Hope

Chapter 2

"Jess."

I peek around my locker door, seeing Conner. I smile.

"Hi."

"Hey, what are you doing after school?" He asks.

I shrug. "I don't know. I don't have anything planned."

He smiles.

"Wanna go to Mai's Pizza with me? I don't really want spaghetti for dinner tonight."

I nod. "I don't really want burritos either."

He chuckles.

"Jess! Conner!" I hear from behind me.

I turn around, searching the crowded halls to find the source of the yelling. I see Mai slipping through the small spaces between everyone in the hallway.

"Jess. I need your help," Mai says when she gets to my locker.

"With what? Is everything okay?" I ask.

"Gentry," She whispers.

I chuckle. That's all she needs to say.

I open the locker underneath mine, no one's used it in years, it's never locked, no one really knows that other than me and my closest friends.

I rush her into the locker, she fits snugly, bending her knees to her chest. She's kind of small but, not too small. She closes the locker once she's situated. Leaving Conner and I to search the hallway for Gentry. Gentry seems to like her, he annoys her though. Mai tries to stay away from him the best that she can, sometimes running to Conner and I for help. This is one of those times. I spot Gentry speed walking through the small spaces in the hallway's crowd of people. I back around towards Conner, acting as if we hadn't been interrupted a minute ago.

I feel a poke on my shoulder. Turning around, I find Gentry standing in front of me. His long brown hair hanging just above his shoulders.

"Have you seen Mai?" He asks.

"Yeah. I think she went to the cafeteria for lunch," I say. It's not so much a lie, I just didn't tell him where she actually is.

"Thanks, Jess!" He shouts, running down the hallway.

Conner frowns when I turn back around.

"It's like I wasn't even here," He says, acting hurt by putting a hand over his heart.

I roll my eyes playfully.

Mai pops out of the locker once I open it again.

"Woah! It's so hot in there!" She says, bending over and putting her hands on her knees.

I laugh along with Conner.

"Thanks Jess and Conner. I gotta go to Math now," She says with a sigh.

I smile, nodding my head.

She scurries off, leaving Conner and I to go to Science.

---

Conner and I walk into Mai's Pizza. Mai's dad owns it. He made it where they have a special deal on the month of May.

"Hey Jessica and Conner!" Mai's dad, Mr. Johnson, exclaims.

"Hi Mr. Johnson! How are you?" I ask.

"I'm doing just fine, how are you guys?"

"I'm good," I say.

Conner nods in agreement.

Mr. Johnson hands us our colored cups and our change.

"Where do you wanna sit?" Conner asks.

"By the games," I say with a smile.

We walk over to the games and find a booth along the wall.

"What pizza do you want?" He asks.

"Um, pineapple. We can get half pineapple and half macaroni if you want," I say.

He smiles. "How'd you know that I wanted macaroni?" He questions.

I shrug. "That's what you always get."

We come here every Thursday for dinner. We just decided to come here today, even though it's Tuesday.

"Alright, let's do that," Conner says, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I smile, staring into his eyes.

"Okay. Jess and Conner, my favorite customers, what can I get you?" Mr. Johnson asks. He doesn't need a notepad and a pen. He's really good at remembering orders. At least to us he is.

"We would like a large half and half of pineapple and macaroni," Conner says.

I lightly kick his leg under the table.

"Please," He adds, trying to hide a wince.

I cover my mouth to keep me from laughing and he playfully glares at me.

"Alright. Do you want your usual lemonade and sweet tea?"

We both nod our heads.

"Okay. Be right back."

Conner smiles at Mr. Johnson. Once he leaves Conner shoots me a playful glare. I burst out laughing, not being able to contain it any longer. He rubs his leg under the table with a pout.

"Aww, did I hurt you?" I ask as if I'm talking to a five-year-old.

He glares at me again, folding his arms over his chest. I laugh again, resting my back against the booth.

---

Mr. Johnson comes back with our pizza about five minutes later. I notice that it's not in a circular shape. I look up at Conner once Mr. Johnson places the heart-shaped pizza onto the middle of the table. Conner looks back at me with the same confused look on his face.

"Mr. Johnson," I blurt out.

"Yes?" He asks.

I point to the pizza. "Why is it in a heart shape?" I ask.

He shrugs and walks off.

I look back at Conner.

"Did you tell him to get this?" I ask.

"No," He says, shaking his head.

"Did you?" He adds.

"No," I say.

I laugh, grabbing a piece of the pizza.

"Can't let it go to waste," I say, taking a piece of pineapple from it.

I pop it into my mouth as Conner laughs.

"You always do that," He says.

"Do what?" I question.

He points to my hand.

"Pick the pineapple off first."

I drop the pineapple that's on its way to my mouth.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I joke.

He shakes his head, laughing at my comment.

"Hey, Conner!" A high pitched voice squeaks from behind me.

I turn around to seek out the voice.

It's Sarah.

I roll my eyes, turning back around to face Conner. Sarah stands in front of our booth, flirting with Conner. She glances at the heart-shaped pizza. I see a look of jealousy in her eyes as she glares at me. I roll my eyes. Grabbing my things, I put a five dollar bill on the table. As I'm leaving, I look over my shoulder. Sarah's now sitting in my seat, eating Conner and I's pizza. Conner doesn't seem to notice that I left. I say bye to Mr. Johnson and I walk out of the door. I start to walk home because Conner drove us here. It starts to rain.

"Great," I mutter.