Parrotfish

On Monday Alex acted like his normal self, not letting on to the pain in his heart. They often chatted between, and during, classes. "Alex, can please I borrow the homework for next class?" Alex sighed, "Fine, but why didn't you do it?" Val groaned, "Annoying doctors, they just love my blood. They're going to want a kidney next!"

The bell rang and cut Val's rant short. Lunch was their next 'class'. While they were eating a girl came up to them. She looked pretty and at least one guy had a crush on her. "Hi, Val, can we talk?" She didn't even wait for a response and sat next to her. "Sure, but who are you?" She realized she didn't introduce herself, "Oh, I'm Freda Dionay. You are a very interesting person. Wanna be a couple?" She asked without a hint of embarrassment. Val almost fell out of her seat. "How forward... we just met and you want us to date?" She nodded with a smile on her face. "Come on, what's the harm?"

"Oh, I don��t know, maybe a broken heart or two? Also, you do realize my condition, right?" "Yup, don't worry, people date and break-up all the time! Oh, lunch is almost over, bye. Give me an answer by next week, okay?" She left before Val could respond. Alex stared off into space with his month open. "I- did- what? You're not considering it, right?"

Val thought for a moment before responding. "I don't know. Maybe she's the person you said would understand me. She is pretty and seems nice; I might date her. I still have a week to decide."

The bell for class rang and they went back to class. At the end of the day Alex and Val usually would hang out, but today... "Sorry, Val, I have some things today." Alex said before walking away in a melancholic mood. The next day at lunch... "Hey, let's go get lunch-" Alex cut him off, "Sorry I promised to hang out already." This continued all week long.

Val walked home on Friday feeling a mix of emotions. Angry that she was being ignored, sad because she might lose him, and guilty. 'What did I do? Did I say something to upset him? Is he angry? But I don't know why. I wish he would just TELL me!' She spotted Alex walking down the street and ran over and grabbed him. 'Shoot! What do I say?'

"Sorry, I promised my family that I-"

"Just shut up! Stop making excuses! Why do you hate me? Did I do or say something? I- Fine, I'll save you the energy and stop bothering you." Val yelled at him before running back home in tears. When she got home she ran into her room immediately.

She spent several hours in her bed crying into her pillow. Her mother knocked on the door and said "Val, dear, Alex came to see you. He says he wants say sorry and-" Val yelled in a muffled voice, "Tell him to leave!" Her mother left her alone.

"I'm sorry Alex, but Val wants to be alone." She said to Alex in an apologetic voice. "Oh, OK, sorry for bothering you, bye." He said and left.

Another knock came to Val's door. "I have ice cream. It's your favorite, chocolate raspberry mint vanilla Swiss fudge swirl blast deluxe. You don't have to talk if don't want to." Val stumbled to open the door in she blanket.

The two sat on the couch while she was crawled under her blankets eating ice cream. Her mother sat there and waited. After finishing half of the pint Val mumbled, "Why is high school so difficult?"

Her mother hugged her. "Don't worry, when you get older this will all just seem like a bad dream." Val started to cry again. "Alex hates me."

"No no no, he doesn't hate you. If he hated you he wouldn't come to apologize."

Val shook her head "Yes, he does. He hasn't talked to me since Freda."

"Freda?"

Val nodded slowly. "Yeah, she said she wanted to be a couple or something. I think she has a few screws loose. I only met her that one time. She told me to answer her by Monday"

Her mother had a moment of realization. "Val, Alex doesn't hate you. He's just giving you time to think. He wants you to decide on your own."

"So, if I date Freda I can't be friends with Alex?"

Her mother shook her head. "No, you can still be friends. I think you need to talk to Freda and Alex. You still want to be friends with Alex, don't you?"

Val immediately sprang up and looked her mother in the eyes. "Yes!"

"Good, and now you can focus on Freda. You can chose to go out with her or you can say 'no', but you should give her an answer." Val stared at her feet, thinking.

"It's late; let's go to bed. You still have time to consider." Her mother directed her back to her room. 'Haa, my child is growing up. She still hasn't realized her friend is in love with her. Actually, he probably is going through a similar experience. I hope this ends well.'

Val's mother was right. Alex was in his room thinking of what to do. 'If I don't tell Val, I may be discarded, but if I do and I'm rejected our friendship is as good as dead. I just don't like the feeling I get from Freda; I am sure Freda is just using her. I don't know why, but I know she is. She wouldn't just randomly confess, I mean they never even interacted.' Alex made up his mind. He would tell Val.

Val and Alex were both thinking the same thing: 'Why is high school so difficult?!' Meanwhile, Freda sat in her room.

"Please give me a chance. I just... what will you chose on Monday?" She buried her face into her pillow.