First time I saw him was in the mirror of my locker door. I'd kicked my swim gear onto the bottom shelf and was reaching to the top for my calc book when he opened his locker across the hall. I could only see the back of him. His dirty blond hair creeping out the back of his baseball cap.
Great. Now I was obligated to rag on him for violating the new dress code Forget it, I decided. My vote--the only dissenting one in the whole student council--still counted. With me anyway. People can come to school butt-naked for all I care. It wasn't about clothes. Never.
We slammed our lockers in unison and turned. His eyes met mine. "Hi" he said, smiling.
My stomach fluttered. "Hi" I answered automatically. He was new. Had to be or else I would have noticed him. He walked away but not before I caught a glimpse of his eyes. Gorgeous. They sparkled when he smiled. A soft emerald, blue at the core.
He glanced back over his shoulder, the way you do wen you know someone's watching. That's when it registered. I was staring. My eyes dropped, kept him in sight though, as he disappeared around the corner.
I shifted my attention to my schedule. Brit Lit, calc, U.S. History, then art and econ after lunch. Was I out of my mind? Why was I taking a full load my last semester of high school? Weren't we just supposed to revel in this time, embrace our friends, screw around until graduation? At some pivotal point of course we are supposed to decide our future, the direction or lives were going to take. A derisive laugh might have escaped my lips. Like I got to decide anything about my life.
I headed down the deserted hallway, clutching my books to my chest. This is insane, I thought. I didn't even need the credits. I'd gotten to choose the early track. First class at seven, last class at one, but then I added econ at the last minute so I'd be finishing the day with everyone else. I took a deep breathe and went toward my first class, which wasn't exactly one I enjoyed.
Morning was a blur. I stumbled to lunch, my head reeling from the volume of homework I had already accumulated. My anxiety mounted. I would be up til midnight–easy. That's like ten to me
"Babe!" Greg called across the crowded cafeteria. He loped through the double doorway to meet me. Kiss me. "Were over here," he thumbed to the vending machines "come on." he said, snaking an arm around my waist and steering me along.
"Hey Piper, Greg." Some people greeted as we weaved between the tables. I assumed my oh-so-happy face. Plaster-casted. smile. What was wrong with me? I loved school. Couldn't wait to get back after winter break. My friends said I liked it more than anyone should have, and sometimes I even agreed.
"Piper, did you see Mrs. Lucas? She was looking for you." Leah said as she cleared a space beside her for me to sit."She said to tell you to drop by the career center sometime today."
Today, tomorrow, never. Popping the top of a can of Pepsi Greg set in front me, I looked across the table, over to Kirsten, "How was Christmas in Texas?", I asked in interest. Leah kicked my shin. Uh-oh. I realized then, the mistake I made.
Kirsten sighed theatrically. "You had to ask." Then she launched into some psychodrama of how her mother was a raving lunatic the whole two weeks and all they really did was scream at each other. She was always like this. You ask her a question and her answer was never short. Though it made it easy on us to know if something was wrong with her...she wouldn't talk.
Greg split his fries with me and I zoned. "Want some ketchup?" he asked in my ear. I must have nodded yes, because he got up and left. I was just sitting there staring into space, not really thinking about anything when at some point I was knocked out of my trance. Greg bumped my arm when he sat back down. I stopped zoning and tried to catch Leah and Kirsten's conversation. College again. Can't they go one day without mentioning the place. It gets annoying after awhile. I swabbed a greasy fry through the red watery blob. I just looked at it go around and around. Greg nudged me,"You okay?" he asked concerned. I looked up and everyone was looking at me. Was I saying something out loud? I relinquished my hold on the mutilated fry. "Yea, fine." I said and put it in my mouth. They all just looked away and continued to eat in silence. God, what was wrong with me today?
Drawing Level I was, as Greg referred to it, a bullshit class. I thought so too a little, but I needed something to fill the time between lunch and econ. As I wandered down the art wing, I wondered what mental aberration had possessed me to choose an art elective. Drawing, none the less, which probably required talent, which I had not much of. Not in this stuff anyway and I knew doodling in notebooks wasn't gonna get me far. I already felt out of my element and I wasn't even in the classroom yet. Oh boy, this should be fun.
The assigned studio, 212A, had 4 rows of tables set end-to-end with chairs arranged haphazardly. No semblance of order really. I slid into a seat in the back and looked around. My uneasiness grew as I studied the people who clogged the doorway and roamed around the display cases. Not exactly the people I associated with, but that was okay. I didn't have a problem with diversity, I knew that. It's just...I don't know. I felt weird I guess. Maybe I should just drop the class. It's not really my thing. I could add another study hall instead. I would need it. I would probably fit in better too.
A man's voice in the hall herded everyone inside. As they all made their way through the threshold, I caught sight of him again. The baseball cap was gone and his messy blond hair made him look different. Attractive. His eye's darted around the classroom and stopped on me. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. He held me somehow, spellbound. Those eyes held something. I wanted to know. Then the instructor came bustling in, breaking the connection. I didn't want to stop, but felt thankful anyway. I needed to focus.
Oh god. Was that the instructor? He looked like Einstein on ecstacy. "Just find a seat anywhere" he said and turned to the board to write his name. I flipped open a spiral and tried to take notes if I could. I glanced over surreptitiously. He'd slipped into a seat up front. Another girl slapped in beside him. I knew that girl–Randi or Brandi. She was on the swim team last year, for about a week. It was about the same time me and Greg hooked up. Brandi, there you go, that was it.
"I realize you can't read this," the instructor said and ran a hand through his cotton candy hair, "but it says Jonathan McElwain." He was right. His handwriting was all loopy and bold. Gorgeous. I squinted through my contacts–that was a M? He brushed chalk off his hands than stated "You can call me Mackel." I wrote Mackel on my blank paper. "If I wanna get paid, I gotta pass this out." he said and passed us all a computer printout. Then he began taking roll.
A few people I did actually know. It's inevitable when you've lived in the same place your whole life. The guy with serious orange spikes and a nostril ring was in my calc class. Winslow Demming. I remembered him from my computer science class sophomore year. He was a geek back then. Brilliant though, and sweet. Another reason why you shouldn't be judged on appearance.
Mackel progressed through the list. For some reason, I couldn't keep my eyes off the blond guys head I was only half listening for my name when Mackel read "Piper Halliwell" A couple heads swivelled. "What?" I blinked up "Piper Halliwell? "He repeated, or more like asked. "Oh, here" I said and raised my hand halfway up. "Apparently not all here" I added in a mutter. He turned around and smiled. It made my stomach lurch so I shielded my head with my hand and pretended to scribble down some notes. That was awkward. He said a few more names after mine and most of them I knew. Until "Leonardo Wyatt" Mackel said. "Here" he answered and my head shot up. "But, you can call me Leo." he added. Leo I wrote in my booked and boxed it.
Next thing I knew, there were supply lists going around. Long supply lists. "Okay I know this is a short week, but if you could get your stuff in the next couple of weeks that would be great." Mackel said. "If anyone has any financial problems or issues then come see me. I have a starving artist fund so don't be shy." he than said. He was understanding. I liked that. Maybe I would just wait to drop this class. It might put some fun into my education, if anything.
At 2:15, the dismissal bell rang. I left econ feeling so brain-dead . Lockers banged open and closed as I trudged down the hall. It was nuts. Get me outta here, I thought. Then the halls began to clear and my locker materialized. As I twisted the combination, I heard across the hall. "So you just transferred. From where?" Brandi was asking Leo. I recognized their voices before I even had gotten my locker open and saw them in the mirror. "Washington Central" he answered. "Oh do you know Joanie? She used to go there. Joanie Fowler?" she asked again. "Nope. Doesn't sound familiar." he told her. "Oh come on. You have to know her. She used to be really well known." Brandi said. "I said I didn't know her." The sharpness in Leo's voice made me turn around to them. Brandi caught my eye and I turned back I watched my mirror as he shoved a book in the top shelf and and grabbed a light jacket off the hook. He took a long, deep breath and said "Sorry," to Brandi "it's been a rough day."
"I can imagine" she smiled. He set his backpack in the floor as he put his jacket on. Their conversation was muted as a herd of people stampeded by. Though I caught the tail of Brandi's question. "...go far a coke or something?" she was asking. "I can't" he answered. "I gotta work." "Oh" was all she could say back. "You know, my car wont start," Leo said slamming his locker. "And im gonna be late if I wait for a ride." He threw his bag over his shoulder and put his cap on his head. "Do you think you can give me a ride, please?" he finished. "Yea, sure" she said all happy. "No problem." And with that they headed out together. I grabbed my duffel, my backpack and my phone, knowing Greg would be calling soon. Slammed my locker and when I turned to leave, I caught him eyeing me as he disappeared around the corner. Brandi was just there talking away but he didn't seem to be really listening. It was then I realized I had been eavesdropping shamelessly. That eye contact made it worse. Wow. Today was beyond crazy. It made me sort of look forward to tomorrow more than usual. But why him? I had Greg.
***ok well there you go. That's my start. I dont know if i should go on, im not going to if no one will like it, but for my 1st time, i think i should get a little feedback and see. Please!***