Chris Wakes Up by Sean Platt, David Wright

anything one way or another. But I say go for it. I’ve seen the way Jessica looks at you. And she’s always asking what you’re up to.” 
    “Really? Why the hell didn’t you tell me before?” Milo asked, playfully shoving his best friend. “How long has this been going on?”
    “Just recently,” Alex said. “I think a better question is why didn’t you tell me you were into Jessica until now?”
    “Yeah, what the hell, man?” Manny said, trying to be part of a conversation that didn’t really need him. From that moment on, the big dork had focused on nothing but Milo and Jessica. Milo practically expected him to start singing, “Milo and Jessica sitting in a tree…”
    The girls had arrived a few minutes later, and the conversation had died... until Manny started up after they got to class.
    “I say go for it,” Manny said. “I agree with Alex. Jessica wants you.”
    Milo turned, praying she hadn’t heard her name mentioned.
    Katie and Jessica were looking at him and whispering. Jessica giggled, and Milo looked down as if studying the carving on his desk. It said, “ God can see you,” and looked like it had been there forever.
    Manny laughed, “They’re talking about you.”
    “Shut up,” Milo whispered again, wondering if they were, and feeling his face turn red. Maybe Alex said something to Jessica when she was walking with him to his first class.
    Shit, I knew I shouldn’t of said anything.
    Milo grabbed his cell and texted Alex, hoping he’d left his phone on vibrate, rather than ringtone.
     
    “Did u tell Katie abt me likin Jess?” he texted.
    A full minute passed, then:
    “No y?” Alex texted back.
    “No rsn. Where’s ur dad? He’s late.”
    “Dunno hvnt sn him. He left early. shld b thr.”
     
    Mr. Heller was Alex’s dad, and he was never this late. Usually, he was in class an hour before the school doors opened, which was why Alex usually walked to school or caught a ride with Katie on the days her mom let her drive the car they shared. At least that’s the reason Alex gave for not coming in with his dad.
    Milo suspected something else, however; that Alex was embarrassed by his dad. As cool and laid back as Alex was, Mr. Heller was nerdy, straight-laced, and talked like someone from one of those old TV shows with the big happy, and thoroughly unrealistic, families. The girls flirted with Mr. Heller and the guys pretended to care about his lectures, and Mr. Heller was too oblivious to see they were messing with him. Despite the heckling, students generally seemed to like him, though. He was lenient, not prone to mood swings like many of the teachers, and you’d have to be an idiot to get anything less than a “B” in his class. 
    Mr. Heller was dorky, clueless, and wore clothes about 15 years out of style.
    But Mr. Heller was never late. 
    Milo hoped they didn’t have a substitute. Subs always gave them busy work. One of the cool things about Mr. Heller, and the reason the kids probably liked him most, was that Mr. Heller spent at least half the class talking. And it was the kind of talking which he never quizzed students on, so you could catch a few Z’s, which made the class Milo’s favorite first period since Home Economics in 8th Grade. 
    The door to the classroom squeaked opened behind them, and the class fell silent, except for the sound of students rushing back to their desks and cracking open their books as if they were earnestly attempting to unlock the finer points of grammar.
    Manny had his book open, but it was upside down. Milo laughed at his idiot friend and made a face, then gestured toward the book.
    Manny looked down, eyes widened, then laughed and turned the book right side up.
    Idiot.
    Katie took her seat behind Manny, and gave Milo a suspicious look. Milo turned away quickly, feeling his face turn red again.
    Alex did tell her! Or maybe she heard Manny Big Mouth.
    Milo looked to his right to see if Jessica was also looking at him. But her eyes