The Thirteenth Year of Emily John- February

Well, I'm out of the hospital. Do you want to know what happened? OK, so as I was skating, I got a little side tracked and fell into a pile of snow, dislocating my shoulder. When my family came to visit me, they said I was accident prone. I, for one, don't agree, but that's just me. So, I go back to school and all my friends put a "Get Well Soon" card on my locker and signed it, so that was  a good way to start my Tuesday. It is the fourth of February, so that means ten more days until Valentines Day. We have a school dance planned for that night, so all over school are posters and banners advertising the dance. We have had other school dances this year, but for some reason, everyone is super excited for this one. A few days later, Tom and I were talking about this dance while waiting for Layla to come back. Tom said probably because its the Valentines Day Dance, and all the lovebirds are excited. So, I said to him, "We're in seventh grade, there are no lovebirds." 

"You'd be surprised," Tom said. 

I got a confused look on my face, and he just shrugged. At that moment, Layla came back and told us that Greg would be there in a few minutes. We were at the movies and were going to see Ninja Guinea Pigs which was picked by Tom. It's supposed to be about these guinea pigs that are trained to be ninjas by the Sensei Guinea Pig then have to fight ninja bunnies in the final battle. We agreed to go, so the four of us decided to spend our Friday night at the movie theater. Layla, Tom, and I sat at one of the tables in the lobby sharing nachos and waiting for Greg. For a Friday night, the theater was surprisingly empty. Layla seemed to notice that too. 

"Gosh, isn't this supposed to be the hang out for middle schoolers on a Friday night?" she asked.

I was about to agree when Tom spoke up.

"I'm willing to bet that everyone is threatened to be in the presence of the ninja guinea pigs!" he said, and with that he jumped up doing some sort of jump screaming "Wachaa!"

"Nice to see you too Tom," Greg said, standing back defending himself.

"You're here, lets go," I said, and the four of us walked into the theater to watch Ninja Guinea Pigs.

That was one scary movie. The guinea pigs made these faces that would even give Frankenstein nightmares! Tom insisted we see it in 3D, which we did. There was this one part where the evil enemy guinea pig turned around and jumped out at you, and I jumped. Greg, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my hand and smiled at me. He did not let go, until I told him I was thirsty and needed my hand to get my soda, since I couldn't move my other one due to my shoulder. 

I didn't think any more of it. So what, I mean, Tom could have grabbed my hand for all I cared. Nothing more happened that week. Yesterday (Monday) I got my sling off. So now, I have both hands free. The weirdness started today. I went to my locker right before lunch, and a note came falling out.

Emily John

She's pretty 

And she's cute

Sometimes clumsy,

Shy and mute

She makes me laugh

She makes me smile

I hope to see her Friday night

And dance with her for a while

Emily John, Will you go to the dance with me?

What? What is this? Who wrote this note to me? I blinked a few times, just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. For all I knew, I was hallucinating, it was probably a note telling me not to forget to study for my upcoming math test. But when I opened my eyes, it still said the same thing.

Emily John, Will you go to the dance with me?

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It's Wednesday. I can't stop looking around at all the boys in my school. Was it Drew? Was it Cole? No, and no. There was not one logical answer for who could have written this note. It was all that was on my mind. Who asked me to go to the dance with them? But of course, that note/poem was only the beginning of what was going to come. When I went to my locker before lunch, there was a heart shaped box. My first assumption was chocolate. But, I opened it up and saw heart shaped Sweet Tarts. I love, love, LOVE sweet tarts. So, that showed that this person knew me well. I thought for a second, but I still couldn't think of a logical person. A piece of paper fell out and it read:

Emily John

I hope you enjoy your Sweet Tarts. Have you figured me out yet?

Love, Your Secret Admirer 

No, I haven't figured you out yet. Ugh, I have a secret admirer. It's only two more days until the dance, I don't even know if I want to go yet, and I got someone leaving Sweet Tarts and poems in my locker. How does he know my combination? I only told......Tom. 

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"Tom, TOM, I need to talk to you!" I called out to him. 

He turned around and said, 

"Hey Emily, ooh, candy!"

I glared at him. 

"Look, Tom, I got your candies and your poems, and, to be honest, I don't even know if I'm going to the dance yet and," I took a deep breath. We were approaching our lunch table. I blurted it out.

"I'mreallysorryTombutIdon'tlikeyou.Pleasepleasepleaseunderstand?" 

We sat down across from Layla and Greg, they just looked at us.

"Emily, I didn't leave those poems and stuff in your locker."

"What?!" I practically screamed.

"Tom, your the only one who knows my combination," I said. 

"Why does Tom know your locker combination?" Layla asked.

"Long story short," I began, "He had to help me get it unjammed one day. But that's not the point here. Who got into my locker?"

"Em, where's that paper where you wrote down your combination?" Greg asked. 

"Right here," I said, opening my binder, expecting to see it in the plastic lining. But it wasn't there.

Layla bit her bottom lip.

"Anyone in the school could have my locker combination," I said, then slumped back in my chair, shoveling Sweet Tart Hearts into my mouth. Great, just great. Lets go back to the drawing board.

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Thursday, tomorrow is the dance. And still, no idea who my secret admirer is. I probably took a step back after yesterday. I'm really scared to go to my locker now. I mean, at this point, there could be a diamond necklace in there. Ugh. But I still had to get my stuff, and there was no way I was carrying a days worth of supplies around all day. So, I went to my locker before lunch, and there was an envelope with my name on it. I opened it, and read the note.

Emily John

Glad you liked the Sweet Tart Hearts. Here's your locker combination back, I'm sorry about that. I'm also sorry that there's no gift today. You will soon find out who I am. I'm guessing you don't know who I am yet, since you have not yet confronted me. Tomorrow, at one o'clock, come here, and follow the instructions on the card inside your locker. That's not too hard, is it? 

Love, Your Secret Admirer

Tomorrow. As in, 24 hours from right now. Well, actually, about 25 1/2, but still. His identity would soon be known. 

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Today. I'm lying in bed at 5:00 a.m., thinking, today. Tonight is the dance, do I still even have to go? I mean, what if its someone really ugly, and I really don't want to go. I fiddled with my locket from Greg, my heart pumping hard, butterflies begging to escape from my stomach. Today. In eight hours, I would arrive at my locker and see my secret admirer. Oh man, what if I break this guys heart? What if its someone I really don't want to go with? What if this is something he has been planning for days, weeks, months? And I say those words, no. I'm sorry. I can't. My heart would break for just breaking his heart. I don't think I can do this. But, I do want to find out who it is. Maybe I could come around and peek over the corner, see who it is, and run if I don't like him? Today. I'm really going to do this. And with that, I get out of bed and get dressed. Today. Eight hours.

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Now. It's 12:55 p.m., and in five minutes, I will turn around to see him. Who is it? Will I be happy? Will I be surprised? Well, either was I'm going to be surprised. But in five minutes, FIVE MINUTES!!! My leg starts shaking, and I really have to use the bathroom. I raise my hand, then drop it. Layla reaches over and kicks me. 

"Do it," she whispers.

So, I raise my hand, and I go to the bathroom. As I walk through the halls, I get the chills, and my speed starts slowing down. I shake my head and start walking at a normal speed, until I get to my locker. I look around, then enter my combination. 17-08-42. My locker opens, and there it is. The final envelope.  I open it, and read it.
Emily John
Are you excited? I am, but I'm also nervous. For months I've been planning this. I really like you. You're my best friend. I'll be OK if you say no. Just count to five out loud, now. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 
So I did.
"1,2,3,4,5."
Now, turn around.
And I did. It felt like slow motion. I turned around, my mouth slightly open, my hair fell on my right shoulder, and there he was. He was holding a single rose, smiling at me with that cute little dimple that I never noticed. His hair was a nice shade of brown, his eyes kind of sparkled when he looked at me.
"Will you go to the dance with me, Em?" he said.
Who said it? My best friend. He said it. He asked me to go to the dance with him. He liked me. Who was standing there, holding the rose?
Greg. 
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I have been planning this entry for a loooooooong time. I really hoped that you guys liked it. I was getting nervous writing this entry. But, this is the one I have been dying to post. So, I really hoped you enjoyed it. Please, please, PLEASE leave your comments in the comment section. Thanks! Happy Valentines Day!
Megan