I'll Always See You

Chapter 4 - To Sum It Up, School Was School

I glanced at my watch, already anxious and ready for the day to be over. I had made it through exactly two classes and I still had one to go before even lunchtime. I didn't have to make a trip to swap out my books for my third class yet so I walked straight there and sat down early. I picked a desk in the third row and my eyes drifted lazily around the room, cataloging the people in class so far. I knew Grayson would be in this class but I most definitely was not looking for him, I told myself confidently. Not having spotted him or anyone else that I could say I knew, I leaned back in my seat and unlocked my phone to check tumblr for a few minutes before class started.

 About thirty seconds had passed when I felt something hit me in the back of the head. I jolted upright, tossing my phone onto the desk and watching helplessly as it slid off onto the floor as I squeaked. A few heads turned and I tried to ignore them as I desperately looked around to see what hit me. Scooping up a wadded ball of paper off the floor next to me, I half-swiveled around in my seat so fast that my neck hurt in my effort. Then I spotted Grayson in fourth and last row, who had apparently been there the whole time, looking innocently up at the ceiling. His eyes and the upturned corners of his mouth were a dead giveaway though; the basic equivalent from him of trying to hold in full-blown laughter.

I blew out a breath and mouthed at him that I was so going to tell Matt if he broke my phone, but it was lost on him as he continued to avoid my glares so that he didn't laugh. As gracefully as I possibly could after the whole spectacle, I got up from my desk and retrieved my phone from the ground, relieved to see that the screen hadn't cracked, and planted myself back in the seat. I wasn't angry at him but I sure was embarrassed now as more and more people had trickled in hear me yelp loudly. So maybe he was like seventy-five percent jackass afterall.

I got through class with minimal incident and escaped as quickly as I could off to lunch without even dignifying the fourth row with a look. I practically skidded into the lunchroom, got food and found an empty table. Lisanne was next to join me. She plopped down next to me cross-legged. If she continued the trend from last year, every couple days she'd come sit by me during lunch and eat with the rest of her friends the other three days or so. I pulled out a book and flipped through it idly as we ate. 

"Ooh," she said randomly through a mouth of sandwich. "Guess what."

I looked up from my book and tilted my head a little. "Okay, I'll bite. What?" 

"Guess who asked me to 'hang' with him this weekend at the beach?" 

I stuck a piece of paper in between the pages of my book and swiveled on the lunch table bench to face her. "That is both two guesses in a row, at least one too many, and also....really? Again?"

 She grinned at me and playfully batted her eyelashes behind her hipster glasses. "Three years in a row, darling, have I ruled the first day. I know you're jealous, but you can take notes if you want. And yes. And his name is James. I guess he's new or something. I have science with him first hour but he has English the same time you do after lunch so you'll get to see him then. He has the purplish sweatshirt." 

"They do role call, you know," I clarified. "You don't have to describe him to me." I did smile at her though because she seemed happy with the invite. "Are you going?" I prompted.

She took another bite of sandwich. "I don't know," she said. "I'm thinking about it. He's cute." She set the sandwich down and picked up chips. "Oh, I know, you should come with us. Cute guys have cute guy friends. We could set you up," she suggested. 

I picked up the book again and opened it dramatically, warning her that I was prepared to end conversation. She giggled. "That's really sweet of you, Lis, but I think I'll pass. I don't need to get set up." "Not anyway yet," I added.

I knew the second the boys had arrived at the table because Matt always set his tray down with a clatter and it was particularly loud today. 

"Hello, sister. Lisanne," he acknowledged us both, then instantly dove into his food. 

Grayson set his tray down next to Matt and across from me. I gave him about two and a half seconds to feel safe then leaned over and swiped the chips off of his plate. 

His gaze shot up as he stared at the chips in my hand. "What for?" he demanded. 

"Oh, you whiny baby. It's payback for throwing stuff at my head in the middle of class." I could literally feel Lisanne's head turn to watch me with interest. As I expected, Matt didn't even look up from his sandwich. 

Grayson held up his hands. "Maybe I don't even know who threw that. And also, it was not the middle of class." He glanced at Lisanne. "There were like four people in the room," he said in explanation. 

"You basically just admitted to it right there," I said, opening the bag of chips and watching him as I popped one defiantly into my mouth. He sat back and glowered more at the bag of chips than me. True to being a guy though, it didn't take him long before he'd moved on and was eating something else.

Lisanne was already packing up her things. "Gotta go friends, Gotham City needs me," she said, grabbing her bag and tray. Matt's head finally lifted. 

"Oh my God, a Batman reference will get you to look away from food for a second? Have we found your weakness?" I taunted Matt. 

He shrugged. "Batman's awesome," he said simply, waving goodbye to Lisanne as she daintily patted me on the shoulder and walked away.

The boys left next, leaving me to finish as quickly as I could to get out of there before someone moved in on my table. I tucked my book under one arm and read it outside, trying to savor the nice weather before it passed, until it was time for English. I completely forgot to pay attention for James until after the class was over but I figured I could just tell Lisanne he was super cute and get away with it fine tomorrow. No vicious bullies attacked me for being the loser loner girl, the drive home was pretty much the same as the drive there, and homework was blessedly minimal for one more day this year. I fell asleep thinking not much more than the fact that day one of senior year was over and also, admittedly, I laughed out loud in the dark one time when I remembered Lisanne singing ridiculously about shipping me with Grayson.