking her up.)
My mother smiled when I entered the kitchen. She motioned to a plate of scrambled eggs and strawberries. Yum.
"So, Lisa, I didn't know you wake up this early. I always thought you cut it close."
I was in a bit of a shock. I was rarely caught, and the last time I'd been caught was when I was nine.
"Well, I prefer to wake up earlier. I don't like cutting it close. Now, why are you awake?"
My mom just sipped her milk.
So I sat down and began to eat my breakfast.
And then, my mom said, "Well, you've been getting up so early lately. It was like this in the beginning of the year, and then you were eating breakfast with us and then, suddenly, you weren't."
I concentrated on drinking my orange juice.
"And you and your sisters no longer speak normally and you like that boy Mike."
I stopped drinking.
"How do you know about Mike?"
"I do have friends you know, honey. And kids do still talk to their parents, you know."
Really? I had no idea.
My mom stopped drinking her milk and looked at me.
"So, you're going to the Spring Fling with him?"
"Mom, you know Mike. He would never-"
"I think it's wonderful."
"Oh."
I was silent.

Then my mom asked it. "So what's going on at school?"
So I told her. Not everything. Just an edited version. About Amber. Not about the divas. About Grace and Greg. Not about Jamie and Kevin. I had to leave things out. No mother is that understanding. Besides, she'd probably find out about it when it was all over and her "friends" told her.
When I was done, she nodded, kissed me on the head, said good luck, and went upstairs to get dressed.
And I was out the door.

When I met up with Mike at the crossroads, he had this big smile on his face. Like he was just so happy. It was sort of contagious. I don't know what we started talking about, but it ended up with us in a fit of giggling.
"Awww, how cute."
Melody's voice sobered me up quick. But I saw the look on her face, and I knew that it was too late, Melody was storing this away forever, in her little files, with this file branded with the word BLACKMAIL, nice and big across the front.
Isn't she just a wonderful friend?
But I ended up laughing again, and soon we were all laughing. I f Jamie hadn't gotten there, we probably would've been there all day.
"So, Mike, you're going to the Spring Fling?"
I rolled my eyes. Melody thought she was being cute, by pretending she had no idea Mike and I were going together.
Mike smiled. "Yeah. Didn't you hear? I'm going with Amber. She asked me when I was tied to a wall, with lazers pointing at me. You of all people didn't hear?"
Melody rolled her eyes as Jamie and I laughed.
So it was liked that the whole way to school. I kind of wish we had just kept walking forever, because what awaited us at school was not a pleasant thing.
Amber.
That girl had the nerve to walk right up to the four of us and say "Hi Mike."
So what, we were just nothing but air?
So I retaliated by saying, "Hi Amber!" copying the same perkiness she had used.
She glanced at me with disdain, as Melody, Jamie and Mike tried to hide their snickers. "Lisa."
She turned back to Mike and said "So Mike. The Spring Fling is coming up and I was wondering if..."
I couldn't believe it. She was actually going to...
"...you'd go with me?"
Yup, she was going to.
I stared at her. Then I looked at Mike. How was he going to handle this?
Mike looked down, then back up again. Then he said, "Uh, well, Amber, I'm already going with Lisa."
Now before you go awww, wait for the next part.
Then he reached down and grabbed my hand.
My face immediately fired up, and I got the same feeling I get when I'm standing on the edge of something high up. I was holding Mike Wells's hand. He had grabbed my hand!
Amber glanced down at our hands, at Mike and then me, shooting me darts of poison with her eyes. Then she turned and walked away.
I'm not sure what we did with the next twenty minutes before school. I don't know what we talked about, or if Melody dished some gossip. The only thing I remember is the fact that Mike held my hand the whole time.