Faking Confidence

Chapter 2- "Eyes like caramel"

"Earth to Amelia." Emery, one of my few friends, waves her hand in my face and frowns. "What is wrong with you today? Your all....smiley."

I grin and adjust the books in my arms. First period had just ended so me and her were walking to second period English together.

"Is that such a bad thing?" She smirks and makes a stop at her locker. "It is if I don't know the reason behind it."

She throws open her locker and tosses some books inside. "So tell me, is it a boy?"

I blush. "W-what?"

She grins in response and grabs the few books she needed. "I knew it! Who is it?"

I contemplate not telling her about Oliver just because I know that'll be all she wants to talk about. But she is my friend so...

"His name's Oliver." She grins even wider and claps her hands together like some giddy seven year old.

"Oh! Oliver? As in Oliver Pickett?"

I keep my head down and shush her. "You don't have to be so loud you know."

"Sorry, sorry." She mumbles. "But still, he's super cute Amy!"

I grin and nod. " I know."

We talk about Oliver on the rest of the walk to English. Mostly it's just Emery exclaiming how cute he is and how lucky I am to be talking to him.

"Not that your not pretty, it's just that he's pretty infamous for not having a girlfriend. I mean the whole time I've known him I think he dated like this one girl once."

I don't say anything as we walk into the classroom and sit down in our desks. "He could be gay you know."

I sputter and look at her with raised eyebrows. "He is not gay Emery!" She grins and takes out her notebook. "You never know."

I'm about to argue more with her when the teacher, Mr. Frankfort, walks in. "Good morning class!"

A chorus of grumbled "mornings" greet him back.

He ignores the gloominess and jumps right into teaching with his usual cheery self. "Well as you all know we are about to enter our poetry section."

Everyone groans but me.

"So...to start it off I thought why not write a short little poem right now for practice? It can be about anything. What you did over the summer, your distaste for bubble gum, your crush...?"
My ears perk up.

"It doesn't matter. As long as there is a paper on my desk by the end of the class you'll get credit, but it needs to be at least ten stanzas. Ten stanzas people! Don't try handing in eight or nine and a half, I want ten. And please whatever you do, do not start your poem with 'roses are red, violets are blue'."

A few students grumble under their breath and one even balls up a piece of paper, presumably their poem they had begun on.

"Does everyone understand what they'll be doing?"

Everyone nods. "Great! Looking forward to reading them." He plops down into his chair at his desk and starts clicking away on his computer.

"A poem? Ugh." Emery rolls her eyes and takes out a piece of paper. I do the same and immediately start jotting stuff down.

"Whoa there Shakespeare, what are you writing?" I obscure my paper from her view and blush.

"It's nothing, just some ideas..."

She grins and tries to peak at what I've written so far. "Like?"

I hold the paper against my chest protectively and feel my face burn even hotter. "My distaste for bubblegum...?"

She laughs and gives up. "Fine, fine don't tell me now. But I expect a full read when your finished."

I laugh. "We'll see." She grins and starts writing down her own poem. After I'm sure she won't pester me to show her my paper, I read over what I've written so far.

Eyes like caramel Personality just as sweet

Your the boy I'd always hoped I meet

You showed me your kindness in more ways then just one

You helped pick me up when I just felt done

Bullies will be bullies with their words so unkind

But you were my savoir helping me to rewind

To pretend like they were never there

You helped me see, you helped me care

About myself and not their thoughts

When I'm with you, unconfident I am not

Just as I finish reading over the last line I hear a voice calling me. 

"Hey loner girl." I stiffen as I realize it's Kimberly Owens trying to get my attention. "Hey you!" She whispers louder. I turn around and face her with what I presume is a nervous look on my face. "What?" I ask almost in a whisper. She smirks and smacks her bubble gum.

"I saw you with Oliver at lunch today, and I must say I'm impressed. I've been trying to get his attention since freshmen year." I blush realizing where she's going with this. "I-"

"Ah ah ah." She cuts me off. "I don't know how you did, it and I don't care. Just know that he would never fall for someone like you. If anything, I'm clearly more of his type." She blows a bubble with her gum and smiles.

"Oh, " Just as she's about to turn around she points to my paper labeld 'Faking Confidence' "And don't waste your time writing poetry about him either. It's kind of...pathetic?" 

She says, finally turning back around in her seat.  

I stare down at what I've written and without thinking, crumple it into a paper ball. I then I shove it down into the bottom of my book bag and get out a new piece of paper.

Kimberly's right, how couldn't she be? 

It was stupid to think he might have feelings for me too. He probably just feels bad for me because I eat by myself at lunch. Or just pities me in generally.

Tearfully I scribble something down about summer vacation onto my paper and turn it in just as the bell rings.