It’s September 4, 2009 and it is my first day back to school. It is hot, and the sun is shining bright outside. I haven’t seen my friends in a long three months. We all got our schedules and started our way to our first class of the year. Simone, Kaleah, Mercedes, and I (Chantel Marie ) head to our first hour English class. Mr. Vansickle is the meanest teacher ever. All the kids from last year gave him the nickname Mr.Ankles, because last year he wore high waters all year. But that’s not the point.


Class started, and he came into class looking grumpier than the dwarf. “Today’s homework assignment is to create a poem of your feelings. It has to be made of what you are feeling in life today. I expect this rough draft to be done by tomorrow. Also, you will be reading it aloud to the class,” Mr. Ankles replied without concern. Everyone groaned and started complaining. I don’t, I start thinking about what I’m going to write about. I decide to write about a boy named Edward. He is the guy I’ve been crushing on since the sixth grade. It’s been a whole two years and I still don’t think he notices me in the way it wanted to be. Maybe this will draw his attention? I look back at him sitting with his friends, having the time their lives. I wish I could be like that free willed. He looks up in an instant; I turn my head before he could see me. I start to smile.
Second period came and since it was also my free period, I suggested to myself to get started on my poem . The problem wasn’t thinking of words to write, it was how I was going to say it in front of him. Maybe I forgot to tell you this, but Edward is not only my crush, but he is also my very close friend. We talk to each other every night over the phone. That is what makes this task tough to fulfill. Staring at the piece of paper and the pencil, I daydream of what may happen after first period tomorrow. The bell alarms, I pop up in astonishment. Had I really been sleeping for that whole period? I snatch my things and scurry out the door as if the monster from “Saw” was chasing me. I rushed into Mrs. Stein’s room.
Once I got home I started my homework; then Edward called and we started talking.
“What are you up to?” he says gently.
“Nothing much, just doing Mr. Ankle’s work. How about you?”
“Oh yeah I should be doing that to, so I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
¬¬¬¬¬" Bye.”
“Bye.”
I get back to work and start thinking. I start writing my thoughts and feelings. I revise, review, and everything a writer does. It looks like a masterpiece I think to myself. I start daydreaming about how Edward will feel about it. Will he even know it’s about him? Is he going to like it? Will things change between us for the better or worse? I couldn’t help but to wonder.


The next day came and it was time for first hour. Mr. Ankles started with a long sermon that seemed like forever. “Who will like to read their poem first?” he asked. As I guessed no one wanted to go first. Shyly I raised my hand to volunteer. “Chantel,” He called out in front of everyone. I walk slowly to the front, and it like everyone is just staring at me. The person I noticed the most was Edward though. I stepped up and started speaking.

“My poem is called A Special Person.” I read:
It seems like I met you yesterday,
But have known you my whole life.
I think about you night and day,
Wondering what life would be without you.
I become horrified about the thought.
Your eyes stare below my soul,
Your words become my thoughts,
Your gentleness makes my heart weep with joy.
As I think about this each and every day, I become glad that I met you.
I could just listen to your voice all day long.
I love everything and anything you do.
That’s why I think…I love you.
The class reacts with silence at first, and then the next thing I hear was applauding. I look at Edward he doesn’t move. “He knows the poem was about him,” Mercedes said loud and obnoxiously.
“Yeah, Maybe.”
Edward avoided me the rest of the day . I couldn’t help but think of him. One moment I was in la-la land, the next a girl I have never met bumped into me . I fell to the floor.
“Watch where you’re going!” The girl snarled at me.
“No! You watch it; you’re the one who ran into me.”
“Well, stay away from Edward and I won’t!”
I looked at her like she was crazy. I remember someone telling me that a girl named Elga also like Edward, but I didn’t really care about who she was or what she had to say.
“I can hang with Edward if I want to. You’re not my momma or my daddy so you can’t tell me what to do!”
“You’re right because if I was your momma you wouldn’t look that way!”
“That’s something we both agree on, because if you were I would look like a man!”
That was the last thing I said to the little tramp, then I bumped her and stammered off. I seen her a few more times in the hallway, but she didn’t say nothing to me. Then one day I saw her glaring at me. I walked over to confront her.
“Can you stop staring at me?”
“Am I bothering you?”
“You are actually, so stop!”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Then you’ll get what’s coming to you.”
I looked at her. She glared at me. I turn around for a quick second, and boom when I turn back around she clocked me in the face with her fist . That was the last straw. I dinked her in the face a couple of times before I got her to the ground and started kicking her. I was so furious that I didn’t even notice that her nose was bleeding. It took two teachers to break up the fight . They walked us down to Principal Janice’s office . While I was sitting there waiting I heard a bunch of kids talking about the fight. I was getting annoyed. Just when I was about to say something to them, I was called in to talk to Principal Janice. We talked about what happened. She told me that what I did was wrong and stuff like that. Instead of suspending me and Elga , we both had to spend a weekend together . I was glad and sad at the same time. I thought to myself it shouldn’t be that bad though.


Later that night when I got home, Edward called me.
“Hello.”
“Chantel what happened? I heard you got into a fight.”
“Yeah, but it’s a long story.”
“It’s ok I have time.”
“Well I read my poem about this guy I liked. Elga knew it was about him and she a liked him too. Then she came up to me telling me I better leave him alone. Then I said I can hang around him if I wanted to. We didn’t for awhile after that. Then she and her friends were staring at me like I was dumb, so I confronted them. I looked away for a hot second, and bam she hit me right in the face. I went off and started beating her up.
We got called to the principal’s office. Our punishment is we have to spend the weekend together, which is going to be a dread.

Once I got home I packed to go to Elga’s house. I was ready for the next day. Basically I was ready to get the weekend over.
(Three days later)

The weekend was horrible. I couldn’t stand her. She kept on talking about herself and no one else. I was glad I could finally see Edward after a long weekend.
“Edward , I have something to ask you.”
“What is it.” he replied seemingly concerned.
“Will you go out with me?”
“No. I’m sorry but I can’t.”
I ran far away from him.My heart wept . I thought I actually had a chance. Maybe it was for the best. I don’t need him anyway! I thought to myself. The world may never know who might come along. Maybe the next will be better.