Eugene had refused to go to the party a thousand times. He was already teased and humiliated in school; he didn't want to make it an extra-curricular activity too. Still, his brother, Jonno, had managed to get him out the house that night.
Now he stood in a crowded living room, nursing a warm dr. pepper looking around. His brother, naturally, had ditched him as soon as they entered the houses threshold. And now he stood alone in the sea of people.
“Why aren’t you wearing a costume?” a girl asked, pushing past him not waiting around for a reply.
“He is! He’s dressed as a geek!” a boy hollered in reply, laughing at his own joke as if it was the funniest thing ever. A few others joined in the laughing.
Eugene didn’t care. He was used to it. Whether it was at home or at school, he was teased. It was actually getting boring. People just repeated the same geek jokes over an over.
He walked away. He realized he was THE only person not dressed up. He’d been dragged out the house so quickly he hadn’t even thought about it. Besides he was a sophomore, he was too old to dress up for Halloween.
The October air felt comfortable and cool as he stepped on to the back porch. The dim light fell on a couple making out in the corner and a few people chatting on a raggedy couch. Eugene removed his glasses, which were now covered in moisture as a result of change in air, to clean them.
“Eugene!” he heard a giddy female voice call. He turned to see the blurry face of a girl. As far as he could see, she had blond hair and was wearing a puffy ballerina skirt. He tried to make her out but it was no use.
“I’ve always had a crush on you.” The blur declared planting a soft kiss on his lips. “See you at school.” She whispered, giggling and turning away.
Eugene scrambled with his glasses throwing them on his face quickly, but he only managed to catch a glimpse of her flowing blond hair and bright pink converse before she disappeared.
He was awake all night trying to figure out who the mysterious girl was. There were just too many blonde girls in his school. It was impossible to figure it out with few details. The only other clue he had was the shoes, the bright pink converse.
Eugene usually walked round school with his eyes glued to the floor, this day was no different yet today his eyes searched frantically, taking in every person’s shoes. In the hallways, the cafeteria and the classrooms. He searched everywhere. He searched so frantically by 5th period he had a headache.
The same thing continued the following two days, and he found nothing. Not a glimpse of the converse. He checked every blond girl specifically not a single one wore pink converse.
By Thursday he’d given up hope, and dismissed the whole thing as a joke, a prank. He was used to being picked on, so it made sense. Somebody had probably though it funny, in fact it was probably Jonno, although his brother, Jonno was his biggest bully, and that must have been why he was adamant Eugene attend the party. The kiss was sweet, he enjoyed it, so, he thought, the joke was on them.
Friday rolled around quickly and he was glad to not be searching shoes again. He sat at his desk with a sigh of relief.
“Hi Eugene.” A girl’s voice from behind him said.
It was Cat, the red-headed girl with the big brown eyes that sat behind him in homeroom.
“Hey Cat, what’s up?” He asked popping the ‘p’
“Could you pass this to Jennifer for me? She’s mad because I kept her stupid costume a week too long.” She sighed.
“Sure.”
She handed me a bag full of pink fluffy clothes and what appeared to be a blond wig.
Wait a minute… a blonde wig?
No it couldn’t be, could it?
Eugene turned round to inspect her shoes. Pink, Bright Pink converse. He looked up at her as she flashed a gorgeous smile.
“I…It was you?” he questioned, his mouth dropping.
“Took you long enough.” She whispered with a giggle.
