Aaaaaaaaand, Post 30!

I spend many a summer's day,
Chasing thoughts of school away.
It's strange how I found more time to blog during the school year when I was busy with homework and projects and such, but I'm blogging less and less frequently during the lazy summer days. Well, not quite so lazy. Jim, Anne, and Leo have been keeping me somewhat busy.
Sunday was Anne's birthday, and we celebrated by going to the mall (the four of us) and getting the "free" piercing at Claire's. It ended up costing forty dollars. Her mom needed to come with us to sign some approval papers, so she did, then when Anne was done, she left. We also left, confused, because Jim had intended to pay. So we left, and halfway to the food court, we saw the lady from Claire's chasing after us because no one had paid. So Jim had to follow her back while we snickered behind him. I paid for Anne's lunch and movie ticket (Toy Story 3), and Leo got her a Target gift card. Leo and I sat next to each other for the movie, and while that may sound romantic, we didn't acknowledge each other at all. And we didn't share popcorn or anything.
Afterward, we were supposed to go to this park that I had found on Google Earth. Across the street from the mall, there's a plaza (K-Mart, Marshalls, etc.) and behind that there's a park with a large lake. I thought it would be easy enough to walk there. Boy was I wrong.
STEP ONE: Cross Route 38.
We were only halfway across the mall parking lot when everyone started complaining. And blaming me. I reminded them that we could just go with Plan B (which I'll explain in a sec) and go back to the mall, but they just kept pestering me about making them walk. Finally, we crossed the crosswalk.
STEP TWO: Cross the plaza.
Yet another large parking lot. More complaining. I reminded them about my earlier suggestions to go to the mall, but they claimed I had said no such thing. When I assured them that I had indeed suggested Plan B, they said things like "But we were already outside of the mall!" and "We were halfway through the parking lot!" That. Is not. My problem.
STEP THREE: Go behind K-Mart.
I mentioned how we must look to other people, two teenage boys and two teenage girls sneaking behind a K-Mart, and they all cracked up and shoved me. When we finally made it back there, all we saw were office buildings. No park. Then I realized that the park must be closer to the end of te plaza, and there were trees back there at the other end, but it was blocked by a fence and some poison ivy, and none of us could find a decent entrance.
STEP FOUR: Ask for directions, because we are hopelessly, utterly lost.
The Dollar Tree cashier lady was really helpful. She told us to go back to the K-Mart at the other end of the plaza (where we just WERE, we all glared at Leo, whose idea it was to come to the other end), follow the street next to it until we came to a Lukoil gas station, then turn right, and go down that street until we came to the entrance of the park.
STEP FIVE: Drag our exhausted selves back to K-Mart and then to a Lukoil.
Not much to say about this. Except that we were excessively tired and sweaty and thirsty. Jon walked about ten paces ahead of us and refused to slow down. Leo joked about what happens when you trust Google.
STEP SIX: Turn right at Lukoil; follow that street to the park entrance.
Me and Anne are nearly passing out at this point. No, literally. We both have the same medical problem, and get the same message from our doctors every time: if we drink any less liquids than we currently do, then we will pass out. We are dehydrated people. Finally, Jim sees the entrance (he's still way in front) and lo and behold, the park. The lake is massive and glassy and magnificent, and on the opposite side, there are trees galore, perfect for Anne's "surprise". On our side, though, the trees are sparse but pretty and less wild. I say something about crossing the lake, because the surprise needs coverage, and Leo agrees, but Anne hesitates, and so of course Jim does too. Then a shirtless man on a bench says "Cross the lake? Easy!" and urges us to try it. Leo and I give each other a look and walk to the edge of the lake. Where we are, there is a dam, wet yet crossable, except for a small water fall in the middle where we would have to get down on the shallow side of the dam and walk a bit, but the water would only reach our ankles. I start taking off my shoes, but Anne refuses. Since it's her birthday, we have no choice but to listen to her. We walk through the sparse trees on our side of the lake when I spot a leafy arch. I walk through it and gasp. It led to some smooth logs turned into benches, and had a view of the whole lake. It was secluded and romantic. It was PERFECT. The surprise was a first kiss between Anne and Jim (Jim's idea, Anne knew nothing). I whisper-asked Jim if me and Leo should leave now, and he said yes, so I turned around to call Leo to help me find something I'd dropped at the front of the park, when I saw him crashing his way through some trees. I wanted to scream at him to come back, because if Anne followed him, then the surprise would be ruined. I called his name, but he didn't stop, and Anne started to follow him. I called more loudly, but he didn't turn. Then I realized that he was doing it on purpose and started to run over him, telling Anne to stay with Jim while I got Leo.
I don't think I can disclose the details, but it was a success. Yay!
P.S. Plan B was the same thing, but in the refrigerator section of Sears, which had better coverage. SO not my idea.

"Hold on, I need to laugh."

These past two days have been pretty spectacularly fun. I spent all day yesterday at Anne's house with Lefty, but maybe yesterday wasn't all that great because she spent most of the time talking to Jim on Facebook chat. I know they're dating, but she totally ignored us. Me and Lefty spent that time entertaining Anne's baby brother, and changing his diapers. That was... a joy.
Oh wait! Maybe yesterday wasn't totally hopeless! In the late afternoon, Jim asked if we wanted to meet him at the nearby elementary school. So, me, Anne, and Lefty were going to meet him there, but then his parents went and told him that he wasn't allowed to be there with only girls. Huh, shouldn't it be the other way around?
Anyway, I suggested inviting Leo, who lives a block from Anne. Jim agreed and texted Leo asking him to come. Now, Leo had just texted Jim moments before, so we knew he was with his phone. We waited five minutes, and almost decided to ditch Leo (the ultimate slow texter) when we got a response. "Why?" We were speechless, we really were.
We were about to leave, finally, when Anne told us she invited this girl from across the street that neither me or Lefty knew. She's two years older than us, and I'll nickname her Margo (Silver's probably the only one who may get that). We all felt really awkward with her there (except for Anne), but we finally left for the school. We got about half an hour of fun, then a thunderstorm hit us. I get half an hour with Leo outside of school, and the heavens have to come down on us.
Jim's parents made him go home via cellphone, so he bade us goodbye then jogged off, and Margo was also ordered home. Leo invited the remaining three of us to his house, and me and Lefty wanted to go, but Anne did not. She suggested we return home. It broke my heart to see him ride off on his bike without us, it really did.
Last night, sleepover at Anne's (we stayed there). Today, mall and pool with Anne and Lefty. Nothing really eventful. But I may now be hooked to Bath And Body Works.
SUNDAY IS THE DAY OF ANNE'S "SURPRISE". FOUR MORE DAYS.

Pomp And Circumstance... and lots of plaques.

Huh, I poured my heart into a letter to Basil for Strawberry's benefit, and she didn't even comment.
SO TODAY. Graduation. That song they always play at graduations, Pomp And Circumstance, is still ringing in my head. I was one of the kids in the little band playing it at the 8th grade graduation last year, so I know from experience that this song will stay in my head for several days.
Parcheesi made a really good speech. Yes, that was the first nickname for her I could think of, based on her last name. I got to stand up for having a grade point average of over 3.7, but then again, so did about 50 other people.
Many plaques were given out, but I didn't win a single freakin' one. It's now my goal to be good enough in high school to win a plaque of some sort, even if it's a cheesy one like "This plaque commemorates the girl who managed to trip and fall in tennis more than anyone else in high school history".
Earlier today, in school, we received our yearbooks. Basil, being the wonderful and charming gentleman he is, drew a heart around the picutres of me and Leo (which were right next to each other), and the comment "I love your love for Leo". Luckily, my mom didn't ask to see my actual picture, and didn't notice that comment. I wrote a long and personal message in eeryone's yearbook. Except for Strawberry's, where I merely wrote "HAGS". She was upset by the lack of deep meaning, but she didn't notice all the emotion thriving within those four letters. Look within, Strawberry.
Last day of school tomorrow! Hip hip hooray!

Dear Basil,

Can you ever possibly fathom the emotional power you held over Strawberry for years? You were a cruel, heartless manpulator, and you held her heart on strings. But know that she was no marionette. She did, does feel. She never was yours to toy with, and you never deserved her affection, or even her partiality. She has eyes, and she could see the ridiculing sneers you cast in her direction. She has ears, and she could hear your snide remarks. What are your eyes but items of unjust judgement. They see only skin-deep; they are not capable of seeing what lies beneath. I know that with your miniscule brain and limited imagination you think I mean her organs, but I am speaking of the passionate and brilliant writer and thinker that lies beneath. Your heart pumps blood like everyone else's, but it lacks the spark that enables kindness and this foreign and alien concept that we call love. Your brain has placed you in a math class two grades more advanced than your own, but you only see things for what they very bluntly are, not what they could become. You think you're the greatest, smartest being on the face of the Earth, but you cannot think outside of the box. Hell, you're so in the box that you must've been born in a UPS store. Don't think unkindly of her if you ever do see this letter, which I doubt because I have no intention of ever giving it to you. These are my thoughts and opinions, and if you think that thhis gives you the right to loathe me as much as you abhor her, then go right ahead. But please, cut loose her puppet strings. Just let her go.

Final sprint!

Three (half) days of school are left, and the finish line has come within sight! I wonder if it'll be like an actual race, where everyone pushes and shoves their way to the front to make it first. But, really, what is there to win in middle school?
Well, here's what's goin' on.

• I have nothing to wear for graduation on Monday, and my graduation partner is some guy named Jason I don't even know. Leo got Lavender, who's never even here. So unfair.
• I really, really want to receive an award at graduation, but seeing as I didn't do anything at all noticable this year, I almost definitely won't.
• My Father's Day Gift: fresh-baked cookies and a playing of the song Clair De Lune on the piano. Maybe I should buy something too?
• Today in science class, we did that thing where you drop Mentos into a bottle of soda. My group was Sally and Leo. Did you know that there's actually a contraption designed for this experiment? A red and transparent tube. I really would have never guessed.
• Violet is being creeped out by her beau, Zucky. Apparently, they never have real conversations; it's mostly just him staring at her. He seems to like her so much, and I have the feeling that he's more into the relationship than Violet is. Violet? You two need to have a talk.
• I got 100 on the math finals! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
• Halden's being evil, and she didn't give me a grade for my Holocaust project. This brings my grade of 100 down to 89.97. If she doesn't round that up to an A-, I swear I'll...

The life that never dies; the truth that never lies...

Huh, strange title today. I'm in a quirky mood, I guess.
So, today!
We watched two movies that each bored everyone half to death, which makes it surprising that we're all still among the living. They were both about the Civil War, and we were all split up into different classrooms based on our humanities classes. Unfortunately, Leo is not ni my humanities class, so I had to spend morning AND afternoon without stalkerishly staring at him, which is probably good for my health and all.
Speaking of Leo, today was his birthday!
Happy happy birthday, happy birthdayyyyy to you!
May the coming year be splendid,
And in your heart ring true!
That was a random birthday song I just made up right now. I don't even understand the last line myself, but it really needed to rhyme.
Well, like the wonderful friend-who-likes-him I am, I totally forgot.
I actually didn't forget, though! I thought it was on the eighteenth, not the fifteenth! But in advisory, when he was groaning about the three assignments that were due today, he mumbled something about his birthday not going well so far, and after recovering from initial shock and embarassment, I wished him a happy birthday.
By the way, Silver's birthday was on Sunday, so that song's for her too!
Every day, at lunchtime, it has to be someone's birthday, so a group of tone-deaf students goes up to the microphone to sing Happy Birthday and give us all permanent ear damage. Today, I was crouching by Ann's table (visiting), when Basil, Apple, and some other guys started singing Happy Birthday to Leo. To be honest, they weren't half bad compared to other groups that have sung their dignities out up there. I didn't even notice, caught up in talking, until Ann started shoving me in the direction of Leo's table saying "Go give him a hug!" I sat cross-legged at planted my weight firmly on the ground, but after a few seconds I decided that maybe I should go over and say something. I never got the chance. A cluster of girls who normally don't give Leo a second glance ran over and started hugging him. One of them sat on his lap. I shakingly turned back around and threw myself back into the conversation with too much animation, too much gusto. I don't think I spoke to him for the rest of the day.
Oh wait, I did! At the end of the day, we went outside for some fresh air, and me and Leo exchanged some small talk on the way back in. That was all.
That was after the movies ended. I actually attempted to watch the first one, passing notes instead of talking, to try to focus on the movie without exploding of boredom. When I found out after lunch that we were watching a second movie about the Civil War, however, I gave up. I slept for nearly an hour of it, and then, upon waking, plopped myself down on the floor with all the other bored girls, because that area of the floor was hidden from the teacher's sight, perfect for talking.
In other news, the Strawberry-Lavender battle rages on. I am Team Strawberry all the way. Lavender is extremely annoying and shallow; her personality is made up of boys (although none of them like her) and her hair. At the lunch table, we have happy conversations with our friends, and she starts whining about how boring the table is because no one talks. We actually all talk, but none of us talk to her, because she's only capable of talking about the aforementioned two things. I would pity her if she weren't genuinely that shallow. Oh, and she does care about a third thing. She calls herself fat constantly, and forces other to insult her image. Not pretty.
Upcoming events:
*Last day of school-next Tuesday (mall, sleepover, then beach the next day with friends)
*Annie's special surprise that some of you know about-June 27

Oh firetruck.

So Violet told me that Leo had promised to ask me out by the end of the grad dance today. He told her tonight that he didn't remember ever promising. As you might have guessed, there was no asking out (between me and Leo anyway). We did get in some slow dancing in though! But... Oh, I don't know if I should even say this. Whenever Silver neared, we both took guilty steps away from each other. Why? Telepathy? Who knows. All I know is that he started it.
I got my hair cut AND CURLED! I have never gotten my hair curled before, and I think I look pretty darn spectacular. Leo seemed to like it too, from the stare rays I felt emanating from him when his mom was taking pictures of us together. Speaking of his mom, I think he told her that we were going to the dance together, because she insisted on us standing next to each other on the group picture, and taking some of only the two of us. She also stared at me a lot. Like mother like son?
I CANNOT BELIEVE that Leo didn't follow through on his promise. Violet told me that she was positive he promised. Apparently, this happened when I was pretending to be asleep on the bus ride back from Six Flags. How did I not hear this conversation??? I'm considering waiting for Leo to go on Facebook, and when I see him there, make my status this exact phrase.
"you DID promise. and i heard it because i wasn't sleeping. you know i'm talking to you."
I'm not a fan of capitalizing on Facebook, as you can see. Must be a blog thing.
Well, at least there was the slow dancing to make into a lasting memory! We had no idea how to do it at first, but we eventually got the knack of it. His hands around my waist, and mine around his neck. Awkwardly stepping in a circle small enough to fit on a salad plate. But it was nice.
... I'm sorry, Silver.

Today was DEFINITELY a great adventure! (yes, i know that's corny)

Today was the field trip for the 8th graders of all three middle schools to go to Six Flags Great Adventure. May I just say that it was freakin AMAZING!
First off, the Ferris Wheel Conversation.
So, we ate at about one o'clock. But with me being a slow eater and Jim being the last one to get his food, everyone was done before the two of us. "Everyone" is Leo, Silver, Strawberry, Violet, Bally (according to Strawberry, this is her codename, which sounds pretty ridiculous to me), and Zack. So, they all went off to the ferris wheel without me and Jim. Gee, THANKS. Oh, and Zack was there too, but I didn't even notice for a minute or two. Turns out he's scared of ferris wheels. He went on Kingda Ka. Go figure.
After we were done, the three of us went to wait by the ferris wheel to greet our group, and Violet ca,e close to me and whispered into my ear as we walked into Skull Mountain.
"Leo likes you."
My heart leapt. I didn't believe her.
"No he doesn't."
"Yes he does! He told me!"
My heart did a pirouette. I didn't believe her.
"What exactly did he say?"
Violet told me how he responded to a bunch of questions she'd asked him about the two of us, but none of it was much of a surprise until the last question.
"...So then I asked him if he liked you, and he said yes."
My heart did a triple backflip. I didn't believe her. I told her so. But she protested so vehemently, insisting that it was the truth, that I don't think there's any way to not believe her.
Anyway, we went on this runaway mine train rollercoaster thing about ten times. No, I'm not exaggerating when I say ten times. I'm pretty sure I sat next to Leo every time. Before today, I was so terrified of rollercoasters, but I seemed to have gotten over my fear, seeing as I went on several today. Anyway, on the last time or second to last time we went, there was a big group of fellow 8th graders from our school standing below us (out carts were stopped, waiting to exit), and they were all shouting their hellos. One of them must have said something about me sitting next to Leo, because I heard him shout "Well we ARE going to the dance together!" and I heard exclamations from below. You see, I didn't mention it to many people, that me and Leo are going to the dance together. I guess I was just a little bit embarassed? But now, everyone will know.
Oh my, I feel weightless right now, even though I got back over an hour ago. Was it the rollercoasters? Or maybe first love? I never understood the term "butterflies in my stomach" until now.
It was altogether fun, though! It seemed like Leo went out of his way to stand next to me, which made me happy, and I have a picture on my camera of the two of us standing in front of the lake with his arm around me. Oh my God, am I talking about him too much? I feel like I am.
Bally absolutely refused to go on any rollercoasters. Even the smallest one we could find, which we called "Bally-approved" was too scary for her.
On the bus ride there and back, Leo and I sat next to each other (I promise you I only have one more thing to say involving him!), and to be honest, it was really boring. We didn't talk much; we only played on our iPod Touches. But when we were all boarding the buses to leave, there was a lull where all the buses were just sitting in the parking lot, because there were apparently some late students. Violet sat across from me and Leo, and kept prodding Leo "Do it! Do it!" I pretended not to notice, except occasionally when I made a joke of her constant asking so that they would laugh and break the awkwardness I was feeling. I thought she was telling him to tell me that he likes me, but then she said "Ask her out!!!" and he put his head against the back of the seat in front of us and groaned. Out of pity, and curiosity, I pretended to fall asleep against the window. That's right, everyone who was on that bus. I was pretending. I was hoping that Violt would continue prodding him and he, thinking I was asleep, would say something that he would never want me to hear if I was awake. Unfortunately, this didn't happen, and I pretended for most of the ride. I actually had a dream, even though I was awake enough to hear everything around me. It must have been the motion of the bus, but I felt like I was on an endless rollercoaster, infinitely going up and down. The landscape below me continued to create itself from smoke. Tongues of gray smoke created trees and people and carnival booths.I decided to let Mr. Farkas "wake me up" when he announced that we would be arriving back at school in 10-15 minutes. Turns out, it took another half hour. My mom wasn't very happy.
One last thing, for Silver.
Things to do on photo-taking coasters:
-twiddle your thumbs
-look into the distance dreamily
-assume the position of The Thinker and contemplate
-wade in a kiddie pool
-dress up as priests and take a shower (don't forget the curtain!)
-build a campfire and make s'mores
-play chess...
-...or checkers
-recreate the Big Bang

I feel like the curious cat right now...

Curiosity killed the cat. Stupid cat.
So, apparently there's a stomach virus going around my school. I was sent home by the nurse before my last class, which was Language A (thank GOD, I didn't want to go to that class, because of my embarassing emo moment from yesterday). Normally, I wouldn't mind being sick if it weren't for the Six Flags field trip coming up. Coming up as in tomorrow. And it's not just the 8th grade of my middle school that's going, it's the 8th grade classes of all three middle schools in this town! Too bad elementary school was the worst period of my life, because I'll be seeing them all tomorrow, if I don't die of illness. Ugh, I'm completely sore. My head, stomach, and throat hurts. Chills are continuously running up and down my body. I feel weak.
But some good things did happen today! Leo is getting... I guess you could call it braver? More courageous? It's just the little things, though. Like in advisory, I was looking over the paper containing the secret plan for Anne's birthday spectacular (with a very, very special surprise at the end). Leo would normally sneak up behind me, but today he grabbed the paper from my hands, pried my nails off his shoulder, and ran across the room to read it. And in science, when I pulled a set over next to Kate (we were playing hangman, unlike classes after us), and Leo pulled a seat over next to me. And at lunch, he came to my table to talk to me and Jim. Should I be happy? Some strange feeling has been churning in my stomach, and it picks up whenever he speaks to me. Is it happiness? Because it sure doesn't feel like it. Or maybe stomach virus...
When I was dispatched by the nurse to go get my things and wait by the entrance. But first, since I hadn't been there yet, I went to the Language A room to see if I needed homework or papers. Leo and I have Science and French together, but our Humanities and Language A classes are opposite. When I have one, he has the other. So since I was supposed to be in the Humanities room at that time, Leo was there, in the Language A room. When I entered, Mrs. Halden was speaking to the class, with her back turned to me, so I waited patiently by the door.
Luna saw me, and she was sitting next to Leo (she's the one who told him to ask me to the dance a while ago, if you haven't read that entry). She nudged him and whispered something, and Leo turned to look at the door. Now, I have really bad vision and really bad contacts, but I could have sworn he blushed. Luna was still whispering, so I looked at her and mouth-screamed "WHAT?", but she just giggled, and Mrs. Halden finally decided to acknowledge me.
But, now I'm just focusing on tomorrow. "Confronting my past" seems like an overly dramatic way to put it, but I'm really, really afraid.

So sorry.

I promised myself to be more dedicated to this blog! But I've been really busy for days!
Yesterday I went to the King Of Prussia mall with Strawberry and Violet. This is at least our third expedition to find the perfect Farewell Dance dress for Strawberry, but she's absolutely hopeless. On the upside, I got some gorgeous white shoes to go with my Farewell Dance dress, as well as a funky, colorful ring.
On Saturday night, I went to see Legally Blonde the musical. It's a Broadway musical, but it's on a national tour and I went to see it at NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center). Before the show, me, Louis (my mom's boyfriend), and my mom went to eat at the theater bistro. That's only because there weren't that many restaurants in Newark we felt were close enough to safely walk to. Newark is a scary place. Even though the three of us only had entrees, not appetizers or desserts, and I had the cheapest entree, the total was one hundred dollars. We all only got entrees in pity of Louis' wallet.
For the show, we had really good seats, right by the orchestra. But we were between a wall and at least twenty girls that took up two rows, about ten, eleven years of age. They all had Coach bags and flouncy outfits and makeup to the extreme and one of them, the birthday girl I guess, had a freakin tiara. It was all glittery; I wouldn't be surprised if it was covered in diamonds. They giggled the whole time and really irritated me. When we had to leave, they wouldn't even let us go into the aisle to exit because they were standing in front of their seats chatting, and they finally moved when my mom and Louis literally yelled at them. But the show was funny!
Today, I failed. Completely and utterly failed. Being around Leo was awfully awkward, I couldn't help but somewhat ignore him!I'm not sure if we're going to the dance as friends or as a date. So, I told Anne to ask Jim (her boyfriend) to ask Leo. But Anne was supposed to pretend that she was the one who was curious. Jim finally agreed to ask tomorrow in school.
That's not the only reason I failed today. Today in Language A class, our sonnets were due. Mine was admittedly very depressing. It was called "The Crier" because the whole thing was a speech made by a town crier that his town was going to be killed, overrun by soldiers. It's extremely graphic and miserable, but I think it's pretty darn incredible.
Well, I went to class, expectingto blow everyone away, when all the presentations turned out tobe one of the three following categories: summer, the beach, or a hobby (i.e. gymnastics and World Of Warcraft). Then I had to read this insanely depressing poem. The applause at the end didn't come for several seconds, and it was pretty forced. I looked like this depressed, emo kid.
I'm helping someone formulate a plan that I really wanted to talk about here, but it's top-secret and I want it to be a surprise. So, bye for now!

OH MY GOD. OH MY HEAVENS. HOLY MOLY.

I AM SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY THAT IT'S ALL I CAN DO TO NOT BLURT OUT WHY IMMEDIATELY, BUT I THINK THIS REQUIRES A LITTLE EXPLANATION FIRST.
Today was the band/orchestra/chorus field trip to the Hershey Music Festival (called "Music In The Parks"), where we go on a 2-hour-long bus ride to Hershey High School, perform for some judges, play in Hershey Park for five hours or so with our friends, go to the awards ceremony, then go on a 2-hour-long bus ride back. My happy moment happened on the way back, but first, a couple of things that happened at the amusement park. I'm sorry to say that they're all Leo-related, but you'll see why.
1. I was forced onto a roller coaster by Leo, although I'm terrified of non-water rides, which everyone called boring, but it wasn't so bad for me because I got to hold Leo's sleeve and scream. 2. I found out that Leo actually had cared about my phone number (at the end of seventh grade, when we got our yearbooks, Leo asked me to put my phone number in his, and so I asked him to do the same in mine, but he never called or anything, so neither did I) because we got seperated and he called me, and when I asked him how he knew my number, he reminded me of the yearbook.
3. The two of us got cheeseburgers and sat together and ate them (on the same bench) while everyone else got pizza. Shut up. I know that one was stupid.
SO, THE PART Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
On the bus, me and Anne sat in the back, surrounded by a bunch of guys, including her boyfriend and my friend, Jim, right in front of us. The only girls near us were Cat and Laura, sitting behind us, in the last row, but we didn't really speak to them the whole time because they spent the entire bus ride back absorbed in an iPod.
We started out playing "Would You Rather", which transformed from a simple game between me and Jim, with the question "Would you rather go out with Oregano or Leo?" which I never even got the chance to answer, because it turned into a perverted guy game with all the males within a eight foot radius of me, which was everyone within an eight foot radius of me except for Cat and Laura. The game then evolved into "Truth Or Dare", with no truth and twice the dare. You see, "truth" wasn't a choosable option, it was just "dare" or "double-dare". "Dare" was just a normal dare, but a "double-dare" allowed you to choose between two dares. Obviously, everyone chose "double-dare". After a couple of rounds, someone asked me. I don't even remember who, I just remember what occured afterwards. I chose "double-dare" and got the options of a) asking Leo to the graduation dance or b) i think that this option was to give Ryan a kiss, but I don't completely remember, I just remember that it had to do with Ryan.
I told everyone to shut the hell up and to let me think. After less than ten seconds of deep pondering, I turned to Leo, grinned, and casually asked "So Leo, wanna go to the dance with me?"
He. Said. Yes.
At first I didn't even notice, so sure that it couldn't be true, and turned my head back to the game. Then my brain subconciously confirmed that he had, indeed, just agreed to go to the dance with me. I whipped my head back toward him and asked if he meant that seriously, and he, being a gentleman and all, said "If that's okay with you." All I could do was nod like an idiot and smile sheepishly.
SO TO SUM IT UP FOR THE LAZY PEOPLE WHO WON'T BOTHER READING THE NON-CAPITALIZED PARTS OF THIS ENTRY, LEO AGREED TO GO TO THE DANCE WITH ME.
A few rounds later, my double-dare was to kiss Leo on the cheek or to give Gary a hug. Now let me just say, Gary is a creepy guy who stalks every girl in the school and is generally unliked by everybody, but acts like he's super-cool and fits in with other, normal guys. I chose option one, and then asked Leo if he would get mad if I kissed him on the cheek. He replied "Not too much," but he said it seriously, so I decided to hug Gary, who was all too eager. All I did was awkwardly sort of touch his shoulders and then sit hurriedly back down. So, that sort of dampened my spirits. Let me just say, I have no aversion whatsoever to cheek kissing. It's so harmless that I don't see how it could in any way make anyone nervous. But when Jim was dared (by me) to kiss Anne, his girlfriend, on the cheek, it took him about ten minutes to gather up the courage. In the spirit of the game, later on, I even let Ryan kiss me on the cheek, on account of a dare.
So much else happened today! But I'm so tired and I already took up a lot of space and bored you all enough with my lovey-dovey happiness. So, thank you and good night!
p.s. that last sentence is a favorite of my Language A teacher's.

Don't hurt me, Mister President!

So, I haven't blogged this weekend because 1.I was at my dad's and 2. I was really busy.
I went to New Jersey's highest waterfall (I really didn't want to go, but it was actually pretty amazing), Manhattan, and Valley Forge. Yup, Memorial Day weekend is an excuse for my dad to take us frolicking thoughout three states.
In Manhattan, we went to visit the memorial and tomb of President Grant. When I say "we" I mean me, my dad, stepmom (called Titi by me, which is supposed to mean "sister or something in her parents' home of Puerto Rico; pronounced somewhere between "didi" and "thithi"), my grandma visiting from Venezuela ("Abuela", leaving in a month or so), my stepbrother Danny (9 years old) and my stepsister (8 years old) Ari.
Danny is big on history. I've never been much of the history type; I prefer thinking ahead to wasting the present on thinking about what's already happened. In the car, he spouts random facts about famous people in history, andd now he seems to be obsessed with presidents in particular. So on Sunday, in Manhattan, we went to the Grant memorial, which was a beautiful little white building with columns and American flags on the front, and when you entered, there was an opening in the floor that showed the coffins of Grant and his wife, alone in a small circular room with bronze busts of other important men in little openings in the rounded walls. When we went down the stairs, my brother realized that the wooden boxes were coffins, and the dim, enclosed space must have made it too much for him. While rounding the room, I noticed him quite literally attempting to fling his body at the stairs that led back to the main level, while Titi firmly held his wrist. "Ghosts!" he cried. Even delicate little Ari was prancing about the room without a care for these ghosts. So much for my history-obsessed brother.
Me and Abuela crushed Dad and Danny in dominoes on Saturday and Sunday night, while having a barbecue and a fire on the backyard patio. What's funny is that Danny was the one supporting the male team, and he'd never played dominoes before.
My sister, who was so brave within feet of two coffins refused to go anywhere near the cabins where soldiers slept in Valley Forge. But she was eager to see the bathrooms used by soldiers.
Basil keeps telling me about this awesome thing he's going to do in Language A class, but he won't say exactly what it is. He was going to do it today, but he said that I'll have to wait a few days when I asked him about it in the middle of our performance.
Oh, the performance in Language A was of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream". I was Hermia, who was supposed to be in love with Lysander, who turned out to be none other than BASIL. I talk to him, but that doesn't change the fact that I loathe him and his conceitedness. Acting in love with him was pretty damn difficult, but it probably was for him too. Strawberry was Helena, hated by the man she loves, Demetrius, who was played by Basil's best friend Apple (remember, I use only nicknames on this blog). Basil's and Apple's roles really should have been switched.
Leo found it hilarious that Basil and I were "lovers". He started cracking up when I told him, after he asked me about my class' play. I guess that means we're (somewhat) friends again? But I'm not going to believe it, because he sometimes talks to me, causing me to think we're on a friendly basis, then ignores me afterwards.
Upcoming events:
-Spring Concert: tomorrow at 6 (I'm in 8th grade band and sax choir)
-Hershey Music Festival: Friday (then Hershey Park for 6 hours!)
-Graduation Dance: two Saturdays from today; Ryan's the only one who's asked me, but I said no because I think he was half joking, and I don't want to go with him anyway.
-Graduation itself: I don't know when!!!