Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Planet Girl by Tommy Greenwald Page A

or boyfriend and girlfriend friends. Kind of weird, in-between friends.
    And once people started figuring out that Katie and I maybe liked each other, things got even more awkward. Like sometimes at lunch, if Katie was sitting next to someone and I came up to the table with my tray, that person would get up, so I could sit next to Katie.
    â€œYou don’t have to get up,” I’d say.
    â€œNo, I want to,” they’d answer.
    So I’d sit down next to Katie, and we’d look at each other and talk about something totally meaningless.
    â€œEnglish homework was really hard last night,” I’d say.
    â€œYou’re not kidding,” Katie’d say.
    â€œThat tuna sandwich you’re eating looks good.”
    â€œIt is.”
    Being in-between friends with a girl is not easy, let me tell you.
    At least one part of my life got a lot less awkward, though. It happened one day while I was standing in line for lunch.
    Jake Katz was standing there, ignoring me as usual. Then, totally out of the blue, he said, “The French fries look particularly soggy today.”
    After looking around, I realized he was talking to me. I was shocked. It was the first time he’d started a conversation with me in six weeks.
    â€œHuh?” I said.
    â€œThe French fries look soggy,” he repeated.
    It took me a minute to realize what was happening. He may have said, The French fries look soggy , but what he actually meant was, I was really, really mad that you kissed my girlfriend, but a lot of time has passed, and I’m not that mad anymore, and I’m ready to be friends again.
    â€œYeah,” I said. “They are soggy. I’m going to have to talk to management about that.”
    And what I actually meant was, Like I told you before, I’m really sorry that happened, it was a terrible misunderstanding, and I really want to be friends with you again, too.
    The corners of his mouth turned up, but he wasn’t ready to commit to a full smile just yet. “Okay, cool, yeah, talk to management. Let me know what they say.”
    â€œI will,” I said. “I totally will.”
    Ten seconds later, in front of the fish sticks, Jake said, “You can come over after school today if you want.”
    â€œOkay, cool. Sounds fun.”
    And just like that, we were friends again. Because that’s how it works with middle school boys. Why talk about something uncomfortable when you can talk about French fries instead?
    The other thing that happened is I kept working on the whole maturing thing. Meaning, I decided to “play by the rules” (Katie’s words, not mine) and stop being my usual “obnoxious, annoying self.” (George’s words, not mine.) So I didn’t drive the teachers as crazy as I used to. I didn’t goof around in class as much as I used to. And I didn’t brag about not reading, the way I used to.
    Ms. Albone was the first teacher to notice it. “Charlie Joe,” she said one day after class, “is everything all right?”
    â€œYes, Ms. Albone, why?”
    â€œWell, I just realized that I haven’t reprimanded you in a while.”
    â€œRight. Well, I, uh, have decided to try and be a little better behaved.”
    â€œI see.” Ms. Albone looked at me closely, like she didn’t quite believe it. “Well, good for you.”
    â€œHave a nice day, Ms. Albone.”
    Mrs. Sleep probably loved the new me. But I wasn’t sure I did. Because honestly? I was worried that the new me was a little boring.
    There was hope, though. The weather was getting nicer. The leaves were starting to bloom on the trees. You know what that means, right?
    SUMMER.
    Did you hear me? I said …
    SUMMER.
    You’ve heard of it, right? That time of year when there’s absolutely no homework of any kind?
    You can probably imagine how I felt about summer.
    I WAS FOR IT.
    Then one day, about a month before the last day