What It Seems | Wattys 2023

Chapter 19

It was a Wednesday morning, and I was falling asleep in class. I happened not to realize what was going on around me until I noticed Nicole was back. She just wasn't back, either - she was in the same class I was currently in. Giggling came from the back of the classroom, and every time I turned around, there she was with two of her friends - waving, giggling, and whispering.

"Miss. Claire, wake up and smell the coffee." I rolled my eyes once I turned my head down to face my textbook flat opened on my desk. This class

Finally, after thirty dreadful minutes, the bell rang. I picked up a few of my books and some of my folders, shoved my pencil in my binder, and was on my journey to math. Thank God I didn't have any people in this class I strongly dislike. Jo's in this class, yet she isn't here.

I walked to my locker before voyaging to Math. I can use a break from these weighty books. I ran my fingers to the right: 39; to the left: 29; back to the right: 15. I pulled the lock down, latching the unlocked lock on the bottom hole, leaving it unlatched.

"Adalynne."

I looked in the direction of the voice that was calling my name. It was Baylor.

"How are you'?" he asked.

I closed my locker and pushed past him and walked to my class before the bell rung.

***

My earphone was ripped from my ear as a tray was placed beside me.

"Listening to Arctic Monkeys?" Baylor assumed. "Guess I've got you hooked, huh?" I looked at him with agitation and pushed the ear bud back into my ear, only to have it ripped from my ear again.

I faced a grinning Baylor. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Baylor said. I left him in silence, and he began to realize I wasn't going to speak to him.

"Do you not want me sitting with you?" he asked loud and clear.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't care what you do."

"Don't wanna leave my best friend alone on this fine, lonely day," he grinned amusedly. The fact that he doesn't notice why I'm mad makes me so infuriated with him.

"Is it because Nicole or one of your other girlfriends doesn't have first lunch anymore?" I asked more angrily than I intended. His smile fell a little, and he began playing with his fork, poking at his food. After silence fell over us, he sat up straight quickly and crossed his arms.

"What's wrong with Nicole?" he asked. "Y'know, I'm hoping to make you both the best of friends," he smirked boldly.

"You're kidding, right? That's like me dating Derek and telling you, 'Oh, yeah, let me make you and him the best of friends.' As a matter of fact, where is Derek? I'll go look for him right now." I nearly stood, proving my point.

"Adalynne, chill. I was kidding," he spoke relatively harshly.

"If the favor was returned to you, you would hate me right now," I pointed out. The expression he gave made him seem confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What would you do if you saw me hanging out with Derek at a mall, or around school, or yet - what would you do if I were in a relationship with him?" I asked curiously.

His face lit with fury and then his expression fell as if what I said never bothered him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "That's your business," he said shortly.

"Right, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't even be around me, would you?" I asked.

"You're right," he answered. "I wouldn't be sitting here right now," he answered bitterly.

"Okay then."

After a moment of silence, we sat there with tension between us.

And then, he just started rambling.

"I used to know this girl a long time ago. She always had her blonde hair up, and her blue eyes were beautiful, like the color of the ocean. She was the prettiest girl I've ever known," he paused.

"And right when I got to know her, we drifted apart. I don't think she ever cared about me, but I used to think we were close friends. I think she hated me," he laughed. I looked him in his eyes when he wasn't looking, and a tint of dilation turned his eyes lighter than usual.

I decided to put the tension aside and speak to him. "What happened to her?" I asked. He looked up, his eyes lightening up and his normal facial expression was back.

"She moved away," he answered. "I highly doubt she remembers me. She only saw me as a friend."

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?" I asked.

"I've tried, but it just seems like it's a long shot," he softly laughed.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"I can't tell you that," he lilted. "If I do, I might get my hopes up."

I sighed. "You tell this story and don't tell me her name? Does Aiden know her?" I questioned.

"Well, yeah," he answered.

***

"Do you know a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes?" I asked Aiden while I was pouring myself a glass of Sprite.

"There's a lot of girls with blonde hair and blue eyes," Aiden laughed, making me feel stupid.

"No," I palmed my forehead and sighed. "Baylor and I were talking earlier at lunch, and he said that he knows this girl that always used to wear her blonde hair up in a ponytail, and he said her eyes were blue like the ocean," I said.

"And . . .?" he countered, asking where I was getting to.

"I was wondering if you knew who she is," I chirped. Aiden stared at me like I was stupid.

"Adalynne, you need to be more specific. Why do you seem so jealous when you see him with a girl or when he speaks of one?" Aiden asked. "Seems like to me you have feelings."

I groaned, "Why do you and Baylor always assume I'm jealous of every girl he's with?" I stood from the sofa and padded across the floor and went to my room. I closed my door behind me, changed into some comfortable clothes, and plopped down on my bed.

With my phone and my Wii remote beside me, I turned on The Walking Dead. I rested my head on my pillow, wrapped my body in my favorite blanket, and made myself comfortable with Norman Reedus and his cast mates on the screen before me, not caring about the one-page essay that was due the next morning.