Once Again by Amy Durham

into school together, I hoped the
barrage of interest from other guys was over.
    If I were really honest with myself, I would
admit there was only one boy I wanted.
    I scanned the front lobby for Luke’s six-foot
two-inch frame, coming up empty. Sometimes he was there, but most
of the time he put in a few miles of running before school.
    The boy who’d given me the head-nod on the
first day of school stood at the edge of the lobby, with Luke’s ex,
Kara Jennings, and a few other kids whose names I didn’t know yet.
I’d since learned the head-nodder’s name was Lance Garrett.
    He approached Jessie and me, falling into
step with us as we made our way down the hall. The warning bell had
yet to ring, so the hallway was easy to navigate. Most kids were
still hanging around in the lobby.
    “So Layla,” Lance said. “How’s it going? You
adjusting to Sky Cove okay?”
    “I am, thanks.”
    Jessie elbowed me from my other side. She
could see what was coming.
    “Well, I was wondering,” he began. “There’s a
home football game tomorrow night, and I thought maybe you’d like
to go with me. We could go hang out at The Pizza Place afterward.
Everybody gets together there, so it would be like a group
date.”
    Lance was supremely confident, and I wondered
where that had come from. It had been my experience that many times
shorter-than-average boys were insecure. I wondered if my rejection
would damage his self-image, or if he’d laugh it off and decide I
had no idea what I was missing out on.
    “Thanks for the invitation, Lance,” I began.
Over the past couple of days I’d perfected my thanks-but-no-thanks
routine. “I appreciate you thinking of me, but I’m really not ready
to start dating yet.”
    Lance looked at me sideways, tilting his head
as if considering my words.
    I went on. “I may be at the game, and maybe
even at The Pizza Place after, but I’m still just getting to know
everyone.”
    He nodded, that same too-cool nod he’d given
me the first day. Apparently he was going with the “she doesn’t
know what she’s missing” response to rejection.
    “Probably not a bad idea,” he said. “Maybe
I’ll see you there.
    “Sure,” I said, just as we reached the door
to the chemistry room, where Jessie and I had our first class.
    “See you around, Layla.”
    And Lance was gone.
    He’d handled it pretty well, with no hint of
awkwardness. Of course, he was a senior and not a part of the crew
I socialized with.
    The warning bell rang, creating a sea of
people in the hallway. Jessie and I stood just outside the
chemistry room, about to step in, when Kara Jennings breezed past
us, bumping me slightly in the shoulder.
    She was never in this hallway, at least not
at this time of day. Still standing near the door, I saw her look
at me, a slight smile on her face. It didn’t reach her eyes, and I
wondered if her trip down this hall had been to spy on my response
to Lance’s invitation.
    I wanted to feel smug... to think about the
fact that Luke wasn’t with her anymore and for whatever reason had
developed a friendship with me. The thought that Kara Jennings,
tall and glamorous in every sense of the word, might be jealous of
me should’ve brought smile to my face.
    Instead, I just felt small and
insignificant.
    However, it was worth a tiny grin to think
that she was not really so confident when it came to Lucas.
    Jessie saw my smile, and we shared a little
chuckle before sinking down in our seats.
    ***
    During literature, Lucas said nothing about
the home football game. Of course I knew he had a cross-country
meet immediately after school on Friday, which would run him right
up until game time.
    And really, what had I expected? We were,
after all, just friends.
    He still walked me to my third period U.S.
History class, though, and our presence still garnered looks from
other students.
    At the door to Mr. Boyd’s classroom, he
stopped me.
    “Are you coming to the game tomorrow?” He
leaned a shoulder