Free #5 Not What I Expected by Laurie Friedman

talked to Chase, but that turned out to be a HUGE mistake.
    Matt Parker was there, making out with Libby Walker, a cheerleader in his class. He was sitting on the ground with his back against the tool shed and Libby was sitting in his lap facing him. Her back was to me, and Matt’s hands were on her butt. I couldn’t see her face, or his, but I could tell by the way the way they were kissing that they were into it.
    It wasn’t like I wanted to be looking at them, but I couldn’t help it. I just stood there staring. Then the worst thing happened. Matt and Libby stopped kissing for a second, and when they did, he looked up like he wanted to make sure no one else was back there, and he saw me standing there watching them. Our eyes locked. He stared at me for a few seconds, then he went back to kissing Libby like I wasn’t even there.
    I felt the party spinning around me. I went back to where Sophie was talking to Chase, and several of his teammates had joined them. My heart was racing as they talked. It’s one thing to see Matt on my street while I’m walking my dog or at school while I’m trying to open my locker, but it’s a whole other thing to see him at a party making out with another girl.
    â€œWhat do you think?” I heard Sophie’s voice. Everyone was looking at me like I was supposed to answer the question. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
    â€œIs she a mute for Halloween?” some guy asked. People laughed.
    Sophie took my arm. “Excuse us,” she said and led me to the bathroom. When we got there, I sank down onto the floor. Sophie sat down beside me and I told her about seeing Matt kissing Libby and how he saw me watching them.
    â€œYou didn’t do anything wrong,” said Sophie. “If people make out at a party, there’s a good chance other people are going to see them.”
    â€œI know. But why did I have to stand there staring? It was so embarrassing.” Sophie looked at me. I think she got that embarrassment wasn’t the only issue. She leaned against me, and we sat quietly like that for a long time. Finally, Sophie broke the silence. “I called my dad. He’s not coming for Thanksgiving.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” I said. I put my head on her shoulder.
    We didn’t move until someone started banging on the door. “Want to go?” she asked.
    I nodded and we left the party. As we walked home, I asked Sophie about her conversation with her dad. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. Then she changed the subject and talked about boys and how they can be jerks and that Matt is at the top of that list.
    â€œHe saw me looking at him. That’s just so embarrassing.”
    Sophie laughed. “He’s the one who should be embarrassed.”
    She was trying to cheer me up. In my head, I knew what she was saying was true, but I couldn’t help that it hurt seeing him with another girl.
    Sophie and I had already planned to have a sleepover after the party. When we got to my house, we went to my room and got in bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I was tossing and turning and thinking about what I saw at the party. Then, the all-too-familiar sounds of my parents arguing drifted into my room from their room across the hall. It was bad enough listening to my parents fight, but worse that Sophie had to hear them too.
    â€œSorry,” I said even though I hadn’t done anything wrong.
    â€œIt’s OK,” said Sophie. “Boys suck and so do parents.”
    It was a such a dark, out-of-character comment from Sophie, but it had a lullaby effect on me, and I think her too, because we both closed our eyes.
    I don’t even remember falling asleep.

The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.
    â€”Peter Pan
    Saturday, November 1, 11:47 a.m.
    In my room
    Harry just called. I’m not sure if it’s because Sophie called him when