1-The phone call that started it all...
"Come on Makena, do it for me! You know you want to! " She begs me over the phone, trying really hard to convince me to call her crush and talk to him. She always manages to talk me into doing things that will get me in trouble with my Mom. Last year we decided to sneak out when she was sleeping over that night... Needless to say, we got caught. I got grounded and never heard the end of it.
"Trinity, I'm not so sure..." I say softly. You see this boy, the one she's trying to get me to call. He belongs to the crowd that is popular, you know which one I mean. He was friends with all the boys every girl wanted to be with, and every boy wanted to be. He was also the kind of player that always seemed to have a different girl on his arm every few weeks.
I have tried to tell her that she could do better, but she won't listen to me. It's as if she only sees him. She was constantly fantasizing about how it would be like to be his girl, always saying he'd never need another woman if he'd just give her a chance. She knew how to treat her man, to keep him.
"I promise it will be alright, we will block your number! He won't even know that it's you unless you tell him. I will explain how to do it!" She replied.
"Oh really, how?" I ask, my eyes rolling toward my ceiling.
"All you have to do is hit *77 before you dial his number!" She says sweetly. I felt so out of place at the moment, you see I am actually a quiet shy go with the flow type. Never would you expect me to do something like this, it made my heart race just thinking about it.
"Trin, this guy doesn't even seem to know that you exist! Why do you do this to yourself?" I question her, worried about the reaction this guy might have.
"Oh, he knows that I exist, that's true. I actually thought he might like me, I was walking behind him and Jesse in the hallway between classes the other day and heard them talking."
"You probably shouldn't listen in to someone else's conversations" I reply, rolling my eyes at the ceiling, as she amazes me some days with her knowledge-gathering skills. She told me once she could read lips, but I've never tested that claim.
"I know... but anyway, Mak they were talking about a girl that they both find very cute!" I do the eye roll again because naturally, this mystery girl must be her, right?
"Ruben told Jesse, that the girl they were talking about had been to his church a few times! Mak, I go to his church! You know this, you have come with me... I'm pretty sure that one of us is the girl they were talking about! I have to know if it's me, no offense girl, but I'm sure hoping it's me and not you!" She says excitedly, I stare out my window trying to decide if it's a good enough risk for me to make this phone call.
"Trin, that girl could be anyone. Don't get your hopes up!"
"I know, but! I can't call because he's blocked my number. Please, Mak, do it for me." She begs over the phone as I let out a small chuckle.
"Okay fine, I'll help! I'll make that stupid phone call!"
"Oh yay, great. Let's do it three way! Then I will hear what he says for myself!" She exclaims enthusiastically.
"Well, that might actually help my nerves," I say as my stomach drops to the floor and my heart races. I silently hoped she wouldn't hear my heartbeat through the phone.
"Oh, no problem! I just want to hear his voice. It's so dreamy." I roll my eyes again. I must have set a record for eye-rolling today... I put her on hold while I dial his number.
"Hello, Trin. Are you still there?" I whisper.
"I will mute myself while I listen so he cannot hear me at all." She whispers back...
"Okay." We both sat silently listening to the phone ring. I became nervous with each ring.
"Hello" I heard his voice, and my heart sank. His voice always made me nervous; it wasn't Ruben; it was his long-time friend, Jesse. The bad boy of the popular crowd. "Hello, is anyone there?" he asked.
I clear my throat as I struggle to gain the courage to speak to him. "Uh, hi. Is Ruben home?" I did not like this guy at all, in fact, he scared me. He likes torturing girls like me. He is the bad boy of our school, always behind some prank going on. It was unclear to me what Ruben or anyone else in their group saw in him.
"Well, I guess he's here. Who is this?" He hissed, not sounding pleased at all.
"Oh, um... It's Makena." I tell him softly.
"Well, hi there, Makena! It's Makena Kindell, right?" I heard the small chuckle he made. "And why in the world would a girl like you call my good friend today?" he asks me sweetly.
"Well, I guess I was just calling him to ask him a question." I had to remind myself that Trinity was listening to everything he said. So if he got out of control, she would find out about it.
"Oh, well, too bad. You'll just have to talk to me L-O-V-E! I can answer whatever question you want to ask." He said sweetly.
"Oh my God, do not ever call me that!" I scoffed.
"Oh, and why the hell not? It's just a nickname! Plus I'm only teasing you anyways!" He cooed at me, I could hear a smile in his tone.
"Okay, whatever, but I need to talk to him. It's for our biology class." I lied through my teeth hoping he would give up his fun and put Ruben on the phone.
"Okay fine... If you want to be that way, here he is" I hear him reluctantly call out Ruben's name, then some rustling noises, and then his grumbled tone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Ruben! It's Makena Kindell. We have biology together! Do you know who I am?" I asked him, I knew I sounded hopeful, but so what.
"Yes, of course, I know who you are." He says.
"Okay okay, Here is the deal. I am only calling you because my best friend begged me to." I say softly, aware that he probably could care less about why I was calling. I then decided to get to the point, of why I wanted to speak with him.
"Okay," he says, encouraging me as well.
"You know my friend Trinity West, right?" I inquire.
"Yes, I know who she is." I definitely heard a slight bit of disgust in his voice as he spoke.
"Okay, good. Anyway, she asked me to call you and find out if you like her. She told me she overheard you and Jesse talking about this girl you both like. She said that she went to your church a few times..."
"What?" He cut me off, I shrug my shoulders and continue.
"Yeah, I just need to know if you like her at all." I finish, my heart beating so hard in my chest.
"Wow, who does she think she is? She shouldn't be listening in on other people's conversations." He growls, his words making me flinch feeling glad he couldn't see my reaction.
"I agree!" I silently hope she won't be mad at me for agreeing with him.
"I don't really like the bitch, tell her to stop stalking me, I am so tired of it!" I was about to tell him that I would, but then I heard some more rustling noises and Jesse's voice came out in a low growl.
"Did she happen to hear the girl's name?" he demanded.
"Well... No. I don't believe she did, otherwise, I wouldn't have been put up to this, would I?" I spoke slowly in response to his growl, it intimidating me, I won't lie.
"Well, that's good then. Do not ever call here again Makena! You are not to talk to him anymore, and I mean that! Do as I tell you, or I will hunt you down and strangle you!" After he had finished talking, I hear the sound of the phone being slammed down as he hung up on me.
I stared silently at the phone in my hand, my body trembling. He just threatened to kill me, will he do it? I wondered silently. "Oh, God Mak, I'm so sorry!" she replied, her voice cutting in through the silence.
"Trin, why did you make me do that? That was so scary and so embarrassing." I screamed into the phone, tears running from my eyes. I sat on the edge of the couch and put my head in my hands. She should have known that something like that could happen, Jesse is so cruel. She made me do that, she shouldn't have done that.
"Oh, come on Mak... I didn't know he was going to be over there! He's such a jerk! I'm so very very sorry, I will never ask you to do something like that again!" She sounded serious. I knew she was telling me the truth, after all, how could she have known if he was there or not? I decided I would forgive her... eventually.
"It's fine, I hope he doesn't mean what he said," I sniffled at her, shaking so badly. But the quicker I forgot about the incident, the better. "So Trin, what are you doing this weekend?"
"Oh, well, I'm going to be with my brother on Saturday since it's his birthday! What about you, what are your plans?" She seemed genuinely curious about my plans.
"Well, to be honest, I think I'll hang out with Suri this weekend, she wants to do a sleepover and stalk her guy crush!" I chuckled as I thought about the plan for Saturday, I was really looking forward to hanging out with my other best friend. She's a year younger than us and Trinity didn't like her, but whenever I could I hung out with her. Trinity often told me that we were too good to hang out with her.
"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Yeah right, I knew better than to believe that one.
"Yep!"
"Well, I think you should do something about Jesse's threats to you." She says seriously, but I know she's only trying to protect me.
"Oh, I probably will. Better to be safe than sorry." I say I hear a tap on my door. "Oh hang on Trin, someone is knocking at my door!" Because of what had just happened, I do something I normally don't do... I look out the peephole before opening the door.
Gasping, at the sight I saw, I quickly bolt my door and duck whispering to Trin. "Oh my God Trin, Jesse is here!"
"Trinity, I'm not so sure..." I say softly. You see this boy, the one she's trying to get me to call. He belongs to the crowd that is popular, you know which one I mean. He was friends with all the boys every girl wanted to be with, and every boy wanted to be. He was also the kind of player that always seemed to have a different girl on his arm every few weeks.
I have tried to tell her that she could do better, but she won't listen to me. It's as if she only sees him. She was constantly fantasizing about how it would be like to be his girl, always saying he'd never need another woman if he'd just give her a chance. She knew how to treat her man, to keep him.
"I promise it will be alright, we will block your number! He won't even know that it's you unless you tell him. I will explain how to do it!" She replied.
"Oh really, how?" I ask, my eyes rolling toward my ceiling.
"All you have to do is hit *77 before you dial his number!" She says sweetly. I felt so out of place at the moment, you see I am actually a quiet shy go with the flow type. Never would you expect me to do something like this, it made my heart race just thinking about it.
"Trin, this guy doesn't even seem to know that you exist! Why do you do this to yourself?" I question her, worried about the reaction this guy might have.
"Oh, he knows that I exist, that's true. I actually thought he might like me, I was walking behind him and Jesse in the hallway between classes the other day and heard them talking."
"You probably shouldn't listen in to someone else's conversations" I reply, rolling my eyes at the ceiling, as she amazes me some days with her knowledge-gathering skills. She told me once she could read lips, but I've never tested that claim.
"I know... but anyway, Mak they were talking about a girl that they both find very cute!" I do the eye roll again because naturally, this mystery girl must be her, right?
"Ruben told Jesse, that the girl they were talking about had been to his church a few times! Mak, I go to his church! You know this, you have come with me... I'm pretty sure that one of us is the girl they were talking about! I have to know if it's me, no offense girl, but I'm sure hoping it's me and not you!" She says excitedly, I stare out my window trying to decide if it's a good enough risk for me to make this phone call.
"Trin, that girl could be anyone. Don't get your hopes up!"
"I know, but! I can't call because he's blocked my number. Please, Mak, do it for me." She begs over the phone as I let out a small chuckle.
"Okay fine, I'll help! I'll make that stupid phone call!"
"Oh yay, great. Let's do it three way! Then I will hear what he says for myself!" She exclaims enthusiastically.
"Well, that might actually help my nerves," I say as my stomach drops to the floor and my heart races. I silently hoped she wouldn't hear my heartbeat through the phone.
"Oh, no problem! I just want to hear his voice. It's so dreamy." I roll my eyes again. I must have set a record for eye-rolling today... I put her on hold while I dial his number.
"Hello, Trin. Are you still there?" I whisper.
"I will mute myself while I listen so he cannot hear me at all." She whispers back...
"Okay." We both sat silently listening to the phone ring. I became nervous with each ring.
"Hello" I heard his voice, and my heart sank. His voice always made me nervous; it wasn't Ruben; it was his long-time friend, Jesse. The bad boy of the popular crowd. "Hello, is anyone there?" he asked.
I clear my throat as I struggle to gain the courage to speak to him. "Uh, hi. Is Ruben home?" I did not like this guy at all, in fact, he scared me. He likes torturing girls like me. He is the bad boy of our school, always behind some prank going on. It was unclear to me what Ruben or anyone else in their group saw in him.
"Well, I guess he's here. Who is this?" He hissed, not sounding pleased at all.
"Oh, um... It's Makena." I tell him softly.
"Well, hi there, Makena! It's Makena Kindell, right?" I heard the small chuckle he made. "And why in the world would a girl like you call my good friend today?" he asks me sweetly.
"Well, I guess I was just calling him to ask him a question." I had to remind myself that Trinity was listening to everything he said. So if he got out of control, she would find out about it.
"Oh, well, too bad. You'll just have to talk to me L-O-V-E! I can answer whatever question you want to ask." He said sweetly.
"Oh my God, do not ever call me that!" I scoffed.
"Oh, and why the hell not? It's just a nickname! Plus I'm only teasing you anyways!" He cooed at me, I could hear a smile in his tone.
"Okay, whatever, but I need to talk to him. It's for our biology class." I lied through my teeth hoping he would give up his fun and put Ruben on the phone.
"Okay fine... If you want to be that way, here he is" I hear him reluctantly call out Ruben's name, then some rustling noises, and then his grumbled tone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Ruben! It's Makena Kindell. We have biology together! Do you know who I am?" I asked him, I knew I sounded hopeful, but so what.
"Yes, of course, I know who you are." He says.
"Okay okay, Here is the deal. I am only calling you because my best friend begged me to." I say softly, aware that he probably could care less about why I was calling. I then decided to get to the point, of why I wanted to speak with him.
"Okay," he says, encouraging me as well.
"You know my friend Trinity West, right?" I inquire.
"Yes, I know who she is." I definitely heard a slight bit of disgust in his voice as he spoke.
"Okay, good. Anyway, she asked me to call you and find out if you like her. She told me she overheard you and Jesse talking about this girl you both like. She said that she went to your church a few times..."
"What?" He cut me off, I shrug my shoulders and continue.
"Yeah, I just need to know if you like her at all." I finish, my heart beating so hard in my chest.
"Wow, who does she think she is? She shouldn't be listening in on other people's conversations." He growls, his words making me flinch feeling glad he couldn't see my reaction.
"I agree!" I silently hope she won't be mad at me for agreeing with him.
"I don't really like the bitch, tell her to stop stalking me, I am so tired of it!" I was about to tell him that I would, but then I heard some more rustling noises and Jesse's voice came out in a low growl.
"Did she happen to hear the girl's name?" he demanded.
"Well... No. I don't believe she did, otherwise, I wouldn't have been put up to this, would I?" I spoke slowly in response to his growl, it intimidating me, I won't lie.
"Well, that's good then. Do not ever call here again Makena! You are not to talk to him anymore, and I mean that! Do as I tell you, or I will hunt you down and strangle you!" After he had finished talking, I hear the sound of the phone being slammed down as he hung up on me.
I stared silently at the phone in my hand, my body trembling. He just threatened to kill me, will he do it? I wondered silently. "Oh, God Mak, I'm so sorry!" she replied, her voice cutting in through the silence.
"Trin, why did you make me do that? That was so scary and so embarrassing." I screamed into the phone, tears running from my eyes. I sat on the edge of the couch and put my head in my hands. She should have known that something like that could happen, Jesse is so cruel. She made me do that, she shouldn't have done that.
"Oh, come on Mak... I didn't know he was going to be over there! He's such a jerk! I'm so very very sorry, I will never ask you to do something like that again!" She sounded serious. I knew she was telling me the truth, after all, how could she have known if he was there or not? I decided I would forgive her... eventually.
"It's fine, I hope he doesn't mean what he said," I sniffled at her, shaking so badly. But the quicker I forgot about the incident, the better. "So Trin, what are you doing this weekend?"
"Oh, well, I'm going to be with my brother on Saturday since it's his birthday! What about you, what are your plans?" She seemed genuinely curious about my plans.
"Well, to be honest, I think I'll hang out with Suri this weekend, she wants to do a sleepover and stalk her guy crush!" I chuckled as I thought about the plan for Saturday, I was really looking forward to hanging out with my other best friend. She's a year younger than us and Trinity didn't like her, but whenever I could I hung out with her. Trinity often told me that we were too good to hang out with her.
"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Yeah right, I knew better than to believe that one.
"Yep!"
"Well, I think you should do something about Jesse's threats to you." She says seriously, but I know she's only trying to protect me.
"Oh, I probably will. Better to be safe than sorry." I say I hear a tap on my door. "Oh hang on Trin, someone is knocking at my door!" Because of what had just happened, I do something I normally don't do... I look out the peephole before opening the door.
Gasping, at the sight I saw, I quickly bolt my door and duck whispering to Trin. "Oh my God Trin, Jesse is here!"
