How to Uncrush your Crush

assing yourself in front of your crush, I

a queen, occasionally allergic to common sense. And as

e exp

melting pot of pastel lockers, underfunded vending mac

y afro refused to cooperate and decided to

ownstairs as I wrestled with a scru

urls into what I hoped resembled a bun and not a wi

her head into my room with a raised brow. "Girl, that bus waits for

, grabbed a half-eaten granola bar,

-

warning bell rang - heart racing, curls bouncing, a

were everywhere, reminding us that pajama day was coming, a

ng on someone's spilled iced coffee, and finally approach

hen it h

ker Inc

(left-right-left-curse), and the

t wasn't

Ethan

erfect, even though we all knew he didn't even use product. His jawline? Sharp enough to file government secrets. And don't even

f that was about two

rambled back, nearly trip

d. "Are y

st-my locker

our l

I swear.

at me, lip

t laugh. Pl

smi

hen he answered questions like he didn't know he was a gen

s had legs," he said,

al, but here we are!" I blurted out bef

le

ul as

s head, lips pa

lau

real, caught-off-guard

into my locker and

-

ng my arm and yanking me away

my di

girl. Gone

Half-Trinidadian, half-sass, and built like a track star wi

lanted me against the wall. "You ran i

" I mu

s officially a patt

I need

cism. Why are

face that makes my

tically. "You kno

...

. "We're gonna get y

you can't jus

It's the U

what

al: humiliate yourself in front of him so b

stupidest idea I

ch is why it

drama and expired chicken nuggets - I nursed my

me dealer; Jenny, the class president; and Olivia, who might've be

next to me, "what do we

we

this week. What's left? Crying in fr

an't I just like

tried flirting, you offered a boy half

e a vali

nna see my cat

dmit that was

So. Operation U

"Fine. But if I die, put 'She

-

icked a green bean at my face and said, "You go

wiping my cheek. "He's just a guy who

ow. "Are we talking ab

. normal tall. And no. We'r

ebra doesn't make

t does," I said. "Second o

if you stop crashing into him, he'll s

Mom. That's

welcom

-

ry life choice that led me here. Was this what teenhood was

bab

checked my phone.

ready. You're gonna trip i

WANT ME

rust th

erally nothing

e still gonna be in love

ark, you better be