Pretty in Plump

•tWo•

"Did you see the new kid?" Bethany asks me. I nod, starting to doodle on my music sheet. "Marley, what's going on?"

"His name is William James Fitzgerald. His locker number is 245. His schedule is Art, Math, English, Science, History, then P. E." I stop doodling seeing Bethany gawking at me.

"Are you a stalker?" She laughs but I don't laugh.

You are a freaking stalker, Marley. You can't deny it.

"He rides my bus. His mom works with my mom... and he only eats Trident gum." I look over at Bethany and she grins.

"You have a crush." She states. I roll my eyes.

"You know why they call it a crush don't you?" I grumble, furiously drawing a tornado around my music. Ms. Taylor was running through how to cite read our music but I already knew.

"Oh, right. Because it'll never happen so it crushes your heart to like them. Blah blah blah... you say that about every guy you think is cute."

"Yes well, it's not going to happen, so there's no point. Besides, I just met him today. He's out of my league... he's probably a player and that was the only reason he talked to me." I straighten to a singing position as Ms. Taylor directs.

"You're such a negative Nancy. Why can't you just let it happen?" Bethany grumbles as we begin. I ignore her stare as we cite read and even until after choir is done. As I start to walk out the door, she grabs me again.

Bethany is one of those people that are so beautiful you wonder why they stick around you. I'd often wondered if it was just because I was so ugly, it made her look even more gorgeous... but she reassured me it wasn't and I believed her.

"Marley, this is the first guy you've liked in a while." Bethany walks next to me, waving to people as she tries to argue her invalid point. She was dressed in leggings and a sweatshirt today, with her dark, black hair tied up in a messy bun and her tan skin glowing like always. She smiled at Chase as we passed him and I rolled my eyes.

You roll your eyes a lot.

"Yeah, it's whatever. I gotta walk him to class. I'm his escort. So, if you'll excuse me-" I start to brush past her and she glares at me.

"Marley Ann, I will hit you." Bethany searches my eyes for a response. She sighs when she realizes I won't give her one. "Just be yourself, okay?" I nod, biting my lip and slipping past people in the hallway. William is waiting patiently at his locker and he smiles when he sees me, immediately moving forward.

"Well, hello, Marley Shay. Did you know that black is not a color?"

"If you're talking about light, it's the absence of color. Some artists believe white is the absence of color and other people like to think black is a shade." I smirk, ready for this question. William chuckles.

"I still think it's a color." He walks easily beside me, looking over the school with a critical eye. "Oh, what's my next class? I have-"

"Math." I squirm past two girls and William smiles at them when they wave.

"Did you study my schedule?" He grins, bumping into me. I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"No, I'm just good at memorizing." I grit through my teeth but he doesn't say anything about it if he noticed. "Your teacher's name is-"

"Mr. X. I find that quite fitting for a math class." William chuckles and I find myself smiling at his words. As William goes in the door he seems startled that I followed him. "You're not going to your class?" He asks.