I brush past the other students as I make my way down the hall. They don't really notice me, but I know they're speaking of me. I can hear my name as I slide past each group, each one falling silent. Some stare at me, some don't even acknowledge my existence. My name is pounded in my ear, but I keep moving. 'Did you see Raffina? Did you? Look at her.' I hear them say. I hear my name louder and louder and it takes me a moment to realize that someone is calling for me. I spin around quickly to see him at the end of the hall.
Marcus.
I feel the corners of my lip turn slighlty upward, and my feet move themselves in his direction. It's like my whole day has just turned brighter. I don't realize that I've even moved until I stand in front of him. He smiles at me nervously, as if he's hiding something important.
"You look pretty happy today." The words spill out of my mouth. I bite the inside of my cheek. That came a little harsh. Did he think I was being sarcastic? He really did look happy. He gives a timid laugh and scratches his head.
"I am. It's a pretty great day." He says. We stand there silent for a bit, neither of us looking at each other. I bite my lip anxiously. At least he didn't think I was being sarcastic. What do I say? Should I compliment him? Talk about his intrests? Maybe I should flip my hair in the cute way the girls on the T.V do. Why did it matter? He doesn't like me. And, even if he did, I wouldn't know how to act. Just face it, we weren't made for each other.
"Wanna go out?" He blurts out suddenly, and I swear, for just a second, the whole world has stopped.
I blink my eyes in shock. 'Did he just ask me out?' I ask in my head. My lips are suddenly dry, like I hadn't drinken anything in months, and I can't form a word. He stares at me, waiting for me to say something.
"Sure." I finally spit out. I can't stop my mind from whirling. He looks at me taken aback. He rubs his ear as he thinks of what to say. Which is fine by me. I wouldn't mind if he never talked to me again. Because I can barely form a word to say to him anyways.
"I mean like on...like on a date type thing?" He asks. There's a hint of doubt in his voice and I manage to smile and let out a laugh. "Yeah I got that," I say. His body seems to relax, and mine tightens up. There's a spark in his eyes, the same spark that made me talk to him when we first met. His eyes drift to the ground, and we stand there silent. So, maybe he does like me. But, that won't help me when he finds out why I'm teased by everyone, and what the real Raffina is like.
