"Finally another boring school day is over!" Natalie Morton exclaimed as we walked home together after school that one afternoon.

I normally wouldn't talk around her. She was always so pretty tossing her beautiful long dark silky hair back and decorating it with shiny barrettes. I guess in a way you could say I wanted to be like her. Almost all the boys in seventh grade would be drooling over her and the short little dresses she wore.

As for me, I was the total opposite. Always wore my blue jeans and t-shirt. My hair was long and brown but usually held back in a ponytail underneath a cap. I was such a tomboy and most of my friends were males. Natalie and I became friends last year. She'd moved in the neighborhood and immediately befriended me and my best friend Denny.

Denny was a year older than me. He was 13 and in eighth grade. We'd been best friends since we were still in diapers. Our parents were best friends as well. Natalie had talked to me first but then turned her attention to Denny. She'd talk about him constantly about how cute she thought he was or how it would be to kiss him.

"You know Melanie, you would look really pretty if you wore your hair down and put a skirt on for a change." Natalie was going on again about my appearances. Her big brown eyes eyed me up and down.

I just stayed silent as always holding my books near my chest. I could tell Natalie was already growing her breasts and so could everyone else. She would wear a bra and I would still just wear a tank top underneath since I didn't have much that needed to be supported.

"So have you told Denny about me yet? I'm so shy to tell him anything! He is your best friend maybe you can put in a good word for me."

I sighed trying to tune my friend out. "I haven't told him anything."

She stopped for a moment and whined. "Aww come on Mel, you need to try to help me here. I thought we were best friends."

I laughed and kept walking. "Best friends? Natalie all you ever do is talk to me about boys. Aren't best friends supposed to talk about things other than just boys?"

She started to walk catching up to me. "Well I guess, but what else can be more important to talk about. You know Mel, you need to act more like a girl because people are starting to think differently of you if you know what I mean?"

It was no surprise that most of the girls in seventh grade would talk about me. While they were busy in the bathrooms sharing lip gloss or brushing out their long hair, I was out in the fields playing ball with the boys. It never really bothered me until Natalie started pointing out some of the things people said about me. I kept shrugging it all off but Natalie seemed to keep telling me hoping I would change and dress more like a girl.

We were already home and Natalie waved goodbye as we passed by her house first. She had to do her homework and then head on off to ballet class. I only lived a few houses down and Denny lived right next door to me. I got home and went to put my books away. My mother was in the kitchen already beginning to prepare dinner. I put on my old blue jean shorts and a black t-shirt. That afternoon, I didn't even bother with wearing a tank top underneath since it was just Denny I was seeing. I grabbed my red and white baseball cap and was heading out the door. It was a usual routine for me to go over to Denny's after school.

"Melanie! Be home by six young lady." I heard my mother call out as I rushed out the door.

"Yeah mom I'll be back by six!"

I walked over to Denny's house knowing I had to tell him about Natalie. In a way I didn't want to say anything since I knew he'd probably want to be like a boyfriend to her. I guess you could say I was selfish not wanting to lose my best friend.

Denny's parents didn't get home from work until about six in the evening. He'd always be alone in the house with his seventeen-year-old sister Leanne. I got to his house and knocked on the door until he came out. He was wearing his usual khaki cargo shorts and a white t-shirt.

"Hey Mel. You wanna play some ball for a while?"

I nodded and he threw me the baseball and we headed off to a nearby neighborhood park. He carried two baseball gloves and a bat. I tossed the ball up and down in my hands as we walked. It was hot outside and I could see Denny was already breaking a sweat.

"So anything interesting happen at school today?" He asked with his blue eyes fixed on me.

"Not really. Oh well I do have to tell you something."

We began to throw the ball around. "Yeah? What?"

"Natalie Morton really likes you." I began.

He stopped throwing the ball and gave me a strange look. "Natalie? No way! She's so pretty!"

I felt a slight disappointment. "Yeah she is and she has a huge crush on you."

Denny smiled to himself and looked as if he was daydreaming. "Wow. Natalie Morton liking me? I'll be the talk of the whole school."

"Yeah you'll be a real stud." I said sarcastically.

He began to throw the ball again. "I bet all the guys would look up to me."

"Denny a lot of guys look up to you now. I mean you are the one of the best if not the best player on the baseball team."

He laughed. "Yeah your right. I mean it wouldn't hurt to be good at baseball and good with girls would it."

I rolled my eyes and we kept playing. It was almost five and we decided to go back to Denny's house since it was so hot outside. His sister was in the living room talking on the phone eating some popcorn.

"Hi Leanne." I said softly.

"Hey Mel," She replied then looked at Denny, "Hey dork."

Denny made a face and continued walking towards the kitchen. "I'm kinda hungry are you?" He asked opening up the refrigerator.

"I guess so. Do you got cereal?"

He smiled and closed the fridge heading towards the pantry. "Well let's see we got Captain Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles, and Lucky Charms."

I bit my lip looking at the boxes. "Lucky Charms."

"Yeah I'll have some too."

He served me my cereal and ate with me. We were watching some talk show that Leanne was watching. It was tasteless television and Leanne knew it was getting dirty so she changed the channel putting on some music videos.

As we finished eating Denny kept staring at me.

"What?" I asked puzzled.

"No. Nothing. I was just... I was just wondering... if... do you wanna go upstairs and play some Nintendo before my parents get home?"

"Yeah sure! Just be ready to lose again." I teased.

We headed upstairs to his room, which was always a mess. His bed was overloaded with clothes he hadn't put up. I was about to sit down on his bed when I spotted a pair of his GI Joe briefs. I laughed hard and picked them up throwing them at him.

"You still wear stuff like this?" I asked not being able to control my laughter.

I saw his face turn red. He quickly shoved the briefs in his drawer. "Shut up. I bet you still wear strawberry shortcake underwear."

"No I don't! I wear grown up girl underwear."

I saw his face was turning more crimson. He looked so adorable and so shy. "So what? I like GI Joe. Besides my mom bought me these. I do usually just wear white briefs I swear!"

"Oh yeah sure I believe you." I kept taunting.

"Whatever, let's just start playing. I've been practicing Mel and you're going to get your butt whipped."

"Oh yeah? Well we'll just have to see about that!"

We played Street fighter for over twenty minutes and I of course was beating him once again. We were hollering too loud it must have been because Leanne came upstairs and knocked on the door telling us to keep it down.

"Ooops I didn't know we were that loud!" Denny whispered.

"Yeah me either. We'll I'm kicking your butt and I don't want to play. I guess I'll just go home." I started to get up.

"No not yet. You still got like thirty minutes until you have to go home. I can show you some of my new comic books if you like?"

Deep down I didn't want to leave either. "Yeah sure."

He got up quickly and searched inside a box that was in his closet. I stood up for a moment and removed my baseball cap and slipped the rubber band off my hair. My long brown hair fell loose down my shoulders and I was starting to fix it back into a ponytail when I noticed Denny staring at me.