The second day of school is always the worst. I mean, the first day is bad enough, it being the end of 2 months of utter freedom, but at least it has the excitement of catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. But the second day is unbearable. By the second day you wake up at an ungodly hour with nothing to look forward to but the weekend in 4 days and summer vacation in another 179. So that's basically how I felt walking into school that morning, the second day of 10th grade, feeling nothing short of miserable. To add onto all this, I didn't have time for my usual dose of coffee which normally makes my day a tad more bearable. My originally cute gray collared dress and pink Doc Martins looked laughable when paired with my drab expression and hunched shoulders. My crazy long, thick blue hair was tangled and slopply braided down one shoulder. This is how I looked when I sat down in first period English and right next to you. I was so frazzled that I didn't first notice just who exactly I was sitting next to, and I took out my books and took forever to find my pencil in my already cluttered knapsack. When I was finally settled, I surveyed the room, my eyes finally coming to rest on you. You looked right back at me and then down at my seat.
"Um I'm sorry, was someone sitting here?" I apoligized, but not really meaning it.
"No, you're fine," you smiled at me.
Good, I wasn't planning on moving anyways, I thought to myself. I had sat down next to Tyler Greens, the quintessential popular guy for whom I normally had no tolerance for. Writing this, and looking back, I should've picked up my stuff and moved anyway. You were popular and beautiful and I was an idiot to think that even just a little part of me didn't want to show the world that I could get a perfect guy.
When Mr. Knapp started teaching, all my focus went to English and I forgot about you, even you, for a little bit. That was until Knapp partnered us up with our neighbor, which happened to be you.
"Lila, right?" you said, scooting your desk over until it touched mine.
"Yeah. Um......" I paused, stared at you, " Tyler, right?" I said sarcastically.
"Yup, that's me."
"Honestly, did you read Of Mice And Men over the summer?'" I asked, knowing you'd say no because that's just how your type is. Slackers.
"No," you said. Knew it. I read it last year over Christmas break without knowing we had to read it this year. It was honestly an awful book except for the ending," you said. I must say, you took me completely by surprise, and that's probably how you manage to gain a few points on me.
"The ending is the only part that made me read the book! It's the only thing that even makes it worth reading!"
" Then we will have to agree to disagree," you said with a wink. Tyler Greens, winking at me?
"Yeah," I stuttered. Wow, great flirty comeback Lila. But you smiled anyways and didn't treat me like the utter loser I was. And with smile and wink, you carved out a tiny niche in my heart, whether I liked it or not. Yes, Tyler, that was the beginning of our fall.
