Nerds & Boyfriends (unfinished)

Missing Sketchbooks

   Hallways were always chaotic, fast-paced, and lethal. You could be run over and remain unnoticed until the hallways cleared up.

   My hands were filled with text books, notebooks, and sketchbooks.

   While balancing books in one hand and punching in my combination with the other my arms finally gave up and books plummeted towards the floor.

   Textbooks and notebooks were scattered everywhere.

   I quickly shuffled them together, stuffed them into my locker, and headed for my next period, gym.

   Gym obviously wasn’t my best subject. I was small being 4’11 and weighing only ninety-five pounds. I wasn’t bone skinny like those models, I had a good build, but I wasn’t very big. I also lacked hand-eye coordination which happened to be essential in playing sports.

   I seemed to be lacking endurance, balance, agility, too, basically everything needed to exceed in sports.

   I just wasn’t the sporty type.

   But I tried. At least I tried.

   One thing I really just wasn’t into was sweaty gym-clothes and dingy locker rooms filled with people I just did not know, and that happened to be everything surrounding me.

   I quickly changed into my school attire, tied my hair back, and was out the door, as quickly as I came in. The smell of sweat and strangers just did not compel me.

   I headed for last period, art. Before heading into the classroom, I stopped by my locker to pick up my art textbook and my sketchbook. I found my textbook, but my sketchbook was missing.

   My sketchbook was the only thing that made me, me. It held diary entries, personal drawings, memories. It held everything. It held me.

   There wasn’t time to look for it; I would be late for seventh. I shut my locker and ran to class.

   I sat towards the back again. I felt humiliated and anxious. My sketchbook, which held everything about me, was gone. I had no clue where it was, who had it, or if someone had already read it and unlocked all its secrets.

   I just wanted to die.

   I sat down, my back slouched into the chair, and my face cupped in my hands. I sensed someone nearing. I heard them place a book onto a desk and sit down.

   I looked up to see a slim boy dressed in a “Panic! It’s Fire!” tee shirt and grey skinnies with jet black hair and a beanie.

   It was the boy from math.