The Art Of Noticing

Chapter Two: I see her everywhere.

School was a place most dreaded and most hated. There were always the same groups and cliques, the same freshman initiations and beat-downs, the same teachers yelling at the same students.

But I didn't hate it so much lately.

After officially meeting Reese a week prior, I started seeing her everywhere. It was kind of like how you could be thinking of pretzels one day and then start seeing ads and commercials for them everywhere you looked.

Reese had waved at me once or twice in passing, but never came up to talk to me. And I continued my routine as usual.

Homeroom, calculus, English lit, then lunch.

All the grades had their lunch period at the same time. It was a time where the teachers could take a 30 minute break from being adults with basic morals. It was also the time where I would normally see Reese with her group of friends.

This daily routine shifted, however, when Reese decided to come and sit with me out of the blue.

Here's how it went. . .

I was sitting at my usual table in the lunchroom corner, earbuds in, listening to a playlist I had made. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a person waving at me. And after turning my head to see that it was none other than Reese, she smiled and made a beeline straight for my table. She sat down abruptly, as was her style.

"Can I listen?" she asked, pointing to the buds in my ears.

I nodded. She then proceeded to take the bud from my right ear and push it in hers, the wire forcing us closer together. She leaned in. I watched her face as she listened, staring into space as she swayed back and forth in her seat.

She looked up at me, "Tiny Dancer?"

"Yeah,"

"Interesting," she grinned

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. I just didn't know you liked Elton John."

"Do you like Elton John?"

"Oh yeah. He's one of my favorites."

"Your other favorites include?"

"My other favorites include," she paused, thinking for a moment, "Landon Pigg. Taylor Swift."

"Landon Pigg, huh?"

"That's what you took from that? Not Taylor Swift?"

"I've never heard of him. It's a new name,"

"Yeah, well, he's one of my favorites."

"Favorite song of all time?"

"Let's see," she sighed, looking up at the ceiling, "probably. . . Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop."

"By Taylor Swift?" I chuckled

"By Landon Pigg, actually,"

"I'll have to check it out."

Reese rose from her seat, "You do that. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. . . sure."

From then on, that was how the lunch periods persisted. She never talked about anything too important, she always kept it light. I think, though, that's what I appreciated most about our brief moments during the school day.

And of course, after school, I would head to Wetagers.

Once I had taken a seat in my usual corner, I'd pull out a book. I seemed to have a new one every week.