Rachel has been my best friend ever since I broke her nose in 9th grade. She was trying to teach me how to hit a volleyball across the net, and I missed the ball. Through her tears and around the blood dripping from her nose Rachel grinned at me.

“Now, hit the ball like that and you’ll be our star player!” she giggled. I had to laugh too considering my fist had just done some major damage to the kid’s modeling career. We laughed all the way to the nurse’s office after class. As Nurse Bigee (and this was her real name regardless of the rolls that hung from the elastic waistband of her too white running pants) pinched and prodded, Rachel handed me a slip of paper with her phone number.

Rachel took a deep breath and sighed as she flopped onto the couch. I sat with her, careful not to spill my drink. “Sean and Dean. They go to North Public across town. They’re juniors, Kera! Juniors! So Sean wanted to come over and he said he had a friend, and I said I had a friend, and he said cool can we come over, and I said sure it’ll be a good time, and he winked at me-he WINKED at me!- and said well, I guess me and my friend will see you and your friend tonight and I said sure and I just can’t believe it because he is soooooo cute!”

Rachel’s face turned red and she seemed at a loss for words. I was just about to ask her if she had lost her voice when she answered. “Well, I thought it would be more fun with just the two of us. I told the other girls my mom had decided to stay home and I had to cancel.”

“Can you believe Coach Ray made us run all those laps? I thought I would die of exhaustion! You want something to drink? Let’s go get a coke and something to snack on.” I followed her back downstairs simply because I didn’t know what else to do. I was speechless. The plush carpeting was soft beneath my bare feet. I couldn’t help but think this floor would probably be more comfortable than my bed at home.

Sean and Dean were the cutest boys I had ever seen in my entire fourteen years. I just sat staring at them like a dumbass. I’m pretty sure there was drool in the corners of my mouth. Sean leaned over and offered his hand. It took me a full minute to realize that he wanted to help me up. By the time I made It to my feet I know they were all in fits laughing at me, but all I can remember was thinking this Sean had the darkest eyes I had ever seen. Soulful, deep, brown-black eyes that mirrored your features and reflected your soul.

ht and we’ll, um, do homework,” she winked. I grinned stupidly and gave a little wave as I backed out of the door.

Some topics in this essay:
WAIT UP”, , KERA Boys, Juniors Sean, Coke Rachel, Nurse Bigee, Sean Dean, Vanna White, Coach Ray, Upstairs Rachel, mom town, friend friend,