Baby Blue

T W O

"Guys, do you think it'll be awkward at lunch?" I asked concerned. 

"No, of course not. Come on, I'm staaarving," Landry said, a whine deeply embedded in her voice. As we walk into the cafeteria, we pass Milo. I look up at him with a shy smile, and wave. 

"Hey, baby, where'd you run off to?" Sierra said as she hangs off his arm, glaring at me hard. And by the way, yes, it's the same Sierra.

 Then her face shifts into a friendly smile as she says, "Hey, Irene, didn't see you there. Doesn't Milo look handsome today?" 

"Yeah, I guess… " I mutter out lowly. If was being honest, he looks freaking gorgeous in his black skinny jeans and messy bed hair. But she can't know that. She can't know that I like him. That'd ruin me. 

"Anyways, off to lunch, I’ll see you later?" I said with false hope. As I go through the lunch line I see Johnnie right behind me. 

"Oh hey, I didn't see you there. How are you?" I ask him politely.

"I'm good, Irene, and you?" he says with a look in his eyes. 

"I'm great, thank you for asking. I got a surprising compliment today that I loved," I say with a happy tone in my voice.  

"Oh well, I hope you get another soon," he said with an odd look in his eyes. 

"Me, too," I sigh, with a dreamy look on my face. I look up to see my options for lunch. Eww, apple and water it is. 

"Hey, guys," I say as I take my seat at the table. I hear a chorus of greetings coming from the majority of the group, except Milo. He, of course, is occupied by the octopus named Sierra suctioning his face off. I cringe, eww, doesn't that hurt. I thought snakes squeeze their prey to death. 

"So, what are y'all doing after school?" Landry says in a bubbly tone. ‘How can that woman be so happy?’ I think to myself, ‘If I tried to be that happy, it’d be a sin.’ 

"Oh, you know the usual. Gonna hang out at Happy Days. What about y'all?" he asks after detaching his face from Sierra's tentacle-like mouth. 

"Oh, same. So everyone's going?" I get a nod from everyone except Johnnie. 

"Aren’t you going, Johnnie?" I hear Landry ask. He shakes his head no. "Why not?" I ask. I like having him around. He's good at listening and he's funny... when he does talk. 

"I have to study for the German test tomorrow," he says in a quiet, almost silent, voice. 

"Oh shit," I hear from two different people. Milo and Josh look at each other and laugh. 

"I totally forgot about that stupid test. I'm gonna skip out on Happy Days today, sorry guys," says Milo looking down. 

"Me, too. Sorry, peeps," says Josh with his signature peeps. 

"Oh crap. I'm not going guys, I have to study, too. Hey, I have a great idea. Why don't we all study together?" I say, excited. 

"S-sure, I don't have anything else. My house?" he says, as he blushes a deep crimson. 

"I would, but I forgot I have to babysit my sister, too." Milo says. 

"And I have a date to get to after I'm done,” Josh finishes. ‘I guess it’s just Johnnie and I,’ I think to myself.

 As the bell rings, I look down and see my uneaten apple and my water bottle, ‘Good thing this stuff is portable’. "I guess it's you and I, Johnnie, meet me by the front entrance next to the flagpole," I say as I pack up my portable lunch and head out. I walk out to my locker to put up the books I was supposed to need for fourth. ‘Haha other plans arose, sorry.’ When I open up my locker a baby blue note falls out and to the ground. What? Everyone who's on the list is back at the table still. I don't get it. I open the note to see the words 'To my sun and moon, today I'll be studying for a German test, but you'll probably be at Happy Days. Anyway, I'd like to talk to you via text instead of via note. Text me, princess.' Oh goodness. I look at the bottom and see the number 214-213-0250. ‘If you looked at my face right now, it'd look like I just won the Powerball.’

I quickly snatch my phone out of my back pocket and type in the number and say, "Who are you?" 

He texts back in seconds, "I knew you'd text, but I didn't know so soon. And I can't tell you who I am that would ruin the surprise. But you can call me Baby, princess." 

"Really, princess?” I texted as soon as I got the note. 

“Speaking of, why are you doing this?" I ask, desperate. 

"I like you, I've liked you since sophomore year. I've always been too shy to say something so instead, I wrote it. And we had the same sophomore year, just to narrow down your list." 

Goodness gracious, why can't he just tell me? "How about this what's your middle name?" I ask with hope. 

"Mike Wasowski." I hear over the speaker suddenly. 

"So first off, really? That scared the bejesus out of me. And second of all is it Michael? And third of all, why is it so important to hide?" I ask, sad. 

His response is almost immediate, "I know. Yes. And because I'm not someone you'd like. I have to go, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Don't text me tonight, I'll be studying,"