He walked into the class, and there she was. Hazel eyes, brown hair, and she was already settled in the front row chatting it up with her girlfriends. Lindsey Mettler was the prettiest girl that didn’t have a date to the prom... yet. Angel hoped to win her answer with his gift; he only needed a few more things to complete the project he’d been planning for weeks.
Now that he only had one step to go, he would make sure that nothing went wrong. As he moved to the desk next to hers, he caught a glimpse of another student moving toward it. He sped up, almost tripping over his feet, and claimed the seat.
Catching a glimpse of her in his peripheral, he pulled out his take-home test along with his notebook. Angel looked to pull a trick he’d been using for a few weeks now for attention. He leaned slightly and tapped her shoulder, about to ask her for a pen.
She looked to him, pulling one out of her pocket, seemingly prepared for him. Lindsey shot him a smirk, “Right here.”
Angel’s eyebrows rose, nodding, but still surprised, “How’s it going?”
“Eh-“ She shrugged as she turned to him, “Weekend kinda sucked.”
Angel leaned in, letting out a concerned sigh. He didn’t want to seem too eager, but who wouldn’t want to listen to the person they had feelings for? Nodding, he listened to her go on about how she fought with her father… something to do with privacy. He actually hadn’t heard a word she said as he looked into her eyes. His daydream involved candles, strawberries, and a sickening amount of whip cream; the cornerstone of any healthy, teenage boy’s subconscious.
“It just bothers me. You know?” Angel snapped back to reality, nodding to make it seem like he heard her story.
Nodding, he made eye contact and hoped she wouldn’t notice the spacey look he sported. Feeling as though he should say something, Angel furrowed his brow and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead of a long sentence, he spat out the first thing that came to mind, “Yeah.”
He knew he’d messed up. It was amazing to him how he seemed to know a decent amount about other things, but when it came to girls, he knew nothing. Lindsey raised an eyebrow, turning to face the front as the teacher entered the room. Angel sighed to himself; a long, irritated sigh. Another day, another ‘crash and burn’ with the ladies.
The morning sun shone on his desk, making the surface hot by the time the period ended. He had know this would happen before he sat there, but felt he had no choice as the seat on the opposite side of Lindsey was occupied. He starred at the chalkboard for forty-seven minutes; thinking of something to whisper to her, but nothing clever or witty came to mind.
The bell rang, and he sank as the butterflies in his stomach fluttered away. How could he talk to her without feeling like he had to say something cool or slick? When he didn’t want to be seen, it wasn’t hard to remain invisible to everyone else. But when it came to Lindsey He thought about it for the next few periods, but those thoughts faded away as he sat at a two-person table in the back of the cafeteria.
Lunchtime was a contemplation period. It was the best time to sit outside and write in his journal, but as he left Trigonometry, he caught sight of something… someone he’d seen before. It was one thing to see her from across the way or down the hall, but a curiosity came over him. Angel noticed her blue eyes first, then her jet-black hair; a zombie to their electric harmony.
He began to walk, but he felt his shoe get stuck on something. Lifting his foot, he saw the white strand of gum leading from the floor. Shifting his gaze back to the girl, she was gone. He searched, turning around to make sure she didn’t pass him, but there were too many other students to be sure.
Did he just imagine a stunning girl coming his way? And why did she look strangely familiar? Those questions would have to wait as Angel felt a hand clasped down on his shoulder, “Hey!”
Derrick; the last person he wanted to talk to at the moment. He turned and gave a half-smile, “What’s up?”
“You wanna get some food?”
Lies were always simpler in his head, but what was he supposed to do? Derrick had come too comfortable around him in too short a time. It had been fine at first, but something wasn’t right about all this, yet it was hard to say ‘no’. To Angel’s surprise, the jock seemed interesting. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the feeling penetrated his heart deeply, as if he and Derrick shared the same thought. He ignored his initial instinct and said, “Uh- yeah.”
Whatever it was, he’d just have to find out, and as the crowd shifted, Angel followed Derrick to the cafeteria where the older boy paid for lunch. Fish sticks and tartar sauce… definitely a Monday.
