Let's Walk Home Together?

The Walk Home

"Do you live nearby?"

"Yeah," I reply somewhat unconvincingly. "Somewhere... Around here."

I didn't live anywhere near here. In fact, I had to take the bus every day from the other side of the city to get to school. But if Jenny was asking that question, I reasoned, then she must have had something in mind. And so I pretend I did.

"Oh, are you walking home today?" she asks cheerfully.

I nod.

"Let's go then," she smiles as if I had accepted her invitation to walk home. I wasn't about to argue. In fact would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit happy to be walking with her after school.

As we leave the school and walk home, she asks where I live, wondering who would get home first along our route.

"You'd probably get home first," I reply, rather confident in my answer. Unless she, for whatever reason, lived on the other side of the city like me, my answer would almost be a guarantee. 

"Really? Where do you live?"

"You know, I'm really bad with directions and addresses, but it's definitely farther."

Jenny laughs at my poor excuse for an answer. I can't help but laugh a little too. I am secretly relieved that she didn't continue to push for an answer after. 

I mean, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal if she did find out that I didn't live nearby.

Well maybe except for the fact that it would make me look a little suspicious.

The last thing I want is to be suspicious. In fact, most guys my age are awfully self-conscious around girls, regardless of whether they are particularly interested in them. I mean, unless they're into guys. And I'm not, for your information.

So it's probably forgivable in my case to be pretty self-conscious around a relatively attractive girl who asked to walk home with me.

Right?

Don't answer that.

In any case, I couldn't help but realize that we hadn't said much to each other on our way home.

Maybe I was supposed to say something? Someone told me girls like good listeners.

But what am I supposed to be listening to?

I try to think of something witty or funny to say. Perhaps I could talk about the weather? But I mean really, who talks about the weather? I doubt anyone ever talked about the weather and hoped to get anything meaningful out of the ensuing conversation.

"So, what did you think about Ms. Anderson's book report assignment?" I finally muster, hoping that it would be a good conversation starter. I congratulate myself on a job well done. I was beginning a one-to-one conversation with a girl. Perhaps I was smoother than I thought. All I have to do now is wait for her answer and -

Jenny doesn't respond, but instead looks at me with a confused expression on her face.

It is my turn to be confused.

"Were you going to say something?" she breaks the silence.

"Uh," I stumble, "I was just waiting for your answer first?"

"I just said it wasn't as hard as I expected? I mean it's fine if you weren't going to say anything, I was just wondering why you stayed silent?"

I grimace, realizing that I was so happy with my question that I had forgotten to listen to her answer.

If girls were into guys who were willing to listen, then I may have just demonstrated why I am a very single boy. If I wanted to salvage this conversation, I would have to think of a reasonable excuse like -

"Oh, I was just thinking of something else," I reply. I applaud myself, yet again, for my excellent excuse. I mean who doesn't get distracted every once in a while?

Right?

Don't answer that.

"Oh, I see," she says, furrowing her eyebrows. She doesn't sound particularly impressed.

And then it hits me, as I make yet another mistake. I just implied that I ignored her outright.

Which I might have.

But it definitely wasn't on purpose.

I feel like any chance I had of impressing her on this walk home is slowly disappearing.

"That's my house over there," she lets me know after several more minutes into our trip, "I'll see you tomorrow? Let's walk together from now on?"

She waves before opens her door and enters the house. I wave back.

That was a stressful walk.

I hope tomorrow goes better than today.

I heard things get easier with experience.

I hope that's true.

Author's Note

I am absolutely blown away by how many reads this has gotten in such a short time.

Please consider dropping a vote if you enjoyed my story. I appreciate your support!