The List

6. walk-on high school

The List

-forget-me-not-

6

walk-on high school

The rest of my first day passed uneventfully- James managed to convince me that taking off for Study Hall wasn’t actually skipping and we just talked for the whole hour and a half.

And yes, though Louise didn’t believe me when I told her, just talked.

We chatted about where we were from, what we did on the weekends. James explained than when he’d kicked the soccer ball at my head, he’d been practising in Gregoro Park with his team mates for the next match of the season. He must’ve explained the rules of that stupid games six times but it didn’t make a whit of difference.

“So what’re you doing this weekend?” James asked as we made our way back into the school buildings. He had somehow conned me into walking around the oval to him, which I thought was ludicrous but went along with anyway.

I felt as though the question wasn’t sincerely a pick-up line but it wasn’t an honest question either. It hovered somewhere in the middle. So I answered vaguely. “Probably just hanging out with Louise. Get to know the neighbourhood a little better.”

“Well how about this Friday night? You up for anything then?” he asked, smiling. Now that was a come-on. I’d seen Emily go through enough of them to know.

“I don’t know…” I replied, wavering on whether to say yes. I mean, James was very, very nice looking and all, and he seemed nice enough but the second I thought about dating, I just felt a total lack of interest. I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, certainly not this soon.

“Come on, it’s not a date, it’s a…” he searched for the term as we entered the school. “Friend date. We can just hang around, I’ll show you the town.”

I was still undecided.

Seeing this, James added “You can bring that Louise girl if it makes you feel better?”

I paused, noticing we had come to the cafeteria. “A friend date, huh?”

“Yeah,” he responded, enthusiastically. “Just two people, hanging out.”

I sighed, mock-pained and nodded. “Okay. I’ll give you my number tomorrow next French lesson?”

“You sure I can’t just write mine on your arm?” he teased, waving a pen around playfully.

I shied away instinctively. “Have you any idea the third degree I’d get from my parents? No way in hell.” I added when he seemed to actually contemplate making a grab for my arm.

James held his hands out in surrender and smiled. “Cool. I’ll see you later then.” I had to admire the way he said it as though it were a sure thing. He walked over to where a bunch of his friends were messing around, identifiable by their Camina High emblem-ed sports jackets.

I got my wallet out of my bag and got in line, noting with a sinking stomach that I was on my own for the lunch line. There goes my plan of following Louise. I thought, picking up a tray and following what the guy in front of me was doing.

He picked up an apple and passed on the milk. I copied accordingly and when he chose a sandwich and then put it back quickly, I studied the label and wrinkled my nose when I noticed it read tuna. “Good to know the tuna is just as bad here as it is back home,” I muttered to myself, taking a ham and cheese instead.

“Worse.” Said a voice and I lifted my head, curiously. The boy in front of me was watching me, his face blank.

“Pardon?” I asked, my voice small because for some reason he intimidated me with how tall he seemed, how collected he was.