Can I Be Your Superman

Better and Worse

Chapter Nine

I’m not so sure what is going on but I’m super confused. I walk down the hall looking left and right at all the people smiling at me more specifically the male population of the school. I checked down at what I was wearing making sure I didn’t look to odd. I bet they are just mocking me. Oh no did my skirt get caught in my underwear again! I rush into the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror, and double check the back of my skirt.

Nope I’m all good. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Then why are they all smiling at me. Deciding to contemplate it later I head off to my class again.

Walking down the hall a girl rams her shoulder into mine. The force knocks all the books out of my hands. I squat down and start picking up my stuff when another pair of hands starts picking up my textbooks. Once I get it all I shoot up and look into an unfamiliar face.

“Here you go Emily.” The unknown boy goes to hand me my textbooks before he pulls them back. I knew it! He’s probably going to throw my books across the hallway. I groan mentally preparing myself to be late to class. “Actually never mind I’ll just hold these for you as I walk you to your class.”

Alright now I’m officially confused. What is going on I’m completely freaked out now. I bet this is just a huge ploy anyways. I reach out for my textbooks.

“Um that won’t be necessary really I can carry them myself.” The boy pulls my books away from me and begins heading in the direction of my class. Feeling at a lose I trail behind the boy and listen to him chatter away like we are old friends.

Okay so I’m officially and utterly confused and freaked out. All the girls are being extra cruel today while the boys are being extra nice. Don’t get me wrong the girls are never nice to me but it’s just so odd to have the guys be nice to me. I walk into my math class and hustle to my chair just wanting to sit down and not think of trivial matter that will hopefully blow over soon.

As soon as I’m sitting I go about my normal routine pulling my stuff out of my bag but a bit more on edge. This is my worse class when it comes to them bulling me or pranking me. So I’m pretty sure the whole joke is going to end here and something horrible is going to happen to me while I’m in this class.

I feel the back of my chair dip back from added pressure so I look over my shoulder and through my eyelashes to see Ian. I give him a small shy smile. After the mall incident I have seen him in a nicer light but still he is kind of scary. He just nods his head and sits down in his seat. I resituate myself once the bell rings and it’s time for the teacher to teach.

Once the teacher is done I’m all ready to start work. I open my book and get started right away. No more than a minute or two into my work I pulled out of my concentration by someone calling me.

“Emily.” Ian calls. I melt a little inside by the way he says my name. I’m not completely sure if that is a good thing but I’ll pretend it never happened. Still leaning over my book and doing my work I look at Ian from the corner of my eye. I giving him a nod to let him know I was paying attention.

“Has anyone bothered you at all today?” He scowls while asking me this. I just stare down at my book but stop working. I become completely still. They way Ian is looking I’m not completely sure if it would be a smart thing to tell him that I have been getting nothing but grief from the girls. I set my pencil down, sat up straight, and turned myself towards him.

“No it’s been” I paused looking for the right word to use “quiet.” He just looks at me and mumbles a good. We both sit in silence him staring at me with a bored expression and me probably a one of uncomfort.

“So why do you dress like this if you have clothes like what you were wearing at the mall?” Ian asks out of nowhere. I blink at him a couple times and muse over the thought. I like the way I dress even though I’m always told I look like I stole from my grandma’s closet.