Monday morning she finds herself sitting quietly in math class, oblivious to the equations her teacher writes on the chalkboard. She was never any good at math anyway. She hears a bell ring and realizes that the class is over. She collects her books and exits the room. In the hallway other students rush by her in a hurry to get to their next class. She notices that it's always the younger students, the seventh graders, which tend to bump into others. They are new to the school and she understands, but it's annoying as hell when they cut her off or stop on the stairs.
Her thoughts are interrupted when someone bumps into her, causing her books to fall. Just great, she thinks, damn seventh graders. But when she looks she sees that it isn't a seventh grader but a boy her own age. They both bend down to gather her things and they lock eyes.
He wears glasses, but not the nerdy kind. They look good on him. She doesn't have time to catch the color of his eyes before he stands, mutters an apology, and continues down the hallway. Shaken from the encounter, she stands on unsteady legs and continues walking back to her locker. Mechanically, she turns the dial on her lock and it opens with ease. She puts her math books in and takes out the ones she will need for English class. With one last glance at the pictures hanging in her locker, she slams it shut and resumes her day.
Hours later it is seventh period and she enters American History class. Her teacher is cool, if not a little strange. She sits in her seat and opens her notebook to a clean page. She has found that taking notes and focusing on her work keeps her mind from… other things.
The bell rings and class begins. The teacher begins to speak but the class' attention is moved to the door when a boy enters. He hands the teacher a slip of paper before being directed to the empty seat in front of Faith. Their eyes meet again and she recognizes him as the same boy that bumped into her in the hallway. He sits and slides his backpack under his desk, out of the walkway between the desks.
Considerate, she notes. But wait, the teacher is talking again. She turns her head upwards to look at him.
"Class, we have a new student. This is Nicholas. He's just moved here from New York. Why don't you tell the class a little about yourself…"
A few of the girls perk up at the chance to hear about this new student. He's cute. They're shallow. It's to be expected.
The boy runs a hand through his hair and gets up from his desk to stand at the front of the room. Hooking his thumbs into his belt loops, he speaks. "Hi, I'm Nick. I'm from New York. My parents moved here for a business promotion. I like to play lacrosse, my favorite band is Greenday and I'm teaching myself to play the guitar." His eyes wander around the room as he wonders what else to tell the class. "Uh, that's about it."
The teacher nods and Nick takes his seat, meeting Faith's gaze only for a second. The class resumes but Faith no longer pays attention. This teenage boy fascinates her. He's tan, she observes. His hair is dark brown, almost black, but dyed blonde at the tips. Her eyes travel away from his hair and she notices that his left ear is pierced. Cool. She takes in the rest of his appearance. Baggy denim shorts and a black tank top. Lacrosse definitely works for him, she thinks as she notices his muscles.
The next forty minutes fly by as she memorizes the back of his head and shoulders. Before she knows it, the bell rings and the classroom begins to empty. She closes her notebook, devoid of notes, and places it back in her bag. She follows Nick out of the room and as she walks to her locker she notices that his is just across the hallway from hers, a mere ten feet.
She checks herself in the mirror but is bothered to see that she does not look her best. Her eyes have dark circles and her hair looks as if she never even bothered to brush it. No wonder he ran off so fast, I look horrible. Suddenly she feels guilty for checking out boys when she should be mourning for her mother and she throws her books into the locker, angry with herself. Her good mood is gone.
The next day she enters the cafeteria solemnly. Her aunt hasn't flown in from Kentucky yet. Big surprise, she thinks. It's not like any of them want to be bothered me… poor little orphan girl… Her thoughts continue the same pattern as she buys her lunch, a turkey sandwich, and sits down at an empty table in the corner of the room. Isolated from her peers, she can still feel their eyes on her. They talk about her, she knows, because her mother's death was the biggest thing to hit this town since World War II. Surprisingly, this part of Boston is quiet and reserved and bad things are few and far between.
She looks up and spots Nick walking her way. She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. She got more sleep last night and she thinks she looks a lot better than yesterday. Her jeans are slightly wrinkled but tank top is fairly new and therefore makes up for the jeans.
Nick spots her but quickly looks away. She knows he is looking for a place to eat lunch. Bravely, she motions for him to sit with her and he moves towards her.
"Hey." He says at he sits in the chair across from her.
"Hey." She replies. Suddenly she is rethinking her bright idea. What are they going to talk about? "Nick, right?" He nods. "I'm Faith."
"I'm sorry about bumping into you yesterday. I was a little rushed, I had no clue where I was going."
She laughs and sips her Snapple. "Yea, this school isn't good for the directionally challenged. Don't worry, though. You'll get used to it."
He smiles at her and her breath catches. He is definitely attractive. She smiles back and wonders if he has a girlfriend. I bet he does. Guys this hot don't stay single for long.
"So you play lacrosse, right?" she asks.
"Yea. I played back in New York and I'm gonna go today after school to sign up for the team." He takes a bite of his sandwich.
"That's cool. Maybe I'll stick around after school one day to watch a game." She smiles again. "Our school is seriously lacking in the athletic department so you'll probably make the team."
"I hope so." She notices that his eyes light up when he mentions lacrosse. This is a teenager with a passion.
They make small talk, trading favorite songs and bands and talking about the school. When the period ends she is sad to have to leave, but she remembers that she has History with him next.
"Can I walk with you to History? I'm not exactly sure where it is."
She nods and they walk up the stairs to her locker. She tells him cafeteria food horror stories as she grabs her History notebook. He glances up and notices the pictures taped in her locker.
"Is that your mom?" Nick asks as he points to a picture of her and her mother on her 16th birthday.
"Yea." She answers sadly. "She…" She takes a deep breath and forces herself to say it. "She's gone."
He wasn't expecting that answer and his face shows his shock. "I... oh God, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"It's okay." She closes her locker and they walk to History class. They take their seats as other students chatter around them. He turns around and faces her.
"Would you want to hang out after school? I need to go see the coach but after that I'm free…"
"Yea. I'd like that." She smiles and he smiles back. The bell rings and he turns around to face the teacher. For the moment the bad things have fled her mind and all she can think about is the boy in front of her. Glad for the distraction, she settles into her daydream as the teacher begins the lesson.