Our Love Was Made For Movie Screens

Awkward stair-climbing and shy smiles

The following week the school started again for the third term. I knew then I wouldn't be seeing much of Joe anymore because the seniors were very close to writing their prep exams which meant that they only had to attend school on the days which they actually write. I knew I had to make every second with Joe count.

Since I knew his timetable almost off by heart, I knew which routes to follow around school to my classes so that I also get to see him on my way there. Monday, 6th period I had Math and he had English, both on the second floor, so I knew that we'd meet at the bottom of the stairs. Sometimes I was there too early but then pretended to wait for a friend.

We could never have a proper conversation because we'd always speak at exactly the same time, saying the exact same thing, and then we reached our classes. It always went something like this:
Layla and Joe: "Hi"
Layla and Joe: "How are you?"
Layla and Joe: "I'm good thanks" and then we'd laugh and go our separate ways.

If I have to be honest, sometimes it frustrated me so much that we couldn't have decent conversations with each other. But something inside of me just didn't want to give up on him. He became my reason for getting out of bed each morning.

One Monday, the 6th period, my Math teacher needed someone to take a note to Mrs Doyle. Mrs Doyle was Joe's and my English teacher, so I obviously volunteered and basically jumped out of my seat so that she would pick me.

Soon enough I had the note and was on my way to Mrs Doyle's class. I knocked on the door nervously, knowing that the entire class would be filled with seniors. I opened the door and walked to her table, not looking at the class. I handed her the note and stood there awkwardly whilst she read rhe note and wrote her reply. I heard a familiar laugh and looked up, and sure enough, there was my Joe, tt rhe back of the class, talking to Chad and glancing at me at the same time. When our eyes met, he waved at me and gave me a shy smile.

Joe waved at me in front of his entire English class. This was a big deal. I was freaking out on the inside, but I kept my cool until I closed Mrs Doyle's door behind me, and then I practically danced back to Math.

I was finally starting to feel that Joe was in to me, but I tried not to get too excited...