Mistakes

Forty Three

Dale

"How has your day gone so far?" Karen asked, a forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

I shrugged.

The table we were sitting at was unpopulated, we were the first citizens. I was 100% sure the table was leaning because of me, but Karen didn't seem to notice or care. The lunchroom was loud, the people not only crowding up everywhere but making it hard to see the walls.

How could such a big room be filled in so little time? Public schools are weird.

My tray was piled high, hers the same, but I still felt self-concious. Nevertheless, I left my tray clean. I felt like a balloon about to explode, but where in the world are the bathrooms?

And which one do I go to?

"I have a question," She started, wiping her mouth with a thin napkin. "Where did your hat go?"

I slumped down in my seat, not wanting to remember the tragic scene of my hat in the trash can.

"I-I-I g-g-got pain-n-nt on it-t-t-t." I stuttered.

"Art, huh?" She giggled.

I imediately sat up at the sound of her laugh. She had a smear of gravy on her cheek and a pencil on her ear. I couldn't stop staring at her lips and the way she licked the bottom one more often than the top.

They're so pink and small and-

"Dale?" She waved her hand in my face.

"Hm?" I jumped up.

"I asked, what's your next class?"

I fumbled with my backpack zipper and tried to find my schedule. I pulled the crumpled paper out of the smallest pocket and gave it to her.

I watched her unravle the paper and guide her finger down it.

"Art, History, History, Yikes you got a double block of history today?" She shook her head in pity.

Her hair fell in front of her face and I swear my leg couldn't stop bouncing.

She's so beautiful.

"You have Earth Science, my favorite. Then, study hall- my second favorite." She said, lifting her head.

She reached down to get her backpack, probably to find her own schedule. She came back up with a pencil, instead. She wrote something on my paper and gave it back to me.

"That's my number. Call whenever you need something." She smiled. "Just not after midnight."

What happens after midnight?

I nodded, folding and putting the paper back in my bag.

"I always help the new students around, but I've never had someone come as late as you have. It's literally April." She said, finishing her turkey.

I didn't know how to respond.

"Is it weird?"

"W-What?"

"Is it weird coming so late in the year? What was your old school like? What school did you even come from? Why did you swtich schools?" She asked.

I scrunched my face up, not sure of how to respond. She burst out laughing, probably at me.

"That face! It's so funny." She said in between giggles.

I could feel my face getting hot. I bowed my head, hiding behind my hair.

"Here." She said.

I looked up to see she was holding out a piece of blank paper and a pencil. I took it, and started writing.

"Can you direct me to the bathroom?"