summer boy ~ tal fishman ✓

~8 1/2~

Tal pov

'Why weren't you at the history lesson? There is this new girl called Julia or something and damn she's hot. Finally, some new girl that could fall in love with me', Michael says and I laugh. 'That falling in love isn't going to happen anytime soon, bro. I mean just look at you', I tease him. He punches my arm, but it doesn't really hurt.

'And the teacher announced we're having a test next week', Michael suddenly adds seriously. 'Talking about history, I really don't understand why we have history and English tests on the same day. And this early in the year. The teachers don't-' I stop in the middle of my sentence. 

'Wait, is that that new girl?' I ask Michael. Michael looks confused. 'Yeah, she's hot, isn't she? She's mine though, I saw her first.' 'We'll see. I bet I'll talk to her first and she will hold a conversation with me', I say. 'Sure, go ahead. Wish you good luck, bro. I heard she's pretty quiet.' He laughs and walks off to the rest of our friends. I can feel him watching me though.

I look at the new girl. Is that really Julia? Like, the Julia from summer? I feel my heart jump, although it shouldn't. I call her name but she doesn't react. I keep staring at her and decide to go up to her. I'm pretty nervous, but I can't find a good reason why. I'm pretty sure it's her. I place my hand on her shoulder. She turns around. It's really her. 

I hold a bit of a small talk. While I am talking to her, I see Michael looking at me and I raise one eyebrow at him. Julia sees me doing that and asks me what I am doing. 'Making my friend jealous. He thinks you're hot', I answer with a smile. She laughs and turns a bit red at the same time. Why didn't my brain remember she was this cute?

'Would it help if I gave you a hug?' Julia asks. 'Definitely', I say and she wraps her arms around me. I give her a hug and I notice Michael looking very jealous at me. 'Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends', I say after she lets me go. She follows me and seems very happy. 

After I introduced Julia to the group, she and Meredith started talking immediately. Michael hits me on my arm. 'Bro, how did you do that? I started talking to her and she literally ignored me!' he says. I raise my eyebrows again. 'My secret, my secret', I say to tease him. Michael starts to talk to some other friends so I look at Meredith and Julia talking and I stare at Julia a bit too long because she notices me. 

She smiles and I smile back, the least creepy thing I can do right now. I look away, but that smile stays on my face for a bit longer than it should be. After all, Julia sees me as a friend, right? 

I don't know. I haven't seen her in nearly two years. Well, we messaged each other more than once a week to tell the most important things that had happened to us, but that was it. I wanted to follow her on Instagram but then my secret would be out. And somehow, I didn't want her to know it yet. I'll tell her later, I say to myself and I join the conversation Anthony and Michael are having about some kind of other girl.