Chapter 4 Freckles are Great!

 

Next morning I didn't tell Donna about Jack's phone call. I was quiet all morning, and I tried to stay away from everybody. I had History, but I left quickly after the lesson. I didn't want to talk to Jack.

At lunch-time, I went for a walk. I was unhappy. Why? I didn't really know. I bought some fruit from a shop. Then I sat down and ate it.

When I finished it, I looked at my watch. I had to go back. 'Donna will be happy now, because she's going to the disco with Jack,' I thought. 'She'll tell me every little thing about it. She'll be so happy, and she won't see my unhappy face.'

 

I walked back to school slowly.

And I saw Jack! He ran across the road and stopped in front of me. His face was red, and he was hot.

He said,'Susie! I couldn't find you! I looked —'

'Well, I'm here now,' I said. 'Was everything all right?'

'What?' he said.

'With Donna,' I said.

Jack looked at me strangely. 'Donna?' he said.

'You asked her to the disco,' I said. 'And she said yes. Right?'

Jack opened and closed his mouth. Then he started laughing.

I said,'What's funny?'

'You thought — I mean, when I spoke to you on the phone yesterday, you — and I —' Jack stopped, then started again. He said, 'Susie, can I take you to the disco, please?'

'Are my ears playing games with me?' I thought. 'Did I hear him right?'

'Pardon?' I said.

Jack spoke slowly. 'Will you come to the disco with me?'

'But... Donna wants to go with you!' I said.

'And I want to go with you,' he said.

'W-wait!' I said. 'Is this right? Donna wants to go to the disco with you, but you want to go with me?'

'Yes,' he said.

'Why?' I said.

And Jack said, 'Because I like you very much. You're pretty... and funny. And you don't think I'm strange.You write poems too. And — and I love your freckles!'

'You do?' I said.

'Yes,' he said. 'They're lovely!'

'And you really want to go out with me?' I said.

'I really do,' he said.

'Can I think about it?' I asked.

'Of course! How much time do you want?' he said.

'Half a minute. Yes!' I said.

He laughed, and I laughed with him.

Did I walk to the classroom? Were my feet on the ground? Perhaps they were. Or did I fly? I don't know.

I thought, 'He likes me! He likes me! I'm wonderful, I'm beautiful, I'm great!'

And then I saw Donna.

I thought,'Oh, no! What am I going to tell her? How? When?'

In the end, it was easy. When we 'walked home after school, Donna said,'It's strange. Jack didn't ask me out. Did you tell him?'

She was angry with me. She didn't say, 'It was your job, and you didn't do it'. But she thought it.

And now I was angry. I said, 'No, Donna, I didn't tell him.'

Donna made an ugly face. 'Right!' she said. I’ll never do anything for you! So don't ask me!'

'I didn't ask him because he's taking a girl to the disco,' I said.

'Who?' she asked.

'Me,' I said.

Donna stopped. She looked at me, and her mouth fell open.
'Pardon?'

And I enjoyed telling her. 'Yes,' I said. 'He liked me, but he didn't tell me. He was too shy.' I smiled. 'He likes freckles.'

Donna said, 'But-but-but-!' Then she stopped and started again. 'There was something strange about that boy. I knew it!' she said.

'Why?' I said. 'Because he wants to take me to the disco, and not you?'

'Oh, that's not important to me!' she said. 'I didn't really want to go with him. It was only a game. I like playing games with boys.'

'Wrong!' I shouted. 'You wanted Jack!'

'No, I didn't!' she shouted.

'Yes, you did!'

 

Donna made an ugly face again. 'Well, go out with Jack!' she said. 'I hope you have a nice time.'

She said, 'nice time'. But she meant, 'I hope you break your
legs'.

I said, 'Tell me, Donna. You're jealous! Right?'

'No, I'm not jealous!' she said.But she turned and walked away.

'Donna wants me to feel bad,' I thought. 'But I won't! Donna's not going to do that to me now. She knows something important, and I know it too. A beautiful face isn't everything! And I can't feel sorry for her because — because it's funny!'

I started laughing. And I laughed and laughed.

 

I did go to the disco with Jack, and we had a wonderful time. Now we're great friends. And he doesn't blush when he looks at me!

And Donna? Donna doesn't speak to me.When I try to talk to her, she walks away. But she'll talk to me again one day, because we are good friends, really. But things will be different then.

Oh, yes... and freckles are great!