9:10 PM

"Oh my God, it's perfect!" I exclaim as I flip through my latest copy of Delia*s. Homecoming is only two weeks away, and I still don't have a dress; or a date. Tomorrow is the last day tickets are being sold, but I know that *he'll* call tonight.

"They have it in a three! Perfect! If I order overnight delivary on this dress, it should be here on time." I say to myself. He'll call, he has to. I mean, who else would he ask?

"Samantha, that's who." I mutter out loud. She thinks she's *so* perfect. So does he. He can't ask her, he just can't!

"Bitch." I say under my breath. Just because she has long, silky blonde hair; and big blue eyes she can have anything she wants with a little batting of her long eyelashes. Well, she's not getting her way this time. Uh-uh, no way. So what if my eyes and hair are brown, and I'm not perfect? So what? At least *I* have a personality.

"At least when *I* talk, it doesn't sound like I'm exhaling helium." I say to myself.

"What does she have that I don't?" A lot of things. So what? I know he'll call by ten, he konws I can't get calls after ten. Yep, any minute now.

9:23 PM

"Oh my god, it's ringing! Hello?" I say cooly.

"Hey, what's up?" It's my friend, Angel.

"Oh, it's you." I say, dissapointed.

"Thanks a lot." She says, sounding annoyed.

"No, I don't mean it like *that*!" I was just hoping..."

"I know, you were hoping it would be *him*. Don't worry about it, he'll call."

"Not while I'm talking to you; in case you forgot, I don't have call waiting."

"Oh sorry. Good luck. Bye."

"Bye." I hang up quickly in case he's trying to call. Oh no! What if he tried to call and got a busy signal, so he decided to to ask Samantha instead? I'll bet anything that's what happened!

"He'll call back." I say to comfort myself. Oh, who am I kidding? He didn't even call, and he's not going to either.

"My life sucks!" I yell loudly. That always makes me feel better.

"Stop yelling, we're trying to sleep down here!" My mom yells from downstairs.

"Sorry mom!" I yell back.

9:47 PM

Oh my God, the phone's ringing! It has to be him!

"Be cool," I say to myself. "Hello?" Gee that didnt' sound *too* stupid!

"Hey." he says in his adorable deep voice.

"What's up?" I say, trying to sound casual even though my hearts beating 80 mph.

"Well, I just have to ask you a quick question."

"Shoot." The question I've been waiting to hear for a month!

"What page was the math homework on?"

"67. And..."

"That's all. Thanks." Even though I can feel the tears welling up, I have to ask.

"So, who are you going to homecoming with?" I can't believe I'm asking a stupid question I already know the answer to.

"Samantha, I just got off the phone with her." Here comes the flood!

"Oh, ok." I say, trying not to show how upset I am. "I'll see you tomorrow, bye."

"Bye." I hear his phone hang up; I hang up too.

"How could this happen to me?" I sob. I feel so stupid! As I cry I realize it's not so much for him as it is my loneliness. As I look for my 'Ben & Jerry's-Wavy Gravy', I hope that someday I'll be getting two spoons out of the drawer, not one.

~CL
Written: October 3, 1997
Grade: A-