Tony and Jennifer
Jennifer had always loved Tony, since they’d met in eighth grade. It had been for three years she liked him, three years and they haven’t said one word to each other. But, just looking at him made her heart beat uncontrollably, and her mind flew into a daze. Some days he stayed late at school, and she’d stay too, just to look. Some days it hurt, loving him so much, and feeling as if he would never know she existed, let alone like her. Yet, she never looked at other boys, while Tony had multiple love interests. He had never been with the “populars” not until high school, when people started realizing how hot he had become. The girls were all over him, even some boys. Jennifer was just a distant girl, who was completely awkward when it came to boys, and was not much of a flirt. She was beautiful, with light brown hair that was silky and long. Her brown eyes were hidden behind her large nerdy glasses that distracted boys from her beauty.
While she hid backstage, Tony was the star. Wither it was his black styled hair, the dashing smile that could kill you, or the intriguing blue eyes that lured you in with just one look. He was the perfect guy, tall, fit, a gentlemen. It was almost a shock that he did not have a new girlfriend, after his former one, Jessica. She was caught cheating with her lab partner; I guess that’s just how chemistry class goes. Anyway, after finding them himself, he hadn’t even thought about dating another girl since. That did not mean that the girls weren’t interested, those who weren’t lesbian or dating, were all over him.
Jennifer was already giving up, it had been three years of tears, three years of watching, and three years of longing. Their love story begins third period, English. This was Jennifer’s favorite time of the day, he sat at that perfect staring distance, two seats diagonal from her. She was close yet not too close, and the teacher had nothing interesting to discuss so it was a long class. That day was different, when she first sat down he was deep in his literature book, as usual. But, as she lifted her head to look at him, as she would for the rest of the class he was no longer hypnotized by the book, he was looking straight at her.
When her eyes met his, she panicked and quickly looked away. She tried to cool herself down by drinking some of her water, she closed her eyes, and took deep breathes. She automatically thought, “A guy like that looking at a girl like me. Why?” then she came to what she thought was a correct conclusion, was that Tony was surely looking at Jessica. Jessica was a the loud, confident, gorgeous girl who left every boy staring. Jennifer sighed while thinking how stupid she was to think that Tony would look at her, she kept reminding herself that he was looking a Jessica, and the ugly girl was blocking his view. She decided not to look at him during that class, it hurt too much.
After English, there was lunch. While all the cool kids sat with each other, at a table which seemed as if it was clear water, that could not get infected with the weird germs. Jennifer sat with her two best friends, Anna and Chad. Chad was gay, but was the most incredible basketball player known in the high school, it took a lot of convincing, but the school finally let him on the team. Then there was Anna, she was beautiful too, yet had a lot of confidence issues, she had struggled with all of the cutting, and her anorexia. She had been so much better though, now that she was dating someone she was convinced was the one. The day continued, and Jennifer refrained from looking at him for the rest of the day. She knew she would have to stop, she couldn’t keep hurting herself like this. She knew she had to do it, and soon. She just did know how.
The next day, tgif. The long, hard week was over, and Jennifer could cruise into the weekend. But she still had English class, and she still had a deep love for Tony that had her stuck in an endless black hole. During English, she decided just to have one look at him, just to see his beautiful eyes look right through her. She slowly lifted her head to glance at him, when the world froze, stopped spinning, time had evaporated. His eyes were headed straight in her direction, as if they were speaking by just looking. He looked so intense, as if he was fighting with something in his head, or studying a foreign topic. Jennifer decided that the situation was getting a little weird, but she was too scared to confront him about it. What she did not know was that she wouldn’t need to.
While Jennifer was at her locker, she could not hold herself back from looking, “There is nothing wrong with looking, its not like he’s looking at me for the same reasons as I do for him.” she said as she shut her locker in despair. She began walking home, when she felt as if she was being followed. Being a paranoid teenager, she started walking with speed. She decided it was safe to look back and see if her feelings were delusional or not. There he was, the angel in her eyes, her reason to wake up, the one thing she knew she’d never have. Tony. Standing there, frozen as if he had no clue what he was doing. His glowing blue eyes, wide open, his pale cheeks red with the frosty air. His hands trembling in his red jacket. He began to walk, slowly but with determination to Jennifer. Jennifer could not grasp onto the crisp air that surrounded her, the atlantic ocean had formed in her palms, but all at the same time it had seemed like a burst of pure happiness had emerged from the despair. And in that single moment, of no time, no problems, no math homework, and no despair, Jennifer heard the words, “Hi Jennifer” “Hi Tony” “How are you?” “I’m good,” then the good old awkward silence between genders lasted for around a minute when, “Um, so wanna walk together? I mean since we live near each other,” he stuttered out. “Um yeah, sure, of course.” Jennifer blurted out, trying to calm herself down. “Wait, he lives down Laurel street, that ten blocks away from my house. What is going on? Is this some sort of joke? But, where is his confidence, it’s just gone, disappeared, evaporated into thin air.” Jennifer thought to herself as they began walking.
It was a mostly quiet walk, very few talks about favorite colors, food, and hobbies. Awkward was the key word. Jennifer was grateful, but had a lot doubt in her mind. The black thought of the whole thing being a joke was poising the sweet time they spent walking together. “God, I hope she didn’t think I was crazy. Uch, she probably thinks I’m such a freak. What was I thinking? Why would a smart, beautiful girl like that want to even talk to me. I’m just a simple guy that can’t even keep a girlfriend, and she so…exceptional. I am nothing.” Tony thought to himself, as he walked the ten blocks back home. It did not matter to him, he had walked with her, and that was worth everything.
