Looking Back

Chapter 8: Tuesday

So the next morning, I walked to school in the piercing cold air. When I stepped foot in the school building, I avoided all the uninvited stares and went to my locker in complete silence. Having a short look around, I didn't see Tanner anywhere. He was nowhere to be found. Disappointment clouded my being as the bell rang. He still never showed up. Through the whole entire day I felt guilty. I had no right to assume something about somebody when I didn't fully know the truth. It was wrong. My conscience taught me a good lesson. It continued to nag at me until lunch. It continued to nag at me until I saw Tanner make his way to an empty table.

As I stood in the long line my curiosity grew. Why wasn't he here this morning? I didn't see him all day and now he decides to show up out of nowhere?

Moving as fast as the line would let me; I grabbed a tray full of food and made my way to his table thinking of what I was going to tell him when I sat down. I had the whole conversation played out in my head until I stopped at his table. Slowly placing my tray in front of him, I sat down waiting for him to notice me.

When he looked up, he had a smile planted on his face.

"I'm sorry." We both blurted out at the same time.

He laughed.

I smiled.

"You go ahead," he said letting me talk first.

"Okay. What I was going to say is that I'm sorry for being rude and stubborn. I had no right to act that way toward you."

He continued to smile. "I forgive you," he said not hesitating at all.

"Now what were you apologizing for?"

"I really don't know. I thought I did something wrong or upset you somehow and wanted to apologize for whatever I did wrong."

I sighed knowing I messed up big time. "You did nothing wrong," I told him ashamed of myself.

"Then why were you mad at me?"

"Stupid reasons," I said quickly trying to pick the easy way out instead of revealing the real reason to what happened.

"Tamara, I think I deserve an explanation." He said really wanting to know.

"Some people told me stuff that wasn't true about you, but at the same time I believed them."

"Oh."

"They told me it was a joke."

"They? Who's they?"

"You know Dusty, Stormy, and Windy."

He looked a bit unraveled. "Never believe those three. Ever. I don't care what it is. You can't trust them for any reason."

"I know now." I said kicking myself for it. "It just didn't make any sense. You, asking me to prom."

"What do you mean it doesn't make any sense?"

"You and me."

"What about us?"

"It doesn't make any sense why a guy like you would ask a girl like me to prom." I looked at him.

"Can a guy not like a girl and ask her to the prom for his date?"

"Do you really like me?" I asked wanting the truth. I stared at my tray while bracing myself for the truth. I waited for him to tell me that he didn't like me and that he was just playing around with me, but his answered turned out to be completely unexpected.

"Yes, I really like you. Why else would I have asked you?"

"To humiliate me."

Confusion and then realization of my thoughts played across his face. "Tamara, I would never do that to you. Ever," he said instantly becoming serious. "Why would you think that?"