Greendale

The Boy Next Door

      As I walked through the doors of AP American history, I am met with the only face I cared to see.

Lydia.

    Lydia was at the back of the class, she sat up with a mixed reaction, fear and relief. Light vs. Dark. She was happy she knew someone, but she was clearly ignoring me at all costs.

"Fancy seeing you here, Clayton" I smiled as I sat at the desk next to hers.
"Hi again, Harvey" she gave out a small pity laugh.
"I can't help to feel like you're ignoring me" my smile left. I needed to know why.

Silence. She had gone stone cold.

"You can't be oblivious to how the mines change a man" she looked away as she spoke.

I do. The mine took many good men from my family.

I sighed.

"I'm not."
She looked away.
"Butttt, Im not too invested in my fathers business ventures, I only see him on a rare occasion."
"So you're a mommies boy?" She laughed.

Oh man, here we go.

"Uhm no, she died." I looked away this time.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so-"
"You're good, you didn't know. She was a great woman, and I like to think of myself as more of her then my old man"
"Good, I think I see it too" she smiled, she was looking at me this time.

   We turned toward the front as Mr. Archman walked the class handing fresh syllabus' to each student. Both our smiles never faded. Breakthrough.

   During the syllabus scavenger hunt, we teamed up to break it down. It was our first battle together, the first team to finish, got to pick what amendment they wanted to redesign.

"Amendment 10" Lydia exclaimed.
"No" I laughed.
"Whyyyy?? Saying the states get the rights to things the federal government can't have is just passing it to your best friend!"
"Amendment 22" I exclaimed passionately.
"You like Eisenhower that much??" She laughed.
"No, I actually believe they should be allowed only serve one term. Four is enough years" I shook my head.

    She looked in disbelief, like she thought I only knew the first two amendments. She thought for a moment.

"Alright, Amendment 22 it is." She shook her head in disbelief.

    We finished fifth. We had our hearts in the challenge but we talked about her car more than where Archman kept the pencil sharpener.

"We almost had it" she shook her head.
"No we didn't" we laughed in unison.

"What class do you have next" I looked at her bag as she reached for it. The bell had rung and I hadn't heard it, I only recalled the way her locks winded down her chest.
"Uhh" she guides her finger across the paper, her fingernails painted a dark shade of purple "Marine Bio, you?"

Pain hit my chest "wood shop"
"You expected me to have that one" she let out a velvet laugh. I wanted to hear it again and again.
"Whatever" I rolled my eyes in a comical way.

We walked out of first period together.