A Different Kind by Lauryn April Page A

princess since I was six. In all honesty I was thinking about going to school for something business related, but that dress was way cuter than any suit I could have borrowed.
    “You look happy – something happen that I don’t know about?” I asked.
    Jo laughed. “Nothing new with me, but you seemed to be having a nice time last night.”
    At first I didn’t know what Jo was talking about, but then I saw her eyes dart to the door as Logan walked in. She gave me a pointed look.
    “Enjoy stargazing on the rooftop?” she asked. I was sure my face would have matched the paint of my Toyota just then – Barcelona Red.
    “Um….” I began, but no words came to mind. Utter embarrassment wasn’t an emotion I was all that familiar with.
    “So, do you two have a thing?”
    “No,” I said a little too adamantly. Jo smirked. “It’s not like that,” I clarified. “Logan and I are…friends. He helped me with a school assignment last night. I’m totally bombing Astronomy. I needed help.”
    “Mmmhmm.”
    “Seriously, Jo. I’m kind of with Ian.”
    When I said that Jo ceased her teasing. It was as if she’d completely forgotten about Ian, and now that I reminded her of my Homecoming date, she remembered how big of a crush I had on him the last few months. At that same time I realized that for a short while I’d forgotten about Ian as well. For just a second I wondered if I was really as crazy about him as I thought.
    “I’m just giving you a hard time,” Jo said.
     
    J o and I walked into the lunch room, taking our seats at our usual table. Hailey, dressed as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and a number of the other girls from our squad were already there. I opened my bag lunch. I’d packed it myself, something I’d been doing since middle school. My meal consisted of healthy options I’d normally brag about, though most days I’d love to trade my wisdom of how to keep a good figure for a cheeseburger. Beside me Jo smiled, reading a message her mom had written to her on a sticky note. It’d been stuck to the Saran Wrap covering her sandwich.
    “Your mom still writes you lunch notes?” Hailey asked.
    Jo laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think she’s gotten the memo that I’m a senior in high school.”
    We all laughed, but secretly I wished my mom would do something like that. The last time she wrote me a note I was twelve, and it read “Leftovers in the fridge. I’ll be out late with Sherri and Tiff. Call your father if you need anything.” Around that time I started eating dinner at Jo’s.
    The conversation turned to talking about the Homecoming dance once again, and as I looked over the contents of my lunch, I realized that I’d forgotten to pack a fork.
    “I’ll be right back,” I said, then walked to the table with the plastic cutlery near the hot lunch line.
    On my way back to my table I saw Logan walk in.
    I waved. “Hey.”
    “Hey.” He smiled. “Are you coming over after class today?”
    “Yeah, I’m almost done with that paper. I’ll let you read it over.”
    Logan nodded. “Alright, sounds good. Well, I’ll see you later.” He smiled and walked off.
    I watched him take a seat at an empty table at the back of the room. Did he always sit alone? I’d never noticed before.
    When I glanced back at my friends, Hailey gawked at me. Her head tilted and eyes narrowed.
    “You’re not like, friends with Logan, are you?” Her expression bore into me, making me feel squirmy.
    For the second time in my life, my words caught in my throat. I’d never been one to hold anything back, but in that moment I didn’t know what to say. Logan and I were friends, but the way Hailey was looking at me made me feel like that was wrong. I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to be a certain way just because that’s how everyone thought I should be, but I realized it was one thing to make that promise and another to keep it. So I did what I’d done the last time someone had said something that made me feel