Unpredictable

Chapter 4

"Look, all I'm saying is that Coach Smock would be better at his job if he just coached, instead of doing that AND biology." I explained to Alice. She raised her eyebrows. "Really now?" I scowled. "I know that's the phrase you use when you're not listening but I'm going to continue. I mean, we're not only seriously behind, but..." "Stop the presses I have news!!!" Someone cried. Bea barreled into our homeroom, which we only had on Mondays. "Bea you can't be in here! What about YOUR homeroom?!" She squeezed into my seat. "No time for rules!! I have NEWS! Did you not hear my words?!" I patted her shoulder. "Oh boy. Here we go." Alice was paying attention now. "You have news?" She asked. "YES BIG NEWS!!!!" She hushed her tone. "Blake asked me out." Alice had real surprise, while I faked it. "No!" I exclaimed. Alice shoved me, her way of showing surprise. "No way!" In that shoving, Bea fell off my chair. I helped her up. "Way! I said yes!! Of course I said yes! Why wouldn't I say yes? I love the word! Yes yes yes! Gotta go before I get in trouble! Bye!!" And that's how Bea became the first of us to get a boyfriend. Though I never did tell her that Blake confronted me beforehand.

I ran my hand along the cool, hard surface of the concrete walls. I was walking to the bathroom during lunch. When I had finished and walked out, I re-entered the cafeteria. There, some boy in my grade walked directly in front of me, nearly stepping on my foot. We both stopped and took a step back. This had separated him from his group of friends. "Sorry, you can go." I say in an awkward voice. I notice my index and middle finger on my right hand rise up and touch my temple. "No that's okay. You go ahead." His voice seems so calm and collected where mine was awkward. Probably because he's not nearly as embarrassed as I am. I look up and recognize who he is. "Okay." I say in my not-so-smooth voice. I run in front of him and get back to the table.

"Why were you talking to Michael Rockford?" Rowan asked. Michael was a kid that I used to have to sit by in some classes. He's tall, tan, dark hair, blue eyes, and about the nicest guy you could meet. He's with the popular crowd, but he's super polite. "We nearly ran over each other." I explain. "Yeah, and you could tell she was embarrassed. See her touch her temple?" Bea asks. I straighten my back. "Wait what? I don't do that when I'm embarrassed." My friends all snicker. "Um, yeah you do." "All the time." "Like, every time you have to present in a class." They all state. This is news to me, and I can't believe I didn't notice.

"Opal." Comes a cool voice. I sighed, knowing this meeting was coming. "Park." I said sharply, turning from my locker to face the quarterback. Even though I was a pretty average 5'6, I still had to cock my head up a bit. He was really tall, broad shoulders, dirty blond hair and big brown eyes. I stared directly into the brown orbs and glared. "Can I help you?" I asked not-so-innocently. He crossed his arms and shrugged. "Not really. Just wanted to ask if you were ready." I didn't allow myself to show any surprise. "Ready for what I may ask?" I crossed my arms too, and my glare intensified. "You may not ask that. But you just have to be prepared. Keep those pretty blue eyes open." I'm not taken aback by this. This is Park, I was prepared. "Maybe you should keep your mucky brown eyes open. You never know what I could do." I didn't really think his eyes were mucky. I actually really like brown eyes. But was I going to tell him that? Absolutely not. He scowled at me, but my face didn't change. We glared at each other for a second. "I'm not scared of you." I said. "Oh, and you think I'm quivering in fear at the sound of your name? Please." He knew, and I knew, that we were both at least a little scared. Not knowing what the other one would do. Anxiety is a killer. "Just keep your eyes peeled." He said, trying to walk away. "Park, you're very smart. One of the cleverest I've known." He turns and smiles at me, thinking he's won. "But I wouldn't count me out. I'm not like others that you've tricked. I've got a few things up my sleeve." Park frowned, thinking. He didn't say anything, but I shot him one last glare before turning and walking down the hall.

"Have you noticed how blue Blake's eyes are?"
"Uh huh."
"Have you noticed how he walks so cute?"
"Uh huh."
"Have you noticed his freckles?"
"Uh huh."
"Ope, are you even listening?"
"Oh yeah." I was eating the next day, zoned out as Bea went on about her new boyfriend. Eventually she gave up, and I smiled at her.

I was walking down the crowded halls, engrossed in a book, dodging people using my peripheral vision. "Opal!!" "Oh my dear goodness!!" I cried, spazzing out. "Calm down it's only Alice." She said, falling in step with me. "Sorry. You know I'm easily scared. What's up?" I say. "Contemplating whether or not I have time to go to the vending machine. You?" "Wondering about Park." And it was true. He hadn't told me to do anything yet, and it was stressing me out. "What, like crush wise or..." I nearly threw up in my mouth. "Okay that is the grossest thing I've ever heard." I pretended to gag myself. "Not really. Sure he's a heart breaker, but he's a looker." A disgusted look crossed my face. "If you don't stop I'm gonna smash my head against the walls so I can end this pain." She laughed really loud at this, while I just cracked a smile.