The Project

Chapter 4

Johnny was very quiet in the 6th hour we shared, math. He was quiet in 5th hour too but I don't think I've ever even seen him open his mouth in math.

I understand that people are shy but I don't think I've ever encountered someone as shy as Johnny is.

Maybe he's sad. It doesn't seem like he has anyone to hang out with. Perhaps he just needs a friend.

But he also seems like the type of guy to not need friends, independent. I wonder if he had friends back wherever he moved from.

I watched from the other side of the room while he focused on his work. He always paid close attention when the teacher was teaching. It was cute to see him so focused.

Cute? No, that isn't what I meant. Funny. It's funny to see him frown when he doesn't understand something.

The bell rings, dismissing the last class of the day. Everyone packs up their bags and runs out of the room.

When I finished packing my bag, I approached Johnny.

"Hey, ready to go?" I ask, watching him zip up his beaten backpack.

"Yeah," he replies, swinging the backpack over his shoulder.

We walk out of class and enter into the crowded hallway filled with kids talking and running around.

Johnny and I start making our way to the front doors, but before we could get there, I hear my name being called and we both stop.

I turn around, seeing Benny running past kids in the hallway to get to me.

He's not even out of breath by the time he makes it to me. He was in good shape because of baseball.

"Hey, where are guys off to?" He wonders, joining Johnny and I on our walk to the main school doors.

"Library," I answer. I stood in between the two boys, and Benny had to look past me to glance at Johnny.

"Oh. Yeah, I have baseball," Benny pauses before talking again. "Johnny, do you do any sports?"

I have to look up at Johnny to make eye contact with him, as I do with Benny. I tell myself that I'll keep growing and be taller but deep down I know I would always be shorter than them.

"No," Johnny replies simply and quietly.

We make it to the front doors, where Benny separates from Johnny and I. We walk along the sidewalk side by side.

"I don't know why he asked that,"  I say to Johnny, who shrugs it off.

It's quiet outside now that we're further from the high school. Nothing but the sounds of cars passing by.

The library where we'd work on our project luckily isn't far from the school, so we made it there fairly quickly.

It was almost empty when we got inside, only the librarian and a few elderly people lounging around.

We didn't look like we fit in here. Johnny was dressed in his usual blue jeans and white t-shirt, while I wore almost identical blue jeans and a striped shirt.

We looked like annoying, bad teenagers, and we knew well that the handful of elderly people here were judging us.

In the farthest back section of the library, there was an empty table that Johnny and I claimed with our backpacks sat in the extra seats.

I pulled out my notebook that contained our project information and continued from where we left off.

-

We spent a while at the library and finally took a break when an hour and a half passed.

By my suggestion, we went to the diner across the street and sat across from each other in a booth.

A waitress walked over to our table and gave us menus that we didn't need.

"What can I get you two?" She asks, pulling out a pocket sized notepad and pen.

"Cherry coke," I order and she jots it down on the paper.

Johnny looks surprised. "One for me too."

The red haired waitress smiles weirdly at us before walking away, shoving her notepad in the back pocket of her apron.

"Do you wanna work on the project while we're here?" I question, leaning back against the cushioned booth.

"Well we just worked on it for a long time and got a lot done," Johnny shyly replies, and I nod.

"Yeah you're right, we deserve a break," I agree.

It doesn't take long for the waitress to return. Except she's only holding a single glass of cherry coke instead of two like we ordered.

Johnny notices too and we exchange confused looks.

"W-we ordered two..." Johnny bravely informs to our waitress.

"Oh I know," she replies, the same weird grin plastered across her face.

It's then that I realize there's two straws placed in the glass of cherry coke, and I almost laugh. Johnny notices too and wears the same expression as me.

"We're not dating," I briefly explain and her expression falls.

"Oh my gosh," she mumbles. "I totally thought you two were together. Jeez, let me go get another glass-"

"It's fine," Johnny cuts in. I was shocked that he even spoke, let alone interrupted her by telling her it was okay that she thought we were dating. "We can just share this one."

My eyebrows raise. The waitress looks at me for confirmation. Panicked, I nod, agreeing with Johnny.

Her smile is back and she winks at me before walking away to serve another table.

"I didn't know you even liked cherry coke," Johnny comments.

"Yeah, I wrote it for my favorite soda in the warmup a few days ago," I inform.

At the same time then, Johnny and I both lean in to the glass of soda, just about to hit our heads together. I pull back before we could.

"Sorry," Johnny apologizes, chuckling clearly nervously. "This is difficult. You drink first."

"No, you can," I offer, chuckling back, just as nervous.

"Really, you go," he says.

I sigh. "Let's just do it at the same time. It doesn't have to be weird."

Johnny nods, and we lean in again at the same time, this time making sure not to hit our heads.

Our foreheads accidentally touched lightly though. I don't know if he noticed but I did.

As we awkwardly drank with our faces just inches apart, I can't help but to burst out in laughter at the whole situation.

At my sudden outburst, Johnny starts to laugh too. We both almost choke on cherry coke.

But it was the first time Johnny and I had talked so much, and the first time I'd seen him laugh, so the choking part was worth it.

-