Free UN-RELATED (UN-RELATED SERIES) by Kimberly Schwartzmiller Page B

school. How about you?”
    “I hate school.”
    “I mean, are you seeing anyone?”
    “No, of course not.”
    “What about, um, what’s his name… Tyler?”
    “We’re friends, that’s all.”
    “Good to hear.”
    “Why?” I asked, actually thinking he might be jealous.
    “I just want you to be careful, that’s all.”
    “Oh, yeah.”
     
    That’s pretty much how all of our conversations ended. I missed him so much, but I refused to whine to him about it. I wanted to see him, but I knew he couldn’t afford to come home and I knew Nancy and Joe wouldn’t allow me to go see him. Kellan had made it a point to send me money over the last year for this and that. He wanted to make sure that I had what I needed since Nancy and Joe never supplied me with anything. The money had come in handy quite a few times, but I managed to save almost all of it in an envelope I hid under a loose portion of carpet in the back of my closet. I couldn’t risk Nancy or Joe finding it, so I kept it hidden for a rainy day.
    Nancy seemed to think she could take whatever she wanted, but I wasn’t going to let her take the money Kellan had sent me and I had managed to keep the cell phone hidden well enough that she had no clue that I even had one.
     
    “So, are you planning on going to the dance this Friday?” Tyler asked and quickly cleared his throat.
    “Why would I do that?” I asked, rolling my eyes at him.
    “Oh, I just thought…”
    “What?”
    “Nothing. So, did you get your math assignment done?”
    “Are you going?” I asked, ignoring his question.
    “Um, no, I guess not,” he said, looking down.
    “Then, why did you bring it up?”
    “I don’t know. I was just curious if anyone asked you.”
    “In case you haven’t figured it out, other than Kellan, you’re my only friend. So, who would ask me?”
    He was looking at me funny again, and then he shrugged his shoulders and started to get up.
    I didn’t understand him at times. He started to walk away and then he turned toward me and said, “I um, I kind of wanted to ask you.”
    “Why, you couldn’t get Cassandra Jespersen to go with you, or you’re just hoping to see her there?”
    “No, I just wanted to go with you. I don’t care about Cassandra.”
    “Well, you’re the only boy who doesn’t care about her. So, then why do you want to go?” I asked.
    “I just thought we could have some fun, maybe dance a little, or something.”
    I stared at him, not sure where this was going. “I don’t know how to dance, but thanks anyway. I’m sorry, but I don’t really want to go. Why don’t you ask Jeannette? She’ll probably go with you. She’s always watching you.”
    “I don’t want to go with Jeannette. I told you, I want to go with you!” he snapped at me.
    “But, why?” I asked, bewildered.
    “Because…I like you, that’s why.”
    “I like you, too. But I still don’t understand why ?”
    “No, I like you… more than just as a friend,” he said quietly and sat down next to me. “I know I’m not Kellan, but, I don’t think of you as a sister.”
    I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say.
    The bell rang and he stood up and reached out his hand to me to help me up.
    “If you don’t want to go to the dance, then maybe we can go see a movie or something?”
    “Um, I don’t know…I don’t think so,” I stammered.
    “Oh, okay. Um, I guess I’ll see you later, then,” he said. 
    He looked devastated, but for the life of me I couldn’t understand why. We were friends, why would he want to ruin it…and he knew how I felt about Kellan. But as he walked away, I knew I’d hurt his feelings, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “ Tyler, um, is the dance formal, because I don’t have a dress.”
    “If you had one, would you go?” he asked with the light returning to his eyes.
    “Um, yeah, I guess so. It sounds like …fun,” I lied.
    “It’s the spring semi-formal, and my sister has a lot of dresses. I’m sure