Teachers Pet

7: Reasonable Enough

        After a week of getting to know Nolan during classes and lunch, I started to really enjoy his company. It also meant I didn't have to sit by people I had nothing in common with. It made getting stared at by Jillian and Dean more bearable too. I could see it on their faces, how they wanted to approach me again. A second time wouldn't be wise for either of them. I was only slightly more tolerable with Dean because we had to practice our lines together. Mrs. Burns suggested we practice after school, but I took a hard pass on that offer. My excuse had been that I needed to help my mom after school every day. Mrs. Burns couldn't ask me about personal problems at home.

       I think when Nolan started walking with me to classes we had together or near each other, I started to feel like he could be someone I could get use to. I liked talking to him. He made me laugh and seemed to not take much of anything seriously. He reminded me of Cassie, in male form. It turned out that they knew each other too. They were actually really good friends. Apparently, when Nolan was on the football team last year, they almost dated. Nolan had said they both felt weird about it, that they were too alike. Hearing that made me happy for some reason. I didn't want to think of him that way. I was still dealing with my complicated thoughts about Mr. Pierce.

        "You alright over there?" I looked up to Nolan, blinking myself out of a daze. He was chewing on half a meatball while I still had my fork in my mouth unmoving.

        "Yeah," I said against the food in my mouth, removing the fork with a smile. Nolan raised an eyebrow at me, seeming amused with me.

       "Where'd you go just now? I've been having a conversation with myself."

       "Was it nice?" He shrugged as he shoved another bite of food in his mouth.

       "Conversations with me are always nice." I laughed, shaking my head at him. I knew he was joking, but the confidence he always had made me smile. I'd been right about my first impression of him. He was someone who when they wanted something, they took it. Maybe I was just getting that from our conversations, but I didn't seem too far off. I'd taken the bus this morning for the first time in forever and coincidentally ran into him. I sat in the front with him, not wanting to sit alone in the back. When an elderly woman got on, there were no more seats. Being the closest to the front, I figured Nolan would get up. He just sat there, on his phone trying to show me pictures of places he'd vacationed to. I ended up relinquishing my seat to let the woman sit down. Me and a few other people actually. I tried to shrug it off as him not noticing. He was quick to give me his own seat though.

       "Loverboy is staring again." He said it a bit loudly, probably to make it aware to others or to make sure Dean had heard. I wished he had heard too.

       "I don't care. I'm not acknowledging him. Only during drama class does he semi exist." Nolan kept his eyes over my shoulder as he ate. I tilted my head to make him look at me. He glanced down at me and smiled, knowing I knew what he was doing.

       "You may not acknowledge him, but I can."

       "You're egging him on. You know he's probably jealous." Nolan leaned forward with a big smile. I didn't back away from him. I just smiled too.

       "Do you think he's jealous now?" His breath hit my face and as cliche as I wanted it to be, to say it was sweet, it just smelled like pasta.

       "I think you're breathing spaghetti sauce into my face." Nolan blew air at me, causing me to push him away laughing. His laughter was a bit louder than mine. I'm sure he was trying to get Dean's attention more so this way.

       The week that followed, I kept making sure I wasn't early or on time to school. For the past two weeks, I've been a minute or two late. Mr. Pierce never minded. It wasn't until today that I thought more about it. I walked into class, three minutes late. Mr. Pierce noticed me come in quietly through the back without saying anything. A kid beside me threw a small piece of paper my way. I looked at him, confused as to who he even was. He held up a piece of paper and jutted his chin my way.