International Affairs

Love Letter Fiasco

Chapter 16: Love Letter Fiasco

“I’m never going to remember all these bonding rules,” Timothy sighed as he flipped through the flashcards Katelyn had made.

Katelyn looked up from her own studying. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“They always get jumbled in my head,” Timothy explained. “Polar, nonpolar, dipole, hydrogen.”

Katelyn smiled. “We can go over it again,” she suggested.

“No, it’s fine,” Timothy replied. “I’m just complaining. Don’t you usually go meet your friend now?” he asked, squinting at the clock tower.

“Yeah but I can be late,” Katelyn assured him.

“I guess one more time,” Timothy said, slowly. “But then I think I might just stay here and study by myself.”

“Alright, deal,” Katelyn said.

It wasn’t that Katelyn wasn’t a good tutor. She was amazing but Timothy felt himself focus on her hazel eyes more than the information coming out of her mouth.

“Got it?” Katelyn asked.

“Yeah…”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Timothy replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Like always,” Katelyn said, smiling.

Timothy watched her grab her bag and walk away. He wanted to ask her to do something other than study but he also heard Katelyn Hathaway had a rep for hating guys. It was hard believing that when she diligently and genuinely helped him. His test grades sky rocketed after a week or so.

Should he ask her face to face? What would they do? There were off campus hours on the weekends but…

Timothy toyed with a blank index card in his hand. Maybe he could leave her a note. She always got to the picnic table before him and as he observed, this area of picnic tables was usually vacant. Even if she didn’t want to hang out, he could just blow it off as something that he left behind by accident.

“Perfect,” he thought to himself, uncapping his pen.

Katelyn,

Do you want to get ice cream? My treat since you’ve helped me so much this week.

-Tim

 

Simple. Short. Friendly.

Timothy carefully folded the card in half and wedged it between the wooden panes of the picnic table.

Afterwards, he got up and left, hoping Katelyn would find the card tomorrow. She was super observant. Impossible for her not to notice.

Derek stretched out and got more comfortable against the tree trunk he was leaning against. The orange flavored lollipop moved from side to side in his mouth.

His green eyes flitted over to the now empty picnic table. It’s been over a week now and he watched Katelyn punctually show up at that table every day after dinner to meet Timothy.

Timothy Wilson was someone he barely even noticed in school. Not enjoying being social, Derek couldn’t recall ever speaking to him, however, this guy was currently speaking to Katelyn Hathaway every day. As Derek watched from a distance, he saw their friendship grow. When Katelyn was with Timothy, her brow didn’t furrow, her eyes didn’t fire up but instead she gave soft smiles and encouraging looks.