Adam sighed, slowly packing up his stuff. The bell would ring soon, and he would go home and try to figure out how to do the math problems he had for homework. He wished he could spend his afternoon some other way- like with Julie.
Julie was the new girl in his class. She had long caramel hair and brown eyes, got perfect grades, had lots of friends, and a great sense of humor. Adam wanted to be with her more than anyone.
It was useless though. Julie wouldn't want him. Why? Well... Julie didn't like boys.
It almost made Adam wish he was a girl.
The bell finally rang, and Adam slowly walked down the hall, thinking of Julie. His friend, Mark, joined soon joined him. "Hey Adam," said Mark. "You don't look so good. Thinking about Julie again?" Adam weakly nodded, and Mark laughed. "Trust me dude, you have no chance with a lesbian."
Adam looked hurt. Mark quickly said, "Well, it really is unfortunate. The most perfect girl on the planet, being, well... it's hopeless. She probably is crushing on some girl anyway."
Adam sighed. He hated to admit to himself that Mark was right.
The next day, Adam's teacher, Mr. Davis, announced that they would be starting a project on earthquakes. "Since the school year is almost over, there isn't much time to get this done. You'll have to meet up with your partner outside of school to work on this," Mr. Davis said. "Now, who would like to pick their partner first? Let's see... Adam?"
Adam shyly looked up. "Um... I'd like..." He took a deep breath. "Julie."
Everyone looked at Julie. Adam sunk down in his seat. He should have chosen Mark. What was he thinking? Julie was going to hate him. Actually, she probably already hated him.
"Okay, Adam and Julie, you're partners then," Mr. Davis said. Julie scowled, glaring at Adam. Adam swallowed the lump in his throat.
During lunch, Adam walked to Julie's table. "May I sit here so we can discuss the project?" he said.
Julie groaned. "Fine." Adam sat down, his hands trembling. Pull yourself together! he urged himself.
"Should we meet at one of our houses?" Adam asked.
"Mine," said Julie.
"Okay," said Adam. "Write down your address." He wondered if he had said that wrong. Should he have said please?
Julie wrote it down and handed it to him. "Tomorrow?" Adam quickly nodded. "Okay."
The next day, after school, Adam rode off on his bike, telling his mom he was going to Julie's house. His mom laughed. "Julie? Who's she? Your girlfriend?"
Adam blushed. "No... not at all... I'm pretty sure she hates me, actually..."
Adam's mom blinked. "Hates you? Who could possibly hate you?"
"I think a lot of girls hate me, Mom," Adam admitted.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Try asking her about her hobbies. Maybe you have something in common," his mom said.
"Maybe..." We both like girls? Ha.
Adam waved to his mom, and rode off on his bike.
Once he arrived at Julie's house, Adam got off his bike and walked up to Julie's door. He knocked and waited nervously. A woman answered the door. She must be Julie's mom, he thought.
"Oh, hello," Julie's mom said. "Um... who are you?"
"I'm Julie's partner for a school project," he said.
"Oh, come in." Julie's mom moved aside and let him in. "Julie should be upstairs in her room," she said.
"Thanks." Adam walked up the staircase and down the hall until he saw a door with a sign that said, 'JULIE'S ROOM- PLEASE KNOCK'
Adam knocked. "Who is it?" a voice said from behind the door.
"It's Adam."
"Oh. Get in here."
Adam opened the door. Julie's room was very pink and her open closet was full of clothes. Papers were spread out all over the bed and some on the floor as well, and Julie sat at a computer desk. I can't believe I'm in Julie's room... Julie looked annoyed. "Hey, stop staring."
"S-sorry," Adam stuttered. "Um... hi."
"Yeah, hi," said Julie. "Now, let me ask you something- why did you pick me as your partner?"
"Sorry," said Adam. "I don't know. I guess you wanted to be with one of your friends, right?"
Julie froze, as if Adam had just asked something personal. "Um... yeah. Of course."
Feeling a bit awkward, Adam quickly said, "Now how should we do our project?"
"I have no idea."
"Oh..."
There was a long silence. This was a bad idea.
"I guess we could make a model of what a city might look like after a bad earthquake," said Julie. "Although... I really wish we had been given more instruction."
"Yeah... yeah, let's do that."
Julie and Adam got a cardboard box, some clay, toothpicks, markers, and craft sticks, not really sure what they would need yet. They were soon sitting on Julie's bed, constructing the city.
"Um... so..." Adam tried to start a conversation. "What are your... hobbies...?"
Julie gave him an odd look. "Hobbies? Um... I guess... writing?"
"Oh, I like to write too," Adam said. He actually didn't, but maybe it would help Julie like him if she thought they had something in common.
"Oh, you do?" said Julie. "What kind of stories do you like to write?"
"Um... romance?" Adam's face turned red once he realized what he had said.
Julie raised her eyebrows. "Really? Me too."
Adam was relieved. "Oh, cool..."
"I bet the romances I write are very different from the ones you write though," said Julie.
"Yeah," said Adam. "I bet yours are... um..." Adam's throat felt dry. "Well..."
Julie laughed. "Yes, they're lesbian romances," she said.
Adam's face paled. Julie was laughing? At him? Or did she think he was funny? Adam's heart sped up and he had a burst of confidence. He said, "Julie, do you like anyone?"
Julie looked surprised at the question. "Yes..."
"Do you mind if I ask who?" Adam asked.
Julie blushed. "Um..." Julie didn't say anything. Awkwardness resumed once more. "So, should I get more clay?"
The next day at school, Adam was at his locker when he heard the voices of gossiping teens. "Did you hear?" one said. "About Julie?"
What about Julie? Adam thought, suddenly interested in the conversation. He listened more closely.
"You mean about how Ashley saw her kissing Lucy in the locker room? Yeah!" another voice said.
Adam's heart stopped beating. In a state of shock, he ran into the restroom, blinded by his tears. He ran into a stall, locking the door behind him, and knelt next to the toilet, panting.
Why did this have to happen? Adam remembered what Mark had said: "Trust me dude, you have no chance with a lesbian." Adam shook his head.
"You're right, Mark. I really don't. There's no way she's just going to change her mind and start liking boys. There's no way she'd ever like me, especially since she likes Lucy," Adam said to himself. Lucy was a close friend of Julie's. They were probably meant to be together.
Adam heard voices and footsteps outside the stall. Girls' voices. Wait... was he in the wrong bathroom? Uh oh. Someone knocked on the stall door. "Go away," Adam mumbled.
"Is that you, Adam?!" the girl said. It was Ashley. "Guys, Adam is in the girls' bathroom!"
Another girl said, "Ooh, what's he doing in here?"
Another said, "I bet he was planning to sneak a peek at the girls going to the bathroom! You guys know how perverted guys are!"
"Let's go tell everyone!" Ashley said. The other girls agreed and they went running out of the bathroom.
Once the footsteps were gone, Adam stepped out of the stall. He was about to leave the bathroom... but then he saw Julie. "J-Julie?" he practically fainted.
"Yeah, it's me," said Julie. "You okay?"
"No, no I'm not."
"Is this because you heard about me and Lucy kissing?"
Adam could barely breathe. "How do you...?"
"I knew you had a crush on me," said Julie.
"It's hopeless," Adam cried. "You like Lucy, don't you?"
"Yeah... yeah, I do," said Julie.
"Oh Julie, I can't stand this! Wanting you so badly, knowing that we could never be... It hurts! It really hurts!" said Adam. "I want to be a girl."
"That's silly."
"But I do!"
"Only because you want me to like you. That's not a good reason."
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't. Even if you were a girl, I would still love Lucy. Besides, you're not my type."
"But... but..." Adam continued to cry. "I know this isn't going to end well..."
"I guess it won't."
Adam clenched his fists. "Julie... I..." Suddenly, Adam lost his sanity. He jumped forward, and pressed his lips to Julie's.
Julie didn't push him away, but she didn't return the kiss. She stood there, frozen.
Adam suddenly realized what he had done. He ran away.
Maybe it was hopeless, but Adam couldn't stop himself.
The next day, at recess, Adam saw Julie sitting on the bench reading a book. Lucy was nowhere in sight. Adam walked over. Julie didn't look at him. "Julie..." said Adam. "Can't we just be friends?"
Julie sighed, slamming her book shut. Adam braced himself for any kind of response.
"Okay."
Adam felt an odd mixture of several emotions. "Really?"
"Yes. Just friends."
Adam didn't know what to do then. Walk away? Say okay? Hug her? No, definitely not that last one.
"Thanks."
Maybe he wasn't going to end up completely happy. But maybe he wouldn't end up in tears.