Connect

2: L-O-V-E

Sometimes life takes on weird turns, and when I say weird, I mean it. Sometimes I end up betraying myself, like I did when Kaito looked into the classroom at lunchtime that day and said hello to me.

My friends weren't really angry or anything; that was all just in my head. They were more excited than anything, really. As soon as he left, they squealed and hugged me.

"Yes!" Teto pumped a fist in the air, "One of our kin has communicated with the foreign species!"

"Uh, what? You mean gender, right?" I yelped as Neru and Miku grabbed me and lifted me over their heads. Those girls sure were strong, "You guys! It's not like that!"

Miku and Teto exchanged glances and put me down. I brushed myself off and stared at them.

"Friendzone," they both mumbled, "No, that couldn't be it!"

"What, what, what?" I walked back over to my carrots and started chomping them furiously.

"Come on, Gumi, he never talks to us girls," Neru flipped her long blond ponytail back and crossed her arms, "You know he has a bunch of guy friends, but he never casually hangs out around girls..."

"I think he likes you, Gumi!" Teto grabbed my shoulders and started jumping up and down. My carrot slipped from my hands.

"No, it's not like that!" I shook my head, "I just...saw him yesterday and my book got ruined and I dunno why, but he bought me a new one and gave it to me this morning and he knew my name and it wasn't even his fault that it got ruined in the first place and I..."

"She's rambling!" Miku sang, "She's in L-O-V-E, love!"

"Shut up, I am not in love!" I balled my fists and watched as Miku and Teto giggled and started prancing around the classroom like flower girls or something.

"How do you know you're not in love if you've never been in love?" Neru challenged. I huffed, honestly surprised that the girls didn't appear to be the least bit jealous.

"I just do," I answered lamely.

"Hey, Gumi," we all turned to look at the door again. It was Len this time.

"Hmph!" Neru stuck her tongue out at him, "For a sec, I thought Kaito actually came back!"

Len laughed and walked over to me, suddenly smacking my back really hard.

"Ow!" I groaned.

"How was the test?" He smirked. I hung my head in shame. His eyes fell to the book beside my carrots, "How'd this book get so new?"

"W-What do you mean?" I thought about telling Len and decided against it. We had both decided that Kaito was too much trouble. It was only yesterday that we had talked about him.

But I knew him now, at least, more than the other girls. I blinked a couple of times and told myself to stop thinking like that. I didn't like him, of course not!

"Are you okay?" Len smacked my head with the book and I stared up at him, "You look kind of out of it..."

I glanced at Miku, Teto and Neru. They were all giggling. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm fine," I said, closing my box of baby carrots and popping it into my bag. Suddenly, Len took my hand and pulled me away, "Uh...Len?"

"Let's go for a walk," he smiled. I nodded and walked out, leaving my backpack by the desk.

I could hear the girls still laughing and talking about Kaito. I did my best to ignore it.

We walked down one hall, across the floor, our shoes making scraping sounds as we did, the windows dripping with sunlight that splashed over me as we passed. I had to squint. I realized that Len was still holding my hand, and he was holding it tight, so I couldn't exactly slip it out.