Free Choking Game by Yveta Germano Page B

Uhm, no, of course, I don't mind."
    "Good."
    "Uhm, why did you do that?"
    "Stanley wrapped your locker last year. I helped him hold the paper while he taped it. I happened to remember the date," Luke said.
    "Uhm..."
    ~Can you say anything other than uhm ?~
    "I miss him so much."
    ~Don't say that to him and don't cry now! You'll make Luke cry too, and some jerk like Ethan will see you two and have a field day!~
    "I don't think I'll ever be able to stop missing him," Luke said.
    ~Oh, just shoot me! Help! Here she comes! Great! Angelica, help them!~
    "What's up?" Angelica asked.
    "Nothing."
    ~Is that all you can come up with? This awesome girl just asked you two to be her friends and you say nothing? ~
    "She didn't ask me to be her friend! That's ludicrous!"
    ~Of course she did!~
    "Can I sit with you at lunch? I don't know anybody here, and you two seem like the only people I would even care to have a conversation with," Angelica said.
    ~See? I told you, haven't I?~
    "You really think she wants to be our friend?"
    ~Stop asking me stupid questions and answer Angelica first!~
    "Sure. That'd be great!"
    ~Sure. That'd be great! Can't you be more creative?~
    "What do you want me to say? She's not asking for my biography."
    ~How about your name? Don't you have a name?~
    "I don't like my name and you know it!"
    ~You have initials. If that's what you use instead of your name, you should tell her and stop being so rude!~
    "I'm MJ and you already know Luke, I guess."
    "Yeah, we met in the hallway. Right, Luke?"
    "Uhm, yeah," Luke said. "Thanks."
    ~He's just as talkative as you are. No wonder you two ended up hanging on to Stanley like he was a lifeboat.~
    "Don't mention it," Angelica said.
    "Wait. You didn't know Luke when you came up to Ethan and took the cell phone?"
    ~She's awesome. I knew that.~
    "No," Angelica said.
    "Why did you do that? Why did you stand up to Ethan?" Luke asked.
    "Nobody else was going to do it," Angelica shrugged.
    ~Nobody ever does anything, especially standing up to a jerk like Ethan!~
    "Because everyone's too scared of him," Luke said.
    "I wasn't," Angelica said.
    "Why not?" Luke asked.
    "What was he gonna do? Hit a girl? Even if he did, it's not like I haven't been hit before." Angelica made a face.
    ~Don't you feel like a weakling, MJ? You both are compared to this girl. And she didn't even know Luke. That's crazy.~
    "Thanks again, Angelica," Luke said.
    "Where do you sit?" Angelica said.
    "Over there," Luke said.
    ~Come on! Say something. Are you mute?~
    "What am I supposed to say? I can't just start a conversation like that."
    ~Like what? Like you say something and she answers? Seriously?~

ELEVEN
    Teenage Revenge @TeenageRevenge
how do you do the conversation thing with attractive people
    ~Seriously? Seriously? Still seriously? Will you ever go for at least one hashtag? It's so easy, it makes me want to scream! Here:~
    Teenage Revenge @TeenageRevenge
how do you do the conversation thing with attractive people #friendship #bestfriend #trust #SociallyAwkward
    ~Shut your Twitter and your phone and say something to her, or I'll shout in your head so loud, you'll think you're going mad.~
    "So did you live in New York City?"
    ~See? That's how it's done. That's how even the attractive people converse. I knew you could do it.~
    "I was born in New York City, but we moved when I was eight. Mom didn't want me to grow up there."
    "Why not?" Luke asked.
    "Mom thought the city was too crowded and overwhelming."
    "Was it?" Luke said. "Was it overwhelming?"
    "I don't remember all that much anymore," Angelica said.
    "What do you remember?"
    ~Good! Keep on conversing!~
    "The noise, the smell, the colors..." Angelica shrugged.
    "Colors?"
    ~Why did you ask? You see colors. Why wouldn't she see them?~
    "It's impossible for kids as little as I was to remember anything at all. I was a baby. I do remember colors and noises, though. I don't know why. The first color I remember is bright blue. It's so bright, it still stings my