would burst into tears. Her voice wavered as she continued, “I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I couldn’t bear to make you cry.” She finished her last, highest pitched word just before her face turned red and a single tear fell down her cheek.
She had always been the emotional one. We both cried when Mufasa died in The Lion King , but she had continued in tears through the credits. I was used to seeing her cry. When her first boyfriend broke up with her, and when her second and third did the same. The thought rushed all my guilt into my expression. I turned away so she couldn’t see, pulling the last of her clothes out of her bag and putting them in her dresser for her.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine. Well, um, I have to go to the computer lab. I’ll see you later.” I picked up my book bag and walked out the door.
I was at the end of the hall when I turned and saw Eric rushing into Aurora and my room. I backtracked silently, sneaking down the empty hall to the door that stood ajar. I stole a glance through the crack and saw the two of them hugging with such a strong embrace they might suffocate each other. But it was sweet, too sweet to ignore now that I knew what it felt like to be that intimate with someone. With Eric . I felt sick and left the hall.
It was Wednesday. Mythology class was tonight. What was once three hours of pure bliss with Eric was now the most dreaded moment of my life. I didn’t want to go. I couldn’t go. I couldn’t see Eric. He had been avoiding me. I had only seen him a few times since Sunday, but only once was he so bold as to shyly wave at me. All other times he turned his face away as if he hadn’t seen me at all. I stood from the dark green library sofa and headed down to the first floor. My head ached. I reached into my bag for some aspirin and swallowed it dry. The librarian looked oddly at me from behind her desk. I knew immediately that she thought I was taking diet pills. That’s what everyone always thought. To think that the world could be so preoccupied with giving everyone a problem, that they don’t realize their own. That girl must be fifty pounds overweight and she thinks I’m sick and anorexic? She should look in the mirror sometime. I shot her a dirty look as I walked out the door and started toward the English building where my class was being held.
There was still time. I could still turn around. The sun was beginning to tur n orange in the sky, sending an awful glare into my eyes. I squinted as I trudged on, shielding my eyes and walking toward impending doom. Don’t go into the light! I smiled at my inner joke. It seemed strangely appropriate. The old brick building seemed to glow an eerie rust color from the backlighting. I was halfway there. Another thirty feet and I wouldn’t be free from torture for another three hours. I could go back.
Turn around, turn around now! But that would only delay the horror. I would have to ask Eric for his notes. No one else in the class would entrust them to me. It was one of those weird classes, filled with old high school divas that thought their parents’ money still mattered to anyone. They looked down on everyone who didn’t have mad drunken sex every night and didn’t wear designer clothes. Through their narrowed eyes, you could see what they were thinking. Can you believe that girl wore those jeans three weeks ago? Can you believe that? How nasty. She’s probably never had a boyfriend, and even worse…I bet she can name all the guys she’s had sex with. I couldn’t help myself. I laughed out loud at that joke. But it was so true. Something was seriously wrong with those girls.
“What’s so funny?” I heard. What? A guy?
I looked up and saw the sleaze from the party. The one who had gawked at me and followed me. He was cute. He was clearly sober now and actually cute. He had a smooth face, perfect complexion and brown hair parted in the middle, swept perfectly back
She had always been the emotional one. We both cried when Mufasa died in The Lion King , but she had continued in tears through the credits. I was used to seeing her cry. When her first boyfriend broke up with her, and when her second and third did the same. The thought rushed all my guilt into my expression. I turned away so she couldn’t see, pulling the last of her clothes out of her bag and putting them in her dresser for her.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine. Well, um, I have to go to the computer lab. I’ll see you later.” I picked up my book bag and walked out the door.
I was at the end of the hall when I turned and saw Eric rushing into Aurora and my room. I backtracked silently, sneaking down the empty hall to the door that stood ajar. I stole a glance through the crack and saw the two of them hugging with such a strong embrace they might suffocate each other. But it was sweet, too sweet to ignore now that I knew what it felt like to be that intimate with someone. With Eric . I felt sick and left the hall.
It was Wednesday. Mythology class was tonight. What was once three hours of pure bliss with Eric was now the most dreaded moment of my life. I didn’t want to go. I couldn’t go. I couldn’t see Eric. He had been avoiding me. I had only seen him a few times since Sunday, but only once was he so bold as to shyly wave at me. All other times he turned his face away as if he hadn’t seen me at all. I stood from the dark green library sofa and headed down to the first floor. My head ached. I reached into my bag for some aspirin and swallowed it dry. The librarian looked oddly at me from behind her desk. I knew immediately that she thought I was taking diet pills. That’s what everyone always thought. To think that the world could be so preoccupied with giving everyone a problem, that they don’t realize their own. That girl must be fifty pounds overweight and she thinks I’m sick and anorexic? She should look in the mirror sometime. I shot her a dirty look as I walked out the door and started toward the English building where my class was being held.
There was still time. I could still turn around. The sun was beginning to tur n orange in the sky, sending an awful glare into my eyes. I squinted as I trudged on, shielding my eyes and walking toward impending doom. Don’t go into the light! I smiled at my inner joke. It seemed strangely appropriate. The old brick building seemed to glow an eerie rust color from the backlighting. I was halfway there. Another thirty feet and I wouldn’t be free from torture for another three hours. I could go back.
Turn around, turn around now! But that would only delay the horror. I would have to ask Eric for his notes. No one else in the class would entrust them to me. It was one of those weird classes, filled with old high school divas that thought their parents’ money still mattered to anyone. They looked down on everyone who didn’t have mad drunken sex every night and didn’t wear designer clothes. Through their narrowed eyes, you could see what they were thinking. Can you believe that girl wore those jeans three weeks ago? Can you believe that? How nasty. She’s probably never had a boyfriend, and even worse…I bet she can name all the guys she’s had sex with. I couldn’t help myself. I laughed out loud at that joke. But it was so true. Something was seriously wrong with those girls.
“What’s so funny?” I heard. What? A guy?
I looked up and saw the sleaze from the party. The one who had gawked at me and followed me. He was cute. He was clearly sober now and actually cute. He had a smooth face, perfect complexion and brown hair parted in the middle, swept perfectly back
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