Lovestruck

Let me tell you about the boy i like. He is sweet, kind, and funny... in this story, his name is Hayden. Hayden and I have been great friends for since sixth grade. Pretty much, best friends. Last year, he admitted he liked me. Well, i didn't like him then... so i didn't know what to say. But he just told me not to be awkward about it, and i wasn't. We continued to be best friends, like nothing ever happened.
It's a whole year later now, and we are still best friends. We do everything together. We go to the beach together, the movies, and even on vacation with some of our friends. I started to like him about three months ago, once we started to have a lot of classes together. I would dream about him almost every night... I actually believed i was in love.
Hayden isn't like the other guys, though - you know, the guys who are mean, and only like girls for how they looked. No, Hayden liked girls for who they were. He liked them for their sense of humor, their creativity... something that you rarely find in a guy. You could tell him anything - i mean, i am more comfortable talking to him about who i like then i am my friends. But, in this situation, i didn't want to mention it.
I started acting a little weird around him. You know, from me being lovestruck and all. I would overreact about things, and act sort of jumpy. I don't know if he noticed, but other people did.
I told my friend, Kayla, about me liking Hayden. She was happy for me - i swear, even before Hayden liked me, everyone said we would be such a cute couple. We are the same height (short) and we both have a happy attitude. Anyway, I was at my friends party, when a really snotty, nosy girl named Lila came up, and told me she knew who i liked.
"Who?" I asked, trying to act like i didn't know what she was talking about. When she replied 'Hayden', i freaked. How did she know? Well, when i asked her, she said that Kayla told her.
I marched over to Kayla. "Why did you tell Lila? I don't trust her at all!"
Kayla said, really relaxed, "Don't worry, Lila set up Jack and Kim. And she won't tell anyone!"
"But, Kayla, you can't just tell people. You have to ask me first."
"Yeah, sorry, sorry, i didn't mean to."
Then, i had a slight feeling of hope. Maybe Lila would set us up. Maybe my secret WAS safe with her. All of a sudden, i was happy she knew. It was all going to be okay.

I was so wrong. That next day, I found a note in my locker. It was folded up neatly. I was sort of nervous, but i opened it in a rush. This is what it said:
'Hi, Kate, I know you like Hayden. Truthfully, I like him, too. But, I could never compete with you. You are too pretty, and I'm not.'
I was freaking out, once again. Even though this note was sort of nice, it didn't have a signature. I couldn't tell who's handwriting it was, and most important, how did she find out?
I turned to my friends for help. One of my friends knew who's handwriting it was. She said it was her good friend, Mia. It was the end of the school day, though, and Mia was probably already on her bus. Her bus comes really early. But, why didn't Mia hand it to me in class? And why didn't Mia sign it?
At home, i went on Facebook right away and asked her, "Who told you? Please explain EVERYTHING TO ME!"
Although, in the back of my mind, I knew this was coming, she said, "Lila told me. In case anyone else saw it, or i accidentally put it in the wrong locker, I didn't write my name on it."
"But you wrote my name on it?" I wrote, furiously.
"Oops, I didn't think about that. Lol!"
But I wasn't in the laughing mood. "Don't tell anyone, Mia, PLEASE."
"Oh, Kate, you know i won't!"
By now, i was just frustrated. It spread from one person to another in just one day. I was scared, and i was wishing that Mia wouldn't tell Hayden.
The next day at school, i walked into class, looking for Mia. She wasn't there, though. Hayden was, and, for some reason, he didn't come over to me and talk like he usually does. He just sat at his desk, head in hand. Oh, no.
He did that all day. He sort of avoided me, or maybe it was my imagination. All i do know is that he didn't talk to me the whole day.
In our last class, he came up to one of my guy friends, Dillon, and was joking around with him. I was laughing, because they started to fight. It was fake, though, and they always do that.
"Kate, i need to talk to you..." Hayden said. I felt my face get really hot.
"Sure, whats up?"
"Mia told me." He said, in a casual tone as if he was telling me he was tired.
"Told you what?" I said, trying to look confused. Although i knew exactly what he was talking about. But Mia PROMISED!
"Oh, never mind." He said. He walked back to his desk, but motioned Dillon to come with him. I had one of my best friends there with me, and we both looked at each other with a oh-my-goodness-how-in-the-world-is-this-happening look on our faces. We both sort of shrugged our shoulders and pretended we didn't know what he was saying. We both acted casual.
A few minutes later, Dillon came back, and said, "So Kate, who do you like?"
"No one, at the moment." I said.
"Are you sure you don't like Hayden?"
"Yes..."
"Are you sure?"
I realized that i couldn't get out of this without saying something different. "Well, I used to like him, but not anymore."
Right then, something horrible happened. Something that happened that only happens in movies. That something is this:
There is a noise that means the loudspeaker is on, and as everyone becomes silent and listens to the announcement, Dillon yells across the classroom, "Hayden! Kate said she used to like you, but i don't believe it! I think she still does!"
I feel all eyes on me. I hear some of the popular girls laughing. I hear Hayden's friends go "Oooo." I don't know what to do but say in a jokey way, "You know that's not true, right?"
The announcements ended. After a few seconds of silence, the whole class begins talking again. I decided to sneak off to the bathroom and cry. My best friend comes with me. After ten minutes, she says, "Kate, it's okay, you can come back into the classroom now."
"NO." i said, making it clear. I couldn't i told her she could go, but i was gonna stay here.
"Okay..." she said, unsure. But i told her it was fine. The period was almost over, anyway.
For the rest of the period, i stayed in there, thinking over what happened. it was unreal. that only happens in movies, like i said before. that wasn't supposed to happen to me, i didn't deserve it. I couldn't decide who's fault it was, though - Kayla's, Lila's, Mia's, or Dillon's. Or maybe it was Hayden's fault, If he could come up to me and admit he liked me a year ago, he could come up and ask if i liked him. He should have known this would spiral downwards.
Eventually, the bell rang. I had lost track of time. I waited one minute, until i knew he was gone, then went back to my locker, but the complete opposite way that he does.
At home, i cried. I told my parent's what happened. He was going to tell everybody, and everyone would make fun of me. Even though i knew this wasn't gonna happen, it was what came to my mind that night.
I dreaded going to school the next day. I knew it was going to be bad, and i was right. Some of the popular girls came up and asked me all about it. I just said it was just another stupid thing that Dillon said. Luckily, Hayden was absent that day. I just couldn't face him again.
I was able to avoid him for the next few days. He wasn't in school, then was on vacation, so i didn't have to deal with him.
Eventually, he was in school, and a bunch of my friends said he kept asking them if I liked him. A lot of people knew about a week later, but it didn't bother me as much. Want to know why?
When we were in class, he acted the same around me. He didn't even mention it. I acted like nothing happened, too, and i still am. It's been almost three weeks since this happened, and people have pretty much forgot about it. When someone does mention it, I just say that it doesn't matter anymore. Hayden and i are still best friends, doing everything we did before this happened. I mean, I didn't act different when he liked me, so he shouldn't either. So, i guess it all worked out okay... maybe even for the better.