Jacin finally came back to school 3 weeks later.

Over those 3 weeks, I had tried calling him, but he never answered his phone, and it would just go to voicemail. He never responded to the texts or emails that I sent him either. I was happy to see him again, but when I tried talking to him, he wasn’t the Jacin I remembered.

The day he came back, I tried calling him to ask him if he was OK. But when I pulled up his name on my contacts lists, it said that he’d blocked me. When I tried to talk to him, he either ignored me, or said something rude. He was such a jerk!

We started a new semester. I still had my 7th hour with Enna, James and Jacin, but instead of Art class, it was Gym. my schedule didn’t really change that much. Honestly, at first I had thought that I’d hate Gym class, but it really isn’t all that bad. Except 95% of the time Enna and I are late for class. We have to plow our way through all the 6th graders, and by the time we get to the Girls’ Locker Room, we'd have less than 3 minutes to change. I usually just end up putting my shoes on while the teacher’s telling us what we’re gonna do.

But I honestly don’t know what Jacin’s deal is! The minute I sit down in my spot, he tells me to shut up, even though 90% of the time I’m not even talking. It’s so annoying. But today he was worse than usual. Jacin had been so annoying in Community Circles. The bell rang and I was hurrying out the door so that I could get to Enna so that we could go to Social Studies together, like we always do. Jacin was talking to some of his friends, a few steps from the door, and a second before I reached the doorway, he stepped in front of it, blocking my path. “Why’re you going so fast?” He asked me. 

“Uh, because I can?” I said, I waited for him to move. He didn’t.

“No you can’t.” He said. Ugh! Why did he have to be so annoying?

“Says who (besides you)?” I asked. OK, I was about ready to shove him out of the way. 

“Says me.” He said, moving out of the doorway. 

“I said besides you, ya dummy!” I said as I went to go get Enna. She was waiting in the doorway of her Community Circles room. “What took ya so long? Did you forget me?” She teased.

“No, Jacin was being a jerk again.” I said, and then I explained what happened. 

“He’s a jerk. Just ignore him.” She said as we reached the door to Social Studies.

. . .

We were on our way to the Girl’s Locker Room when I saw Jacin. He glared at me. I was getting really mad. What’d I do? Why’s he gotta be such a jerk?

“I swear, if he says one more jerky thing to me, I’m gonna smack him upside the head with my one of my gym shoes.” I said, while I got my stuff out of my gym locker.

“Krys, if you do that, you’ll  get in trouble.” She said, “I don’t want you to get suspended for fighting, you’re better than that.” She said.

“But, say he hits me first?” I asked her. She thought for a moment.

“If he does, then you can hit him back, but only in self defense.” She said, “But that’s only if he does  hit you.” She said.

“Ugh! Fine!” I said. I heard one of our gym teachers call us out. I left the locker room. I had my gym shoes in my hand and I went to my spot like I always did. When I reached my spot I accidentally dropped one of my shoes when I meant to set them down. Oops.

“Oh my gosh, you’re so annoying!” Jacin said. I hadn’t even sat down yet, and he was already at my throat.

I rolled my eyes, “Whatever.” I said, as I pulled my right shoe on.

Then he started mocking me in a really whiny voice. “Whatever!” He said. “Shut up!”

I tried ignoring him. “Shut up, or I’m seriously telling.” Jacin said. OK, I was tired of trying to ignore him.

“Oh my gosh, just leave me alone!” I said, glaring at him as I started pulling my left shoe on my foot.

“Whatever, you’re just trash anyway.” Jacin said as I started tying my left shoe. That comment really stung. I could feel the tears coming. No! I was not gonna let him win! I furiosly blinked away my tears and before I knew it I started untying my left shoe again. I was just about to pull my shoe off and smack him upside the head with it when Enna came out of the locker room.

Shoot, I’d nearly forgotten that Enna said that I could only hit him if he hit me first. Then our gym teacher went into the Girls’ Locker Room and came back with the bag of basketballs.

“Today we’re gonna play Top Gun. Get into teams of 2 or 3 and line up.” He said. 

“Yay!” I said. I love  basketball! 

“No. Not yay. I -” He started to say, but I interrupted him.

“So’s your face!” I said, and I walked away. Enna, James and I were on a team together. Jacin was on a team with some tall guy named Peyton. We had to play against Jacin and his team 3 times. Then Enna started feeling sick, so she went into the Girls’ Locker Room. Then James left because he needed a drink of water, leaving me the only person to play on our team . . . against Jacin and his team. Ugh! So not fair! Peyton was gonna check up when Jacin pulled him aside.

“C’mon man, let me do check up.” He said. 

“Uh, OK.” He said and moved aside. I passed the basketball to Jacin,

 “Imagine being the only person playing on your team.” He said as he passed it back. 

“Shut up.” I said. Then I was cornered. Peyton was blocking me with his arms out.

“Uh, sorry dude, but I really don’t wanna hug.” I said, dribbling the ball with one hand and pushing my hair out of my face with the other. Ugh! I’d forgotten to bring a hair-tie. Then I ducked beneath his arm. I had barely moved 2 steps before I was cornered again, but by Jacin this time. I kept dribbling the ball trying to figure out how to get free without him getting the ball.

“You’re bad! You’re trash!” He kept saying. I kept trying to ignore it, but it wasn’t working. The more he taunted me, the angrier I got. “Krys! Why don’t you just give up already? You’re not gonna win anyway. You’re just trash.” He said, trying to take the ball. Something inside of me snapped. A wave of anger and fury went over me, and I lost it.

“OH MY GOSH! WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR 2 SECONDS?!?” I screamed at him. He was so shocked and surprised that he forgot that he was blocking me. So was I, but it only lasted a second, and I realized that he wasn’t blocking me. I yeeted the ball towards the hoop. Peyton tried to block it, so did Jacin when he realized that he hadn’t been blocking me. They both missed and it went through the hoop. Jacin was mad.

“I hate you!” He said angrily. 

“Balh, blah, blah!” I said, mocking him. “Sucks to suck, doesn’t it?” I said. He looked like he was gonna smack me. He raised his hand, and I braced myself.

“OK guys, time to bring back the basketballs!” Our gym teacher said. Jacin lowered his hand and glared at me as I went toward the Girl’s Locker Room.

“Did you win any games?” Enna asked, she was already changed back into her clothes. “Just one.” I said as I took off my gym shoes. “Jacin’s not happy ‘bout it though.” I said grinning.