Chapter 23: Chapter 23

I don't even know how, or why that picture set me off, I don't think I'll ever understand why I was currently in a cab, on my way to the the milkshake place, I knew the place, it was our usual hang out spot when I wanted to clear my head if a particular maths equation was too much for me.

And now, I was still going to clear my head, because, this equation, Joseph plus me in a space, enclosed or not, equals goosebumps, and unnecessary heart rate increase. I needed to understand what was going on, mom was trying to tell me once that it was not a disease, then what was it?

I quickly paid the can driver, contemplating if I should tell him or not, but I didn't, or else he would not take the money, I couldn't let him lose. I felt a little guilty about it at first, but I saw a picture of a baby on his dashboard, I concluded he certainly needed the money.

Walking inside, straight to our aisle which wasn't hard to find, I drop like a lead besides my friends, they both wore identical confused looks.

"How are you here?" Andrina asked.

"How else? I took a cab." I answered dryly.

"Really? I thought you took a horse." Sophie said in her bored tone.

"People stopped using horses as a means of transportation long ago." I reply confusedly.

"Forget it, why are you here? Isn't there like a maths equation you need to solve right now?" Sophie's confused voice was bordering irritation. I think she was also irritated, but I couldn't say for sure.

"My maths equation is right here, I followed it." I say suddenly self conscious, looking around I couldn't find them. My shoulders sag in disappointment.

When my eyes strayed back to my friends, Andrina was looking at me with her mouth hanging open. Sophie looked smug. Neither of them said anything, I suddenly felt weird, I drag Andrina's strawberry milkshake to me and take a sip.

"Joseph Anderson is your math equation??" Andrina asked. I looked up, her eyes were huge like saucers. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"See, I need to understand why he has this effect on me and not everyone else, anytime I see him, I get so nervous and excited, like I want to see him more, and uhm I get happy, like really happy..."

"Oh my goodness!!! I thought I would never live to see the day..." Sophie said fake dabing her eyes with a tissue.

"I think we should have recorded that beautiful, life changing speech, because this is an evolution in human kind, a change in the atmosphere. Earth as we know it, is changing!!" Andrina exclaimed.

I frowned, because I think she was being to extra. I don't think it is a terminal disease. If it was, mom would have said something, right?

"Can you say that again? Just one more time, I need to have it on camera, it has never happened before, it will definitely be in the history books. I need to be the one recording it." Andrina said all this with a weird smile on her face.

"You guys are being ridiculous, how can this... this..this.." not entirely sure what to call it.

"Thing" choosing thing because I was tired of calling it a disease.

"Be new to the world?" I finally completed my question.

"Because my friend... you just had your first crush." Sophie said looking smug.

My head starting spinning, I was looking for the meaning of crush in my head, sorting through everything I knew, every single thing, I couldn't find the meaning of crush. But I knew Andrina and Sophie always had it, once they see a new guy, they would crush on him.

I had a crush on Joseph Wilson???!

Impossible. Nope. Can't be.

I was a focused girl, I know where am heading, I was not letting any boy ruin it for me. Never. I don't have a crush on the beautiful, plump lipped neighbor of mine.

I certainly didn't want to see his brown orbs up close, neither did I want to take in his scent, I also didn't want to run my fingers in his hair, I never want to feel if his chest was as firm as it looked to be.

No. No. No.

I do... I don't like him.

Swallowing my internal battle. I turn to my friends slowly.

"I don't have a crush on him." I say as calmly as possible, making sure my tone was even.

"Were you going for an internal monologue? Cause it wasn't internal... at all." Andrina deadpan.

I blinked, I said everything, all those embarrassing things out loud?

"Yes you did hun." Sophie answered.

"I asked that out loud too?" I asked. Heat creeping on my neck.

"Yup." Her lips smacked together, making it ten times more embarrassing.

"The entire store heard your rant, and girl you got imagination skills, run your fingers in his hair?" Andrina asked.

I managed to sneak a peak around us, everyone was staring at me. I wanted to die, or enter the ground and die.

"Let's get out of here please." I beg.

They got the hint, and got up.

We walked silently to Andrina's car, but me... I was stewing in my embarrassment. And the thought of liking Joseph.

"Get in." Andrina said from the driver's seat. I was going to enter, until I heard her giggle. Debbie. I found them quickly. They were practically glued together, I don't even know how he walked with her whole body on his.

My body viberated. I was furious, and heart broken.

"Just get in, it'll get worse." Sophie said, obviously seeing them like I was.

I dragged my eyes away from them, even as it was painful to watch, I couldn't stop looking. I forced my body inside her car, and she sped off the mall.

"What is the anger that I'm feeling?" I asked them quietly.

"Jealousy.." Andrina answered softly.

"Oh." I rested my head back, and closed my eyes, willing the tears to hang back.

We were in front of my house. I climbed out, feeling exhausted already. I walk straight to my room, I heard my friends follow me, but I wasn't in the mood. I was jealous. I was sad.

"Is this his window?" Sophie asked staring at his window.

I nodded from the bed. Wishing for this day to end.

"We should have known you liked him from the start, sorry we didn't figure it for you." Andrina apologized softly.

"It's fine."

"How do you get rid of crushes anyway?" I asked sitting up.

"You simply don't."

"Wait, I'll be like this till when?" I asked alarmed.

"Till you... uncrush"

"When will that be?" I asked, panic rising in my chest.

"Till whenever."

I am doomed.