Mal tries to look as nonchalant as possible
as he makes his way to her classroom as fast as he dares.
He imagines himself as an explorer
or maybe a hunter.
Only his prey is to get Natara's gift to her.
Whatever.
It's still an adventure.
~24~
She's bored.
She doesn't want to be here.
She's tried telling her mom that,
that there's nothing for her to do at school.
But her mom just laughed and kissed her head
and drove her to school anyway.
She's not learning anything
and no one seems to like her.
She doesn't really have friends.
But all the other girls wanted to do was play house
or have tea parties.
It wasn't her fault that they had a stupid sense of fun.
And the boys weren't any better;
they just want to do gross things
like eat bugs and fart.
She wishes she went to a different school.
Or at least had a friend.
~24~
He eases the door open gently
(really, these teachers should probably stop leaving the doors unlocked)
and scurries across the room.
When he reaches her desk
he checks over his should quickly
and then pulls the lip balm ring and note out of his pocket.
It'll probably be too big to fit on her finger yet
cause she's really little.
Littler than Jamie and she was really small.
But he figured she could just carry it around
until she got bigger.
He almost made it out unnoticed.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
Her teacher was coming in just as he was about to leave.
"I, uh..."
He can't think of an explanation
so he tells the truth.
"I was just leaving a present for my friend. For Valentine's day."
The teacher smiles a bit.
"That's very sweet, but you know you're not allowed to be in here, right?"
He nods.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to give it to her as soon as possible."
Her teacher lets him off with just a warning.
He practically runs down the hall and outside
eager to rejoin his friends.
~24~
She cranky and tired
and she's decided that she hates recess because it's stupid.
Still, recess is better than being stuck inside.
Even if it is Valentine's day.
She only likes class today cause everyone has to give everyone a Valentine
and usually they tape candy to them.
She trudges back to her classroom with the rest of her classmates
hating every step.
She wordlessly goes back to her seat and takes out her math book
and the teacher says that she will be right back.
So she waits patiently.
And then from across the room she hears,
"Natara has a boyfriend!"
Instantly her cheeks and ears feel like they're on fire
and she knows her face is bright red.
Ethan is holding up a heart-shaped ring
and has a note in his other hand.
The other kids laugh loudly
and the sound echoes in her ears.
She stands up and strides over to the crowd that has now gathered
and holds out her hand.
"That's mine."
Mystery Boy must not have realized they changed seats a week ago.
Ethan grins even bigger.
"Finders keepers losers weepers."
"Who's your boyfriend?"
She's barely keeping from crying now.
"That's mine."
Ethan holds it up and scrutinizes it.
"Whatcha gonna give me for it?"
She wishes her teacher would come back right now.
"Give it to me!"
She wishes Ethan wasn't such a stupid, pig headed jerk.
She grabs for the note in his hand,
manages to catch the corner
and tugs.
It's hers and she'll be damned if she gives in and lets Ethan have it.
"What do you even need a ring for?"
She tugs harder.
"Maybe I wanna give it to someone!"
There's a horrible ripping noise
and when she looks down
she realizes that her note has torn in half.
She stares at it in horror.
Her vision goes red.
And she shoves Ethan to the ground.
And hits him.
And pulls his hair.
And then she's aware of her teacher yelling
and pulling her away from the jerk-pig-rude-stupid crybaby.
And while the teacher calls the principal
she snatches her ring and both halves of the note from the ground.
She's escorted to the principal's office
and is told to sit on the ugly mustard-yellow couch
until the principal comes to get her.
She know's she's in a lot of trouble
but she doesn't care.
She uncrumples the halves of the note
and smiles a bit.
Your just write for me
M.F.
"Natara Mansingh?"
She hops off of the couch
and braces herself.