Unrealistic Expectations

1

April had had a bad summer. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible, but, she had a hard time. She knew when school started she would either feel better or worse, and It was leaning more towards worse. She was trying her best to stay positive though.
Her first day was okay. She signed up for scholastic bowl, mainly because she did it last year. She wasn't particularly full of spirit for her school, however she wanted to be somewhat known. So, she joined the club where she was expected to be smart, and braced herself for humiliation. April wasn't dumb by any means, but she wasn't a genius either. Scholastic bowl started in November, so we'll start there.

They had scholastic bowl practice Tuesday and Thursday mornings for about a month before their first meet.
The practices made it clear to April that this wasn't going to go very well. She pushed on.
Their first meet was on a Thursday. There were only 10 kids in the club so they used a white van instead of a bus. Being as childish as April was, she and her friends in the club joked about the van belonging to a pedophile. On the drive to the other school she thought about how dumb that joke was. She mentally noted not to make it again. The meet went well, they won the match, no thanks to April.
It was nearly a month into the season before she actually scored any points for the team. She was satisfied nontheless, she knew the coach liked her. She was okay with only having that. Simple pleasures she pondered.
They had a month left of the season when Matt sat next to her in the van. Her friend on one side, Matt on the other. His thigh against hers. The ride was quiet, her mind was loud, screaming even. It was a flurry of things she noticed all at once. Why had she never noticed his hair? Long in a pleasant way. Why hadn't she seen his eyes? Like ice water with a inner emerald ring. And his cheeks! The freckles! Then her thoughts were interrupted.
"Is that hat from 'free!' ?" She stared dumbly at him for at moment before reaching up to touch the beanie she wore.
"Yea, uhm yes," April sputtered feeling utterly like an idiot.
They were quiet for the rest of the ride, the rest of the trip even.
It was three weeks of April feeling like she ruined everything, and telling herself he was a senior anyway, and it wouldn't work, before they spoke again.
It was one of the last Scholastic meets of the season. April answered some questions, and was proud of herself. The rest of the team high fived eachother. Matt shook her hand, and whispered good job, as if it were a secret. So she whispered thank you back just as secretive. He gave a small, startled, laugh. Then, he walked away.