I promise.

6

*SIERRA*

When I got to the cafeteria and saw that Lyla wasn't at the lunch table I assumed that she'd already gotten in line, so I went on my own. When I got back to the table, now with a tray of food, Lyla still wasn't there. My eyes scanned the cafeteria for her and of course, they landed on Julian. He was already looking at me.

I smiled and waved my hand, nervous as hell. My heart was ready to jump from my chest.

"Sierra!" Lyla said, jumping right in front of my view of Julian. I was so thankful to be able to breathe again.

"What?" I asked.

She sat down and unrolled the top of her McDonald's bag. "I have something to tell you. Want some french fries? I got you a medium."

"Oh yeah, thank you."

I grabbed the red container of fries from her and placed it beside my pizza.

"Ok. So. Wanna know what I wanna tell you?"

I laughed at her confusing sentence structure. "Yes. What do you have to tell me?"

"I...know something."

"Ok..." Now I was irritated. "What is it that you know?"

"Someone likes you?"

I laughed and took a bite of my pizza slice. "Yeah right. I just got here, no one even knows me. If someone likes me they're crazy."

Lyla raised her eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"About what?"

"That no one knows you..."

"Yup." I nodded.

"Well." Lyla cleared her throat and leaned towards me, speaking quietly. "Julian seems to know you pretty well."

"What? Julian?" I was excited, but Lyla would have felt too powerful if she'd seen such a response to the news.

"Mhmm. He talked about you all the way home yesterday. I had my headphones in, but I could hear him telling Jovani about how perfect you are."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."

"Ok so maybe he didn't exactly say perfect. But he did call you beautiful and funny AND smart."

"Lyla that doesn't mean he likes me likes me. He's just nice."

"Whatever." Lyla took a bit of her cheeseburger. "I think he likes you. But you know he's in my grade right?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"K. Just checking."

I ate my food slowly and constantly found new topics to talk about so that Julian wouldn't hear either one of us saying his name. I barely know him, but I'm still flattered that he might like me...because I might kinda like him too. Maybe...