Lionhearts

Peter Fray 2

I already did the 'stretching my back move', and the 'look at the clock' play, even the 'dropping pencil' look and I still couldn't get enough of her. This girl, she sits behind me usually and comes in. She is quite, never says a word, just listens. I have done everything in the book to look back at this girl.

Why am I stressing? I got to be cool, suave. I've got to do what I do, fly through life. Thats kind of a pun you probably don't get. I guess I'll explain it because flying through life sounds like something you'd find on a cat poster. A couple days ago, I went outside after studying. I have plenty of friends here but I didn't care to talk to them. I walked to a nice area where people sat. Suddenly, I felt tired and my eyelids were like lead. So I sat down, leaning my back against a dark brown oak tree and my feet rested in the candy green grass. I don't know how it happened, but I was pulled into a sleep, that's until someone hit me with a frisbee. I woke up with a jolt as the frisbee landed in my lap.

"Sorry, man," a guy said.

"Your good," I said getting up while holding his frisbee. I threw it back to him. I saw it fly threw the air, it curved and was kind of, what's the word, majestic. Wow that word striped me of my masculinity. But I couldn't help but watch as it cut through the air with ease. Once the guy caught it, he was looking at me in awe. His eyes were huge and full of fear. He looked at me with those eyes. I looked down at myself, maybe my fly was open. But as I figured out, I was hovering over the ground. My eyes got bigger and my mouth opened. I don't know how, but I slowly went down until my feet were on the ground. I looked back up at the guy, who ran away with his friends. I looked around to see if anyone saw that. No one looked at me funny, no one joined frisbee guy and fled, no one did anything. But just because someone saw something, doesn't mean they reacted to it.

I kept scanning the area, I saw a girl, walking, not facing me but brown hair blowing back. There was a guy over by that tree a second ago, he must have left. And another girl who laid in the grass sleeping. No one else was here, which was odd. Usually more people are here with study groups or Hackie-Sacks. The girl who was sleeping scratched her fiery red hair and she got up from her nap. I ran away, back to my place. Back to studying. Back to normal. It must have been some magic trick.

I got to my room, my mind only thinking about my floating. My pencil twirled around in my hand and my feet rested on the desk. I came to the conclusion that I was going to try tonight. Jump off of a building or something. Okay maybe not a building in case I actually can't fly but monkey bars will do. So that night, I walked to the local park. When I got there, not a kid was in sight. I thought no one watched me as I climbed to the top of the monkey bars, stood on them, balanced and leaped. Of course, I leaped into the air and the next thing I knew my face was stuffed in wood chips.
"Shit," I muttered. "Ugghh."

I stood up and I debated wether I should go back up on the monkey bars or quit this scenario that probably won't happen. But, I decided to try it one more time. I brushed myself off, climbed on the monkey bars and balanced myself. I stood up straight and took a breath. I thought about planes, birds, even butterflies and I jumped. I braced myself for the dreaded wood chips but it never came. I opened my shut eyes to see my face three feet from the ground.

"Shit," I said to myself, but more in triumph than disappointment. I managed to go higher and higher until I was as high as a bird. I propelled myself forward and spread my arms out. I started to spin and I saw the night sky shine bright above. I didn't watch where I was going because what had I to fear? Apparently I had to fear walls. I managed not damage myself to bad but I stopped right in front of the wall, a nice brick one, too. I fell and fell until I landed into a dumpster.

Besides that last part I sound pretty cool, right? I should have all the confidence in the world but I can't get the courage to say something to that girl. Once the professor dismissed us, I watched her as she quickly gathered her stuff and speed walked away. I jogged to keep up with her.

"Wait!" I called, she kept walking until I tapped her shoulder. "I'm Peter, nice to meet you," I say. And then, I do the move that always works. Always. I offer my hand and when we shake, I lightly squeeze her hand. Then I turn red. See, the female species adores cute things like puppies and vulnerable things. Blushing is a sign of vulnerability, they fall every time. And the squeeze fakes the girls out, thinking it's some kind of weird 'fireworks'. So I do the routine. She takes my hand, blah blah and red. But she doesn't blush back. She gives me a face that is unreadable.

"I'm Alice. And I know what your trying to do. I appreciate the thought but it's best if you don't flirt, thank you," she said in a British accent. She walked away once again and I stood in awe. No one ever turns that down. It's never happened. I swear I heard someone chuckle behind me. Maybe next time I'll pull a superman on that girl and fly her above the sky.