I was running down the halls as fast as I could so that I could walk home with Nick from school. While I was running, Raye stopped me.

"What's the hurry?" she asked, "You aren't hurrying thay fast to see us, are you?"

"Ummm..." I stammered, "I'm walking home with another friend."

"They can walk with us," Raye suggested.

"They live a different way than you guys do," I replied.

"But you live near us," Jordan said, rather confusedly.

I didn't have an answer for that, so I turned and ran.

As I ran away, I heard Autumn ask, "IS it just me, or is Jess trying to avoid us?"

I ran faster and faster until I got away from my friends and I found Nick. By the time I found him, I was out of breath.

"What's wrong, Jessica?" Nick asked.

"I ran here and I'm tired now," I answered.

Nick put an arm around me; he was just so nice to me.

"Jessica, how come I haven't met any of your friends yet?"

"Because, I always wait a little while before introducing new people to them."

"That makes sense."

By that time, we were at my house.

"Do you want to come into my room?"

"Sure."

"Nick..."

"Yes?"

"I'll go in and gget up to my room, and then I'll let you in through the window."

"Okay."

When I got up to my room and opened the window, Nick climbed up the trellis and into the window. We talked about stuff for a while, then I heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's us," my friends replied.

"Come in," I called.

They opened the door.

"Autumn, Raye, Jordan, Rachel, this is my boyfriend Nick," I introduced them.

After I introduced Nick, each had a different reaction. Autumn was shocked, Raye was surprised, Jordan had that "I told you so" look on her face, and Rachel's was a sentence.

"Jess, we need to talk."

I gave Nick an "I'll be back" look and went out the door with them.

We went into the bathroom, since there was no other private place to talk, and shut the door behind us.

"Jess, what's wrong with you?!" Rachel screamed.

"I..." I started.

"YOu know you aren't supposed to do this!" Raye cut me off.

"You can't have a boyfriend!" Jordan continued for her.

"Your parents and brother would never allow it!" Autumn finished.

"I don't care," I replied.

"You have a heart and soul, but no brain," Rachel told me.

"You're acting like a blonde!" Raye informed me.

"I don't care," I repeated.

"Why not?" Jordan and Autumn asked.

"I love Nick."

If they were shocked to hear that Nick was my boyfriend, they were more shocked to hear me say that I loved him.

"You aren't serious!" Rachel was shocked and angrier than ever with me right now.

"I'm serious," I replied.

"I can't believe you!" Raye screamed.

"But Nick is perfect," I replied, "Just what I want in a guy."

"What do you want in a guy?" Jordan asked.

"Nice, kind, sweet, caring, a good sense of humor, and a wonderful personality," I answered.

"We'll watch for that in him," Autumn replied.

"We should be going back to the room now," I told them.

After I said it, I ran out the door and back into my room.