Him

IV

I stood there awkwardly staring at him like a psycho. He smirks at me as they walk by, he whispers something inaudible to his friends and separates from them and walks over to me. "Hey" he smiles softly "Zach, right?". I nod, "You're Adam" I laugh. He She nods as well and lets out a laugh, much deeper than mine. "So tell me what I should expect in High school" I smirk. "A lot of homework, crazy teachers, and if you're lucky you might survive the lunch rush" He laughs and nudges me with his elbow. I laugh back, biting my lip. I look up at him and he looks down at me. "Okay, well if I don't come back tomorrow, then you'll know that I didn't make it through lunch" I laugh, he does too. The bell rang. Fuck. "Well I guess I'll see you around" he gives me a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah. I'll see you later" our eyes separate from each other, it was a simple action that I needed to do in order to walk away, but it gave me a pain that I wouldn't be able to shake. Did I really like a boy for the first time in my life?

It was lunch time, and Adam's warning seemed less humorous and more serious as I saw the sea of people. Calli and Paulina found me and ran up beside me. We spotted a table with some of our other friends, so we headed over there. Yesterday, we didn't eat lunch and we sat in the pits. Today was our first day in this hell hole of a cafeteria. We sat down and talked for a few minutes as we waited for the line to die down.

After fifteen minutes, we had already gotten lunch and began eating. I had a piece of pizza in front of me. I didn't eat it much, my mind still captivated by Adam. I don't know these feelings. They're distant... Like a big city whilst you are in a boat far away.  "Why aren't you eating?" Calli asks nudging me. "Oh" I take a bite and swallow it quickly, "Sorry, just thinking". She smirks, but doesn't say anything. I laugh and roll my eyes. "Your such a loser". She punches me in the shoulder playfully. "You guys wanna leave? I don't care about eating". Paulina and Calli nod, getting up with me and heading out the cafeteria doors. We walk toward the pits. We sit down in a tight row of the three of us. "So Zach" Calli smiles mischievously. I roll my eyes. "Tell us about this boy you like" she nudges me in the side. "Jesus, fine" I roll my eyes once more, "His name is Adam. He's tall... Muscular... Nice..." I began to space off. "You alright there?" Paulina smirks and nudges me. "He's just a person, guys. It's nothing big" I laugh. "I'll catch up with you guys later, nerds". I get up and walk off, Calli and Paulina looking at each other. Calli jumps up and runs to my side. "Come on Zach, I just want to know more about this... It's really cute" she laughs. I stop and look at her. "Whenever I get close to him, I get butterflies. I feel safe next to him and that's all I need" I hug her softly before walking off, leaving Calli standing there. I wait until I turn the corner, leaning against the wall and closing my eyes. I sigh heavily. I then straighten myself out and continue down the hallway.

I stop when I see Adam's locker. I approach it and stand there, kind of zoned out. I sigh again. I feel someone grab my arm gently and turn me around. I jump a bit, but then relieved when I saw Adam. Butterflies suddenly fill my stomach. What's wrong with me? "You okay? You seem like you're not yourself" He says softly. "I'm fine. Totally. Fine... Why do you ask?" I smile. "Well you're standing in front of my locker" he laughs gently to match his tone of voice. "Oh this is yours?" I fake confusion. "Yep" he pats the locker over my shoulder, I tense a bit but quickly return to normal. "Sorry" I say nervously with a small giggle. He steps a little closer to me, less than a foot away from me. "So how've you been?" He asks softly. "I've been better. A little distracted..." My voice cuts out on the last word. "By what?" He asks. "I dunno..." I look down at my hands, fiddling with my fingers. "Well, I'm sure the distractions will die down later this year. You're only a freshman" He smiles softly. "Yeah... I'm sure they will" I give a smile, but it was barely visible by how small it was. The bell rang. "Oh" Adam looks up, "I guess we have to go. I'll see you soon" he steps back, probably two feet away from me, waving as he walks away. I let out a hefty sigh and lean against Adam's locker, sliding to the floor.