⚠️ This is a true story, unfortunately.
🖤1st in a series
✅Completed
I labeled this as teen "fiction" because my target age group usually thinks of self-help books or text books when they hear "non-fiction" and don't realize a memoir reads like a...
T: "Let's go wander the first floor hallway." P: "For what the fuck?" T: "To spy on Dan. You love morning recon." P: "Hmm...a little shake and bake, huh? Why didn't ya just say so?"
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I'd been trying to take morning strolls passed Dan's locker, in case I didn't see him in the hall. I'd convinced myself that maybe I'd made up the whole Dan staring at me thing and maybe I was imagining or exaggerating it. I needed someone else to witness and confirm I wasn't making it all up. Pen followed me to the first floor, down the hall and around the corner; to the sophomore lockers.
Dan was unpacking his backpack and putting books in his locker, when he looked up and saw me coming. He dropped his backpack and locked eyes with me. I passed him in three steps but it felt more like three blocks. Suddenly, his friend came up behind him and started talking; breaking our connection.
Once down the hall, Pen grabbed my arm and jerked me back to look at her. I turned around to see her mouth hanging open in shock. P: "What the hell was all that? That kid was looking at you like he wanted to suck your soul out with his eyes!" T: "You saw that too!? So, I'm not just making it up?" P: "That kid definitely has the googly eyes for you." I felt relief wash over me that I could at least cross that off my list of things to worry about. The bell was about to ring, so we sprinted off in our separate directions for homeroom.
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I was late, but my teacher liked me so I never got in trouble. He looked so studious, with his perfectly styled grey hair and glasses, always trying to be a scholarly hard ass, but he was a nice guy. He thought I read strange books and we always bonded over my defensive summaries of how awesome they actually were, or when he caught me saying something smartass that no one else was supposed to hear, he had this secret look he'd give me.
We said morning prayers and the pledge of allegiance, which I truly never understood. Why do they make you talk to a flag? This may come as a surprise, but it can't hear you. Which one of my bills will that flag be paying this month? I always stared off somewhere and stayed silent because the whole thing was ridiculous to me.
