So homecoming is tomorrow and I am so excited! Hunter (guy I like and my first kiss) asked me and we're going! This will be our first real date. He's asked me out like ten times, but each time something has come up, and one of the times was for sweethearts last year. That one sucked, but he did have a concussion so I guess that he kind of has an excuse there. Other times were... oh I don't even remember, but yeah. This will be our first official date and I just can't wait! And for all those that have never been asked to a dance, I understand. I have been there. You here all the girls talking about it, and then you think, I don't want to hear this, I wasn't asked. But I also understand the other side with the girls that were asked because they sometimes don't want to talk about anything else. That's how I was last year with prom. I was talking about my dress and stuff and one of my friends got mad at me because she did get asked but ended up getting in a fight with her prom date, and so the date was off. At least I think. I don't have all of the details.

But yeah. I just can't wait! I'm FINALLY going out with the guy that I like. Funny thing is though, that for prom last year, one of my other friends, who's name is also Hunter, asked me. So so far two Hunter's have asked me to a dance. Kinda funny.

Anyway's that all for my rambling of the day. Bye my fellow readers! :D

Paying Attention

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


I pick up the paper that has Daniel's number on it. I didn't realize this before, but I never entered it into my phone. I'll do it now, really quick. There. Now that I've done that I can say what I wanted to text him.

"Hey."

He text's me back second's later. "Who is this?"

"That, I cannot tell you."

"Um. Creepy. Who is this?"

"I just told you I can't tell you. But I will tell you this. I know where you live."

I am just laughing now. This is so fricken hilarious! I don't know why I didn't think to do this before.

"Seriously. Ur really creeping me out. WHO IS THIS?"

Now I'm really letting my laughter loose.

"That is for me to know, and for you to ATTEMPT to figure out."

"If u don't tell me soon I'm gonna call someone. I don't know who, but someone."

Wow. I've really got him. Well I'd better tell him now before he does something stupid.

I call him. He picks up on the first ring.

"Who is this?" He shouts.

I talk slowly, and lower, trying to keep the creepy prank up. "Try and figure out who I am through my voice."

He is quiet for a moment. I take that as a signal to keep on talking. I raise my voice up a little. To my more normal pitch. It's still lowish, but (hopefully) a little more sexy. "You now who I am."

"Uh, I don't know. Um, Heather?"

"Heather?" I say incredulously. "No. Who's Heather by the way?"

"Why should I tell you? I don't even know you."

"Ugh. You will once you guess me right."

He's quiet for a moment. "Hmm. You're voice does sound familiar."

"As it should."

"Sam?"

"Yes!"

"Sam, you scared the friggen crap outta me!"

"I noticed."

"How did you get my number?"

"Um, you gave it to me."

"Oh yeah! Now I sort of remember."

"Good for you." I say teasingly.

"So what's up?"

"Not much. Just thought I'd scare the crap outta you. And it worked! Ha ha!"

"Okay, let me correct you on something. I wasn't that scared. Just a little bit. But not terribly."

"Ptsh. Whatever! I totally had you peeing your pants."

"Nope."

I sigh, knowing that I am completely right, and he is just a big fat liar. But, whatever. I guess you can't have everything.

"So what have you been up to today?...." He say's, and then are just talking. Just as easily as we were the first day we met each other. Or I guess I should say 're-met' each other. We talked for an hour before we both had to go down for dinner.

***

"So how was school today?" Mom ask's as we pass the food around.

"Meh. It was school. It was okay I guess." I say after a second. You know, these question's I never know how to respond to. I always try to go over my day in my mind, but I can never think of anything interesting to say. I decided when I was about five that this was the best and easiest answer.

"What about you Mariah?"

She's quiet before saying, "It was okay."

"Wow you two girls live an exciting life." Dad teases. 

I smile back while rolling my eye's. "Yeah, I know right? It's the best one a teenager can come up with."

"I wonder what you two will come up with when you become adults, like me and your dad."

"Uh-uh." I say, putting my glass of water down. "Ain't gonna happen. You see we're (at least I am) going to have a super cool job where I can keep my childhood alive and never really get old. Like.... Never mind." I should really stop while I'm ahead.

"Like what?" Mom say's. "Like us?" She give's me a smile, but the kinda smile that is indescribably happy/a little scary. Like she's going to tickle me, or throw the roll on her plate at me, kind of face.

"I never said anything. Or at least never finished anything." I complete under my breath. 

"Don't think we didn't hear that." Dad say's, and both him and mom look at each other, give a little nod, and look back at me. Oh crap, what are they gonna do?

"You think we're old, huh?" Mom say's, laughing a little, even though I insulted them a little. They both stick their fingers in their glasses and flick the water at me. It's not a whole lot, but it's enough for me to want to lift my napkin up and shield my face. 

"Okay, okay!" I shout. "You're not old! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"You better be sorry!" Mom laugh's. I know that they just want to mess around with me, just like I want to mess around with them. They both stare at me, laughter in their eye's. I'm sure I have laughter in my eye's too, considering that I am laughing.

"Some people's children." I sigh. They sigh too. We laugh a little more, and then go back to eating. 

"So you've been quiet Mariah." Mom say's. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm not feeling super great, that's all."

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry."

"Can I stay home tomorrow?"

"That depends on how sick you are."

"I'm really not feeling good."

"Okay. Well after dinner I'll check on you. But if you really are doing good than you're going to school."

"Fine." She say's, almost like she doesn't care. But I know why she doesn't want to go. Because of her traitorous friends who abandoned her because they thought that she was the sceezy slut. Jeez, if I was being treated like that, I wouldn't want to go to school either. 

We soon finish dinner, and dad and I are left to doing the dishes. 

"So kiddo, what have you been up to?"

"Not much. Except we are reading The Crucible in English right now, and I think that it's pretty cool."

"That is a great play. Arthur Miller wrote that, right?"

"Yup."

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Nothing that has to do with Mariah acting so different - almost depressed - these couple weeks?"

Oh man, he know's me too well. But I don't know if I should tell dad or not, because that's her business. It's not like she made me swear not to tell anyone, but still. 

"Sam?"

"Have you asked her yet?" I say reluctantly. 

"Sort of, but she just brushed it off and said that she's fine."

I sigh, then I slowly start to let the words come out. "Well, she told me that one of her 'friends'," I lift my finger's up in quotation's, "started saying a bunch of crap about her. And I guess that it's all because her 'friend' caught Mariah kissing the guy this girl liked. And so then she told me that the girl told her to back off because he was her boyfriend, but Mariah said that she didn't know. And so the girl called her a slut. And now she - obviously - feel's bad, because she lost all of her friends, because they decided to go against her and side with the biatch, excuse my language, and she's also hurt by that guy. I honestly believe though, that this girl is just full of bull, and that she really isn't going out with him. So yeah, that's what's going on.... Oh, and please don't tell her I told you."  I say quickly.

"I wont." He's reply's after a second. "And thank you for telling me. I think that she deserves some good friends for a change."

"I agree."