Hi [#Wattys2016]

Lunch

While we were getting lunch, I was wondering where we would sit.
She must've seen the look on my face.

"What is it?" she asked.

I considered shrugging it off for a second but decided not to.
"I'm wondering where we should sit."

"Oh," she said as she bit her lips and looked around.

I spotted an empty table near a corner.
"How about there?" I said and motioned towards it.

"Yeah," she smiled and walked over to it.
We sat down and she began staring at me.

"What?" I asked as I slid a piece of pizza into my mouth.

She smiled and shrugged and began eating her slice as well.

"Ready to hear the secret?" she asked as I took a sip of my soda.

"Yeah," my heart began to beat faster.
She took a quick sip of her orange juice and then looked at me, not directly in the eyes though.

"I..umm...I actually liked you before you talked to me yesterday," she said, her voice faltering somewhat.

I was both shocked that she liked me, and the fact that she seemed nervous. She was cute when she was nervous.
I wasn't sure how to reply and instead smiled at her, she smiled back.

"Do I get my half of the cookie now?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

I laughed. "Yes you may."

She practically grabbed it and ate cheerfully, I couldn't help but smile.

I noticed a few people at the cool table staring at us and speaking in whispers.
She noticed me noticing.

And I realized how it must look to them; the new popular girl having lunch with the artist loser kid.

I felt my shoulders slump and her eyes looked at me sharply.
"What's wrong?"

"Why do you like me?" I said, a little accusingly, but was I wrong for wondering?

She caught the accusatory tone and looked a little shocked and hurt, she began eyeing an exit.

I instinctively put my hand on hers and felt an electric warmth surge through my body.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," my words came out rushed. "It's just, a beautiful popular girl is actually talking to me, a loser, and then she even likes me...it's just hard for me to believe, you know."

She interlaced our fingers, and her eyes beamed at me.
"You think I'm beautiful?" she asked.

I thought back to what I had said, and indeed it had slipped out.
"Yeah, I do," I said, averting her gaze.

She slowly got up, our fingers still interlaced and motioned that I should get up too.

I got up and she pulled me in for a hug, squeezing tightly as her head was on my chest.

"Looks like loser boy has a new girlfriend!" I heard someone shout and I knew that dumb voice anywhere, Pierce.

She slowly looked up at me and I looked down at her.

"Come on, let's go," she said as she let me go then grabbed her backpack.

I did the same thing and walked behind her as she headed outside.

"I like you because you seem different, you don't seem like other guys," she looked across at me, as we walked beside each other. "You seem like you're intelligent, a deep thinker, everyone here just seems the same, you know and because I'm pretty, everyone expects me to be this petty, shallow, popularity seeking person but I'm not, I like you because you're you."

Again, I didn't know to respond, but my cheeks burned like a summer's day and my heart was just as warm and wild. So we walked in silence until she stopped at the bleachers for the soccer field. I could tell she was expecting a response, but I couldn't think of any.

She turned to me. "Who said you were a loser?"

"Huh?" I blurted out absentmindedly.
"Oh, no one specifically but everyone wants to be doctors and lawyers and go to Harvard and Yale or wherever and I don't, so in their eyes, loser," it wasn't a total lie.

"Not in my eyes," she said. I realized she was staring at me, she turned away. "I used to come here on my first few days to have lunch. Before I made friends."

I realized she was talking about here, under the bleachers. I looked around and realized it was a pretty cool place to have lunch, though the weather was a bit chilly.
"I like it out here," I said.

"Really?" she sounded surprised.

"Yeah, really," I replied.

I could imagine the smile on her face.
"Would you want to have lunch here instead?" she asked.

I knew she was trying to shield me from the stares and jeers but I had dealt with it all through high school, I had gotten used to it.

"No, not everyday, but a few times would be cool."

She looked over at me; trying to read my emotions but I didn't look over at her.
Instead I looked at my watch.

"It's time for class," I said with a sigh and glanced over at her.
She looked disappointed that lunch was over.

"Do you have class now?" I asked her.

She thought for a second. "No, I don't."
A smiled ignited on her face.

"Would you like to come to art class with me?" I asked.

She thought it over, then smiled. "I would love to."

I couldn't stop the smile that crept up on my face.
"Shall we?" I asked, extending my hand to her.

"We shall," she said, taking my hand, while sending shockwaves through my body.

**
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