CHIM - Dimples For Your Thoughts

Chapter 3

We got to our classroom and decided to sit beside each other. I didn't say much after Cheryl filled me in about her summerbreak with Ashley.

"Hey," Cheryl whispered, "You okay, pet? You haven't spoken much since homeroom."

I knew I should've been happy for her, or given her some sort of congratulatory feedback but I just wasn't sharing the same levels of joy as her. If it were someone else who told me that they were dating Ashley, I would've easily brushed off the news after congratulating them. But something even as simple as that, I found it hard to say when it came to Cheryl. 

"Yeah I um, I'm fine. Just wondering where the teacher is," I lied. I couldn't bring myself to genuinely express any sort of secondary enthusiasm for Cheryl and it was a lot harder to control my discomfort when she was sitting right beside me—a constant reminder that she was within reach of me and yet I felt as if I couldn't reach her at the same time. Everytime I tried to speak to her, the words would feel anchored to my throat, not allowing me to maintain any sort of small verbal interaction with her.

'This is ridiculous.' I tell myself when I realized how much I was overthinking.

I started to arrange my books and pens across the desk as I waited for the class to begin, looking forward to a change of topic to mentally extract.

'New year, new start, Kimberley. Focus. Just pay your full attention to the first class.' I told myself. There was no sense in distracting myself with these unnerving emotions—they could wait until after school to be analyzed. Cheryl sensed that I wasn't in the mood to conversate and I was relieved when she didn't ask me how I was feeling anymore.

We sat in silence as the teacher handed out our textbooks.

"Oh, Ms. Waller, I didn't receive a textbook." I said as the teacher overlooked me.

"Sorry dear, this year I have more students than I bargained for. I will have to see if I could get more textbooks once all the teachers have had a chance to settle in with their classes. As for now, Cheryl, would you mind sharing your textbook with Kimberley please?"

"Sure Ms. Waller." Cheryl said, showing off her dimples. She slid over closer to me, arranging her textbook to be in between our already ajoined desks.

"Here Kim, come closer to us so you could see."

"Thanks Cheryl," I said with a meek smile.

"I guess you'll be relyin' on us now not to forget to bring this bloody book every class. I'm a bit forgetful sometimes—you'll have to remind us. Wouldn't want the both of us to be without a book." she confessed, feeling a bit apprehensive.

"We can take turns if you'd like so you wouldn't have to bring it all of the time."

"Oh that'd be great!" she perked up, already looking so relieved from my suggestion that I gave a little chuckle. "You know, I haven't exactly got meself me own locker yet, they didn't assign us one. Told us to wait until this first week of school is over to ask about it. The homeroom teachers want to deal with the new freshmen kids first and since we're seniors now, I have to be patient with everythin'. Bloody rubbish I tell ya."

"Wait you won't have a locker for at least another week?"

She shook her head in frustration, scrunching up her nose in the process. It was the cutest thing.

I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, not knowing how she would react to the idea of shared privacy but I thought I'd offer anyway. "Cheryl, did you want to share my locker with me? I mean I hardly fill it up all the way by myself—there's plenty of space for more things."

"Would you really do that for us?" Her big brown eyes looked directly into mine as if questioning my confidence in this decision.

"Yeah, well, it'd be temporarily anyway until you've sorted out yours. And plus we're already sharing a textbook together aren't we?" I gave her a hopeful smile when she didn't seem offended by the thought of being locker roommates.

"That'd be brilliant, Kim."

***

"Now class, please do questions #1-12 in your textbooks. I'd like your answers written in full sentences and handed in to me by Friday. And for those of you who do not own a textbook, please pair up with someone who does have one and make do until I can provide you with your own. You will still be responsible for the completion of your own homework."

"Hey Cheryl, since we're sharing textbooks, did you want to take it home first and then I'll come pick it up when you're done? Or did you want me to take it first so you can take your time with it after?"

She fused her lips together not liking the idea much of having to go through the hassle. "I've got a better idea pet, why don't we work on our homework together after school?"

I was intrigued by the thought of spending more time with her out of school. Maybe that way I'd get the chance to learn more about her. "Sure okay, I'd like that. It beats having to suffer alone."

"You read us like a book." she smirked.

***

After Socials class I walked with Cheryl back to our newly shared locker. I was getting more excited thinking about the next few days, knowing that I'd get to see her first thing every morning at school and that I'd be able to ask her how her classes went at the end of the day before we went home.

"Aren't you excited, Kim?"

"Huh?" I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt someone nudge me. Cheryl held her sketchbook out in front of me. "Oh, yeah I love art. It's my favourite subject."

"Is it? Are you really good? Did I just become lockermates with the next Picasso?" she teased, pretending to be startstruck.

"No you silly cow," I chuckled. "I'm never going to be that talented. I just... enjoy expressing myself. Art is quite theraputic."

"It's great isn't it? To be able to see the beauty in everythin' and to feel different emotions by just observin'."

"Yeah," I said as I watched her light up with passion, "It definitely is breathe-taking."