My Mysterious Man

Chapter 2

I sit uncomfortably on the cold stool, reading the note over and over again, Mrs. Glen's old voice drowning out in the distance. I smell the light aroma of flowers from the carnation sticking out from my backpack and a couple of the pastel petals tucked inside the note. I bite my lip, the words on the page confusing me. I concentrate on the paper until I hear:

"Ellie! Ellie, are you paying attention?"

Ugh, the teacher scream. They scar us for life.

"Hmm?" I mumble, looking up. "Oh yeah, I'm paying attention. Totally," My head nods as if I was a bobblehead, and a couple of kids snigger.

"Oh yeah?" Mrs. Glen wonders, cockiness lining her voice. "Then what was the answer?"

"The answer? It was... um..." I quickly glance up at the board, peeking at the question.

Ugh, the question is so easy. I should be allowed to not to pay attention!

"20.59," I say, bored. Mrs. Glen's cocky face falls, defeated, and she turns back to the lesson. I roll my eyes and scoff lightly, and I turn all my attention to the note again. I read it again and again until it's practically ingrained into my brain.

Dear E,

It's been too long

Do you dare come along

I swear there's nothing wrong

So come to where you know it is strong.

-K

What is it?

~

I sit at the lunch table, chatting with some of the girlfriends I had seen this morning. They gossip, asking each other if they've seen Julie's new haircut or if they saw Blake and Lae making out even though it's been a week since they've broken up. I listen in, every once in a while adding my own two cents, but really I'm just waiting. It's weird for me to be here already, before Jordan, because her class is way closer to the cafeteria than mine. Finally, I call her.

She takes forever to answer, and I tap my foot in a hurried beat. Right before I hang up, I hear a, "Hello?"

"Jor, where are you? I need to talk to you!"

"I am.. Um.. at, er, the science lab. I have an, um, project coming up." A short giggle comes faintly from the line, and I figure there's someone else with her.

"Uh huh," I say, suspicious. "Hey, who's laughing in the background?"

I hear her cover the mic and shush whoever's laughing until their soft chuckle is no more. "Uh yeah, no one's here. I mean, other than Rachel, she's my partner. But other than that, I don't know what you're talking about," she laughs nervously, her anxiety reaching me through the phone.

"Riiiiiight, okay Jor. Oh, and I have one more question."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you acting so weird?"

"Me? Weird? What are you talking about? I'm always weird!"

"Not that weird. It sounds like you're lying to me. Plus, you didn't even tell me that you weren't going to be here during lunch-"

"Yeah, sorry about that,"

"-But even weirder is that Rachel is in your class and she's your partner for that project, and she's sitting right across from me!"

"Heyyy!" Rachel calls after hearing her name.

"Oh yeah, about that... What I meant to say is my STEM project is due soon, but my science teacher is watching me. Sorry E. Anyways, I got to go, Mr. Markle is looking at me weird. Talk to you after school- I'll drive you. Bye!"

"Jor! Wait!" I yell into the phone, blushing when I see all the looks coming at me. 

"Sorry!" She yells, hanging up quickly.

I finish the rest of my lunch just listening to more useless gossip.

I've got to figure out what's up.