The Weirdo and the Princess

s i x t e e n

Adeline Lockheart stood at her locker, rummaging through her books and supplies. Whether she actually couldn't find her notebook or whether she'd already found it and was just stalling because she really didn't want to go to her next class no one could tell. She wouldn't have liked to admit it, but it was the latter.

"Adeline," a voice said behind her and she braced herself. She didn't expect this so soon.

She swivelled around, but instead of the befuddled look of her teacher that she had expected, she saw the nervous face of an eighteen year old boy she hadn't spoken to in years.

"Oh, hi, Connor." she said, quickly grabbing the notebook that just moments ago she 'couldn't find' and slamming her locker door shut behind her.

Connor shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he said, "I wanted to talk to you."

She had never seen Connor Ball nervous. It was a strange sight. The name Connor Ball was synonymous with confidence. Nervousness and jumpiness were not part of his traits. And yet here she was, seeing it in the flesh.

"Sure." she answered. "I've got nowhere to be." A lie, really. But talking to Connor Ball seemed to be a lot more tempting that her boring History class.

He glanced at the notebook she was holding uncertaintly and she tucked it under her arm before he could ask any questions.

"Let's go outside." she said, cancelling out any chances of a wandering teacher to catch her.

"Don't you have class?" he asked, gesturing at the notebook.

"Yes. But it's History and I've decided to take a free period instead." she answered, closing the school entrance doors behind them.

He chuckled lightly. "That doesn't seem like a thing you would do."

"And yet it is exactly what I'm doing." she glanced over her shoulder and gave him a smug smile as he followed her into the courtyard. "You don't know that much about me, Connor Ball."

"I guess I don't." he said more to himself than to her.

He followed her all the way to the benches where she sat down, crossing her legs beneath her. He sat down next to her and they spent a few moments in silence as he tried to find the right words for what he had to say to her.

"So, this is going to sound really weird and it's totally okay if you don't remember the event... But do you remember summer camp back in 8th grade?"

She nodded. "Yeah, of course I do. I made a few great friends that summer. Although, it was kind of weird spending it without my two best friends. Why? What about it?"

He hesitated for a second, but then he continued. "Do you remember talking to me? And what you said to me?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me that you're still butthurt over what I told you."

"No, no, no!" he quickly intervened. "I needed to hear it."

"Tell me about it."

He waved her comment away.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you thank you."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What for?"

"In a way, you opened my eyes. You called me out on what I was doing wrong. So, thank you, for caring enough to do that. You're a good person. I just wanted to tell you that ever since that day I've had a lot of respect for you. You see the world as a whole. I've admired you and your actions a lot. It's a good quality to be able to maintain a friendship and to care about others. I know that this may sound a bit weird, but ever since that day, you've kind of been my guilty concience... Kind of like the angel that stands on your shoulder, reminding you to do good in the world."

Her good-hearted chuckle gave him the momentum to go on.

"So, even though, I was a jerk back then, I want to thank you for taking the time to be a friend to me, even though I'd never even talked to you before. A friend of mine told me that you would appreciate me telling you this and the honesty of it and I hope she's right."

She grinned at him. "Oh, she was very right about it. Thank you for telling me this and I'm glad that you feel like I helped you out."

He gave her a sincere smile. "So, friends?"

She pretended to ponder for a moment and then gave up the act, nodding with a big grin on her face. "Friends."

Suddenly her phone buzzed and she took it out of her pocket. It was a message.

"That's my best friend." she said apologetically. "She has decided that if she has to handle the boredom of History class I have to too. I'd better go."

He nodded, not telling her that he had accidentally peaked at her phone. He couldn't tell her. Because what he saw suddenly unraveled the mystery of his unknown texting buddy.