Question Mark

Chapter 1

After parading around the school for an hour, Elliot leads us back to the auditorium. Since it's the end of the tour, my friends decide now is the time to play 20 questions with our gorgeous tour guide.

"What year are you?"

"Sophomore."

"Do you play any sports? You look like you play."

"Football, soccer, and hopefully swim next year; I got injured at the beginning of the year, but don't worry your pretty little heads; I'm fine now."

"Where are you from?"

"Here—born and raised." He shuffled through the group to stand beside me, and nudges me with his elbow. "You're a lot quieter than your friends. Why's that?"

Out of pure shock—from his touch and the question aimed to me, I don't answer him; but, my friend starts coughing to snap me back to reality. "I'm just," I pause to think, "taking in the school. I might not go here because I got some acceptance letters from the specialized schools in the county."

"Well, Miss. Acceptance Letter, I hope you join Seaside." His eyes have drastically softened and I notice our whole group has subconsciously stopped. The air has a weird tension, but he slowly starts the walk back to the auditorium again.

Before reaching the doors to the auditorium, Elliot pulls for my wrist, leading me away from my friends. They all see me following him, my wrist in his hand, and pause to see what happens next before another group of girls push them through the doors.

He let's go of me and softly says, "I really do hope you stay, Acceptance Letter." He's still keeping up with the nickname.

I love it.

He smiles, imprinting it in my brain, and turns away to a corner into an empty hallway. What just happened? I'm not given enough time to process the past couple of minutes when a teacher calls me over to find a seat inside, but his smile is mirrored on my face as I walk and grasp his memory.

I make my way down the stairs-aisle—scouring for my friends in the the sea of future freshmen—to tell them what I think happened. When Brandon sees me coming down, he steps out blocking my path, with a concerned face, making my "Elliot" smile falter each step the closer I get to him.

He places his hands on my arms before speaking, "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop thinking about you during the entire tour. I don't even know where the auditorium is."

"We're inside it, though." I say, pointing to the ceiling.

He stares blankly at the horribly lit seating room. "Oh. Well, I couldn't stop thinking about what happened on the bus, and I don't want you to rethink our friendship, please. You've helped me through more than you think."

He's right. His parents divorced before mine and we became friends in the lobby of a stuffy law firm, where his parents were confirming things and mine were just beginning the process.

"Yeah. I'm not going to let your feelings ruin a perfectly great friendship."

He looks hurt and confused, but he pulls his hands to his sides while a teacher starts sauntering through the aisle we're in. I shuffle around him and find an empty seat beside Hannah. My friends start to ask their pressing questions all at once.

"Wait! What just happened?!"

"What was that?"

"I missed something, and I think I'm not the only one, what's up?"

"Hey, I thought you were going to tell us when you and Brandon were going to get together."

"Are you guys going to completely ignore the fact that Elliot stopped her before getting here?"