lisa's birthday tape - saves the day

setting: kerrington high hallway
bennett's pov (though will not be in rewite)

i walked down the halls. i could hear jonah's voice in my head. i was just lying there in his basement. "dude, you know what you should do? make her a tape."

at first it had sounded crazy. i don't own any tapes. i doubted she would havea way to hear it. i doubted she would want one. but sean had looked at jonah. "dude, that's so random."

jonah shook his head. "saves the day has a tape floating around there for some girl. you should just make her one." he said. "if i were a girl i'd think that'd be really cool. i'd date you in a second."

"you're not a girl," sean said. "that's creepy."

"a tape?" i said. "i don't even know if i like her."

sean rolled his eyes. "you're obsessed with her." he said. "this is worse than when you started likign rainie. all you do is look at her and for her."

"that jsut means he likes staring at her," jonah had said.

but here i did end up making her a tape. and it had been sitting in my locker all week. it just had her name on it. i was scared someone was going ot se it so i shoved it further back until suddenly i heard her name over the loudspeaker. it was her birthday today. so here i was. i had been wlaking down the junior halls more often. paying attention. and seeing her there at locker 547. so it was hers.

but here was my dilemna. the tape wouldn't fit. i tried but it wasn't going in. and the bell would rign any second. i pause looking at the silver latch that opened. it was worth a try. i lifted it up and it opened. i sigehd a little looking down the halls. i opend it quickly and stuck it on the top shelf thing of her locker. i felt so werid and creepy. but i shut it trying ot to slam it like i was used to but.

i felt out of breathe walking away in the other direction to my last class. i felt so creepy and i regretted it. but it kept walking. speed walking away. knowign very well she'd mention it next time we talked. shit. what was i going to say? 'i don't know, i heard it was your birthday so i decided to make you a tape. i consider you a good friend and i'm hopelessly falling for you. you're the girl of my dreams and the musical soul mate i never thought existed. i remember every word you say and every song you said you loved so i just recorded the ones i knew and opened your locker and stuck them in- but i'm not creepy. don't worry.'

i wanted to die. holy shit, i jsut ruined any chance i had to just be friends with her.

elisa's pov

cass opened her locker and got her stuff i opened mine. "had a good birthday so far?" she asked smiling at me.

i shrugged. "yeah," i said.

"did nathan get you anything?" she asked.

i shook my head and i got my bag out and slung it over one shouldr. "no," i said. "i told him not to."

"why?" she asked. "it's your birthday, you have to let someone do something special for you."

i shruged. "my mom is taking me out to dinner tonight." i said. "no ifs, ands or buts she said." i couldn't be any more unexcited. i checked back for anything i may have forgotten. my shakespeare book was forgotten. i knelt down.

"i have to go, miles needs a ride home." she said sighing. "happy birthday though. i hope you had a good one."

i smiled. "thanks," i said. i unzipped my bag and stuck the shakespeare book in. i stood up gettign ready to shut my locker when my eyes froze on soemthign that wasn't there before. it was a tape. i reched up and picked it up. it just said my name in a messy handwriting, but it wasn't too messy. it wasn't the neatest but it was pretty neat for messy handwriting. i flipped it over and it didn't even say anything on the back.

at first i thought it had been nathan but i knew his handwriting from notes and everything. his was a mess. i shut my locker and walked out ready to listen to whatever this was. my car had a little cassette player so as soon as i got in i put it in. and hit play. i waited shortly there was static. then guitar. plucking. it was saves the day. this older song i loved. "take our cars now" and i listened waiting for the familiar voice i always knew.

but the vocie wasn't the saves the day guy. it was someone else. it wasn't nathan. it was someone else i had never heard singing before. i listened and suddenly i smield a little. if you added up all the moon-bounce birtgday parties and winter coats and barbie dolls and money and gift certificates i've gotten for my birthday, this was by far the best anyone could have given me. but i didn't know who it was. it was just a random tape made for me. maybe it was for someone else but then suddenly i just listened. maybe cass did this for me with that kid jeremy that was friends with miles. i heard he sang. so i figured i could just keep it to myself and not have to bring it up around cass.

it was so great of her to do this. i was in love with this tape before the second song was done.