(MELANIE: point of view)

Middle school is horrible. I hate girls! I hate guys! Everyone is so pissy!

I woke up this morning just feeling like shit. I pulled on my jean skirt and the cutest shirt I could find in my closet. I stood in front of my mirror and did my make-up. I blow dried my hair perfectly until it did the cute little flip-out thing. My phone started playing my favorite song.

"Hey!" I answered, not really knowing who it was.

"Mel! OMG Kevin called me this morning and I think he so wants to break up with Carrie. What do you think?" Sarah begged.

"Oh, I don't know Sarah, I don't know what's going on in Kevin's head. It's possible, though."

My phone started ringing again. I looked at the screen as Sarah blabbed on. The screen read 'DANIEL'

"Oh my god! Guess who is trying to reach me now?" I asked sarcastically.

"Daniel? The nerve of that guy!"

"Should I answer?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Yes!"

"Okay, bye. I'll call you when I'm off."

I hit send and waited for another lecture.

"Well what do you have to say?" I asked stubbornly.

"Oh, don't be like that Mel," he said in his now deep voice.

"Like what? You cannot say that after what you said to me yesterday, I don't have the right to be pissed."

"That's why I was calling? I wanted to apologize."

"I'll talk to you at school. I have to get ready," I said sharply.

"Always prepping yourself for Jonathan," he muttered.

"What?" I yelled.

"Nothin' I'll see ya at school." The line went dead.

I pressed 'end' and went to send Sarah a text message. 'He wanted 2 say sry...puh-lease'

As I was finishing my hair, the phone buzzed again. 'just ignore him'

.....

I walked into school with Sarah and Julie next to me. We were planning a trip to the mall.

"My mom can't take us, so one of your mom's is going to have to take us." I looked over to them to see if any of them had an idea.

"Mine can," Julie chirped. I smiled over at her.

"Mel!" I heard a familiar voice call to me; too familiar. I whipped around as he came closer. He had a friendly smile on. I just continued to glare.

"What?" I asked sharply.

"Don't be mad at me. We've been friends for too long to throw it away over a stupid argument."

"You called me a back-stabbing-"

"I know, and I'm sorry. I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at Jonathan," he cut me off.

"Why? Is it because he's your best friend too? You wouldn't be the third wheel. I mean, we can't even really go out until high school anyway."

"I was just jealous," he muttered.

"About what?" I asked.

Before he could answer, someone came up and covered my eyes from behind.

"Guess who?"

I smiled as I answered, "Hi Jonathan." He uncovered my eyes and I saw Daniel glaring as I turned to face Jonathan.

"Hi," he said too. He looked over my head. "Hey man, you wouldn't answer your phone last night."

"Don't mess with me," he threatened. "You are not my friend." His voice was cold as he turned on his heel and walked off.

"Daniel," I called. I ran after him, ignoring Jonathan.

"It's stupid to date in middle school. It's not like he can take you anywhere. Why can't you wait a year...or two?"

"It's not like we're getting married. We went to the movies once. It's not a huge commitment, you know."

"Just-- go to class." He walked off again. I sighed as I turned the other way to my homeroom.

Jonathan came to me in class. This was the one class we shared together. He sat in the desk next to me. Every now and then he would nudge my arm. I would look over to him and fake a smile. He was a sweet guy, but I wasn't in love with him. We went to the movies once and now he thinks we are a thing.

He passed me a note when he saw the fake smile. It read, 'what's wrong?'

'Nothing, it's just that Daniel's mad at me'

'Aw, he'll get over it'

'I don't even know why he's mad at me'

'He's just jealous'

'That's what he told me, but what is he jealous of?'

'Me :)'

'Why is he jealous of you?'

'Man, Mel, are you blind? He is totally in love with you!'

My face turned red as I read the note. Jonathan was looking over at me with a smirk.

'You're lying!'

'Whatever you say'

The day drew by slower than usual. I saw both Jonathan and Daniel at lunch and they were actually sitting by each other. They were yelling at each other, but they were sitting by each other. Daniel saw me and his face turned bright red. He turned to Jonathan, who was smiling hugely at me, and whacked the back of his head. I laughed as I stood in line to get my lunch.

I went and sat in front of Jonathan and Daniel. His face turned red again. I rolled my eyes, taking a bite of my pizza. I could feel both of their eyes on me. I looked up slowly.

"That's creepy," I commented.

Jonathan laughed like he always did and Daniel smiled a little. He looked down and sat that way for almost the entire lunch period. I noticed when Jonathan scooted down two seats away from us.

"I'll just give you two some alone time," he murmured, trying to keep from laughing.

"I can't believe you told her!" Daniel shouted, jumping up from his seat. He didn't make eye contact with me as he sat in a chair close to the front of the table, as far from me as possible.

"Why did you tell him that you told me?" I demanded.

"Is that a trick question," he chuckled.

"God! Your such a child!" I jumped up too, going to the opposite end of the table away from both of them.

"I feel alone," Jonathan called to me.

"Then don't be such a bast--um, jerk!" Daniel's face went white as the teacher came over to him.

After school, I walked over to Daniel's house. We definitely needed to talk. I rang his doorbell.

"Daniel, go get the door!" I heard his mom call to him from what I assumed was the kitchen. His footsteps pounded down the stairs. The door swung open.

"Hi," I said slowly as I tried to make out the expression on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Don't be rude, Daniel. Come in Melanie!" Daniel's mom called to me.

Daniel stepped by for me to come in. "Thanks," I muttered sarcastically.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Sure," he mumbled. He led me upstairs to his room. It still had the same dark blue walls lined at the top with toy trains painted around it. His bed was unmade like always.

"So, you are my best friend. There is nothing you can do to end that relationship. We are inseparable."

"I don't like you that way," he muttered.

"Oh trust me! I know!" I laughed. "I mean we know each other well enough, but that would be so weird!"

"Yeah, I mean, just thinking about kissing you--Ugh!"

"I get it," I said flatly. He laughed with a little red to his cheeks. "Alright, so we can go back to my normal life?"

"Yeah," he laughed.

I held out my fist and he connected his with mine.

"Best friends," we said together and we both broke into more laughs.