“The library is right there.” Drake said, pointing to it.
“I can see it.” Drake was holding my hand again. He had followed me from homeroom at the end of the day, waited for me at my locker, then grabbed my hand when we left and hadn't let go.
“Why are you holding my hand?” I asked, looking down at our intertwined fingers.
“What do you mean? I'm just being nice.”
“Well, I know that. But when we met this morning, you grabbed my hand and you've been holding it practically all day.”
“Do you want me to stop? Do you have a boyfriend and it makes you feel weird?”
“No, I'm single. And I don't mind, I was just wondering why.”
“Oh, okay. Let me see your work.” Drake said, setting his stuff down on the bench outside of the library, then taking my backpack from me and setting it down beside his. He sat down on the ground, then took my hand and held it as I sat down also.
As we were working, I kept seeing out of the corner of my eye, Drake staring at me.
“What?” I asked, when I caught him staring again.
“It's just.. I don't know. You don't look like a Tailee Ophelia. Is that your real name?”
“Uhm. Before I answer that, I have a question. Do I look like an Ellison?”
“Hm.” Drake thought for a minute, turning his head to see my whole face. “Yes.”
“Oh. Well, my real name's Ellison Ophelia Jamaica. But I told my grandmother I wanted to change my name to Tailee Ophelia.”
“Why didn't you want Ellison?”
“New place, new name, new face.” I laughed. “But the “new face” thing isn't until this weekend.”
Drake did a girly gasp. “Plastic surgery?”
“What the heck? No. My grandmother shares her house with one of the girls from the college and she's studying cosmetology. She asked if she and some of her friends could dye my hair.”
“What color?” Drake reached over and held my blonde curls in his hand.
“I'm not sure.. I heard something about red though.”
“Oh, Tailee, please, no. You look so pretty with your blonde curls!”
“Really?” I asked, bouncing them over my shoulder.
“Yes. You've got model potential.” Drake did a hand signal, that was supposed to mean a camera flashing.
“Oh, stop. You're too kind.” I laughed, then waved it off.
We studied the rest of the time, then Drake walked me home, holding my hand the whole way and hugging me goodbye when we got to my house.
