Early Bird | ✓

08 | goldfinch

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Lizzy | Mario

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           THE calm before the storm—that was what Lizzy labelled the unnerving serenity that remained consistent for the entirety of the day. Nothing out of the ordinary transpired; her classes were relatively boring and uneventful, the teachers assigned massive amounts of homework, and the students babbled frequently over the standard topics of clothing, sports, school, and other people. Lizzy had spied Mateo and Teagan more than once throughout the day but the two arguing friends were never seen together. Lizzy despised the fact that she was the intermediate between them; her plan consisted of never choosing a side, but she could feel pressure building on both sides of her like she was a ship sinking in the deep ocean with water relentlessly pushing on every square inch. She wasn't sure how long her two closest friends would allow her to stay neutral, two warring countries trying to convince the third to join their separate causes.

           Lizzy was grateful when the final bell signaled the end of the day and she immediately rushed out of the building before Teagan or Mateo could lasso her. Instead of taking the bus home, Lizzy decided that she'd much rather walk. An ill sensation waved over her and she figured a stroll would be the most beneficial cure. She needed some fresh air to clear her aching head.

           She shouldered her backpack and tightened her windbreaker around her. The chilly temperatures bit her cheeks and the tip of her nose, a gust of wind causing her to shiver. Silver clouds soaked with rain like sponges blanketed the sky overhead. Lizzy quickened her pace, knowing full well she'd be drenched with rain in a few minutes. Maybe taking a walk on this day wasn't her brightest idea.

           Lizzy's teeth chattered and she stuffed her bare fists into her jacket pockets in an attempt to generate some sort of warmth. Usually when it was springtime, the temperatures would gradually soar with the sun peeking its head from behind the gloomy clouds more and more often. For some reason, the weather was being rather stubborn this year, refusing to release its freezing winter state.

           She reached for her phone to check out the forecast for the rest of the week; maybe clear, sunny weather was on its way and Lizzy just wasn't informed. Notifications from earlier that afternoon surfaced on the screen, a few from Instagram, a couple from Facebook, and some texts from Mateo, Teagan, and—Mario. Lizzy's heart skipped a beat, her palms clammy despite the frigidity of the air. She recalled how earlier he had viewed her texts but hadn't bothered to reply. Curiosity crept into her like a spider but she squashed it and remembered her original mission.

           Lizzy selected the weather app and scrolled through the forecast. Unfortunately, she must endure the cold for a little while longer, but next week's weather gave an impression of beginning the uphill climb to warmer, thawing days. Lizzy then examined her text messages from Mateo and Teagan first. Teagan's were frantic, reminding Lizzy not to let it slip that Teagan was avoiding Mateo because she had feelings for him; meanwhile, half of Mateo's were alarmed, wondering if Teagan was all right, and the other half were requesting Lizzy's advice on what girls were like and what exactly they enjoyed so that he could validate he wasn't ruining his relationship with Paisley by being an idiot. Mateo has mastered the art of being an idiot, Lizzy thought to herself with a roll of her eyes.

           Mario's texts were the only ones left unread. Lizzy's thumb hovered over them, uncertain at how she should proceed, knowing full well that she needed defend herself from whatever she was feeling about him at the moment. She didn't even know the boy or what exactly she was feeling but there was something about him and his seemingly genuine texts that thrilled her. Her disinterest in boys for most of her life signified that this was unknown and uncharted territory for her. She resolved to advance carefully, making sure that their friendship was true and real (and eventually discovering his actual identity). Maybe someday, she'd be able to decipher what was happening in her heart—maybe this boy would help her in doing so and maybe he wouldn't. But Lizzy was ready to try. It was like a laboratory experiment in her AP Biology class where the results weren't determined until the very end when they had finally morphed into clear, understandable data.