Alan was in my homeroom, so I slid down in the seat next to him. He looked over at me and smiled and blushed a little.
"Hey there," I greeted him.
"Hi, Claudia," he answered.
"Thanks for letting me know about the award," I continued, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm still in shock, I think."
"You deserve it," he said sincerely as the PA system crackled to life.
They announced my award, and it was my turn to blush. I looked over at Alan, but he was busy folding things out of paper. When he saw me looking over at him, he looked guilty, like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. I sighed inwardly.
Homeroom passed quickly. Alan and I stepped out into the sea of kids, many of them stopping to congratulate me. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and Emily Bernstein was standing there.
"Hi Emily," I said. "What's up?"
"Well," she started. "I'm writing for the SHS Courier, as you probably know already, and I'd like to do an interview with you. I did some research, and I found out that you're the first ninth-grader to ever win first place in a SHS art show. So I'd like to do a piece/interview on you. How does that sound?"
I gasped. "Wow, I had no idea! Um, I'd love that." I looked over at Alan. He seemed slightly uncomfortable.
"Well, that's settled," she said in a brusque, business-like way. "I've got to run. I'll contact you later with the details. Bye Claud. Congratulations!"
"Thanks," I called after her as she rushed down the hall.
On the way to my locker, kids were stopping me left and right, offering their congratulations. "Wow, this is amazing," I commented to Alan. "I feel like I'm somebody, you know?"
Alan didn't say anything.
"Alan?" I ventured.
"What, Claud?" he said.
"Are you okay?"
He snapped out of his daze. "Yeah, fine. Look, I have to get to math. See ya," and with that, he gave me a quick kiss and was gone.
I stood there watching him, wondering just what was up with him.
************
Kristy was in my next class, which was health. Health is such a time-waste; our teacher doesn't know what she's talking about and she basically has no control over the class. She just hands out pamphlets and puts on a video and that's the extent of her teaching. So it was the perfect time to discuss my problems with someone.
"Alan's acting weird," I whispered over to Kristy.
She grinned. "Since when is that news?"
I rolled my eyes. "Ha ha. No, he is acting... distant or something."
"How?"
"I don't know, it's just like..." I sighed. I couldn't explain how I felt just yet. "Nevermind. I guess it's nothing. Back to the extraordinarily educational movie on how to... use the word no!"
"Hey there," I greeted him.
"Hi, Claudia," he answered.
"Thanks for letting me know about the award," I continued, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm still in shock, I think."
"You deserve it," he said sincerely as the PA system crackled to life.
They announced my award, and it was my turn to blush. I looked over at Alan, but he was busy folding things out of paper. When he saw me looking over at him, he looked guilty, like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. I sighed inwardly.
Homeroom passed quickly. Alan and I stepped out into the sea of kids, many of them stopping to congratulate me. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and Emily Bernstein was standing there.
"Hi Emily," I said. "What's up?"
"Well," she started. "I'm writing for the SHS Courier, as you probably know already, and I'd like to do an interview with you. I did some research, and I found out that you're the first ninth-grader to ever win first place in a SHS art show. So I'd like to do a piece/interview on you. How does that sound?"
I gasped. "Wow, I had no idea! Um, I'd love that." I looked over at Alan. He seemed slightly uncomfortable.
"Well, that's settled," she said in a brusque, business-like way. "I've got to run. I'll contact you later with the details. Bye Claud. Congratulations!"
"Thanks," I called after her as she rushed down the hall.
On the way to my locker, kids were stopping me left and right, offering their congratulations. "Wow, this is amazing," I commented to Alan. "I feel like I'm somebody, you know?"
Alan didn't say anything.
"Alan?" I ventured.
"What, Claud?" he said.
"Are you okay?"
He snapped out of his daze. "Yeah, fine. Look, I have to get to math. See ya," and with that, he gave me a quick kiss and was gone.
I stood there watching him, wondering just what was up with him.
************
Kristy was in my next class, which was health. Health is such a time-waste; our teacher doesn't know what she's talking about and she basically has no control over the class. She just hands out pamphlets and puts on a video and that's the extent of her teaching. So it was the perfect time to discuss my problems with someone.
"Alan's acting weird," I whispered over to Kristy.
She grinned. "Since when is that news?"
I rolled my eyes. "Ha ha. No, he is acting... distant or something."
"How?"
"I don't know, it's just like..." I sighed. I couldn't explain how I felt just yet. "Nevermind. I guess it's nothing. Back to the extraordinarily educational movie on how to... use the word no!"