𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑴í𝒂 | ᴮᵒʸ ᴹᵉᵉᵗˢ ᵂᵒʳˡᵈ

3: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Shawn and I were hanging out at the junkyard part of the trailer park. It wasn't actually a junkyard, but it's where people dumped what they don't want and let whoever does have at it.

I was leaning against a TV stand, holding an old torn apart book. You couldn't even make the title out if you tried. I threw it behind me, which caused a loud clattering sound and crashing.

"Hey, look! Who'd dump a perfectly good TV? It's still in the box, too!" Shawn said. He opened the box and looked into it. His eyes widened, and he closed it frantically before jumping away in disgust.

"What is it?" I ask, looking around at the other items. "Ratsylvania." Shawn said with a disturbed look on his face. "Gross." I said, picking up a slightly busted up CD player. "So, how's your old man doing, Adriana-Camila?" Shawn said, sitting in an old lawn chair. "The same as usual." I replied. "And your brother?" "He's got a date tomorrow, so he's great!" I said, sounding sarcastic. "Are you okay?" As Shawn asked that question, his tone got lower, and his face got sympathetic. "I've been better... I think." I told him.

Shawn didn't say anything and just looked at me. He seemed uneasy. Last night I overheard dad talking to himself in his room. I don't think I can ever unhear what he said. Or unsee what he did.

♥

On Monday, no surprise we were in Mr. Feeny's class taking a test. We changed classrooms because more students transferred to our school, and we needed a bigger classroom.

"Alright class! Time's up!" Mr. Feeny said. "Please pass your test papers to the front of your rows!" He grabbed Minkus' test. "Mr. Minkus, this test didn't require an essay answer, but how refreshing you chose to include one." I rolled my eyes. "Suck up." I said to him.

"Future maid." He said back. I rolled my eyes once more. "Mama's boy." Shawn said to Minkus. "Future plumber." Minkus replied.

"Feels a C- short." Mr. Feeny said, walking over to Cory. "Ah yes." He then began to try and grab Cory's test from under his head. Cory had fallen asleep on it.

"Huh? Is the test over?" Cory asked. "How'd I do?" "Hm. Looks like an A." Mr. Feeny said. I was lost. "I got an A?" Cory asked. "No "A" is the only answer you put down before you slipped into the coma." Mr. Feeny said. "So, what I get?" Cory asked, waking up more. "Well you answered one question out of 40 and got it wrong. So what grade do you think I'm gonna give you?" "Could it be found in the beginning of the word "fajita?" Cory asked. "Sí, señor." Mr. Feeny replied, making me laugh a little quietly. "Come on, Mr. Feeny! I was up till after midnight."

That's one excuse. "Oh, and what earth-shattering event kept you up till that time of night?" "A no-hitter." Cory replied. "You got to stay up and watch the game?" Shawn asked. "With my dad." Cory said. "Cool" Shawn replied. "Ah, baseball. Silly me." Mr. Feeny said. "I thought you might have stayed up for something frivolous like the announcement from Stockholm of the Nobel prizes." Mr. Feeny said and put the tests on his desk.

"Biophysics. Dr. Ira Souchek. Medicine, Dr. Lin Yi Pao. Economics, Professor Narwhal Fowab. And I'm fresh as a daisy!" Minkus said. I rolled my eyes again. "Teacher's pet." I spoke. "Mop a floor." Minkus said. "Nerd." Shawn said. "Go fix a sink."

I stretched and let my arms fall to the sides on my desk. I felt someone grab my right hand. I looked down and over.

Once again, the person holding my hand was Shawn Hunter. I looked at him, and he smiled. Shawn rubbed my hand with his thumb and let go. He put his hands back on his desk, and so did I. I tried not to smile too much so my face wouldn't hurt.

When I went home, I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling thinking about Shawn again.

Why does he keep doing stuff like this? Does he like me, too? Or is he just being nice? God, this is confusing.