BEING HALSEY

CHAPTER 3

"Have you seen Dave?" Polly asks and drops her lunch tray on the table.

"No, why?"

" He was admiring you the whole lesson." She takes a bite from her sandwich.

I brush it off.

"Even if he was, which I sincerely doubt, you know perfectly well he'll never get interested in a low-life girl like me. And besides, he likes Khloe. The fake blonde."

"Well...okay. I just thought that since it was Dave . . . and since his eyes did follow you across the room . . ."

"Could we please just talk about something else."

Dave is the cutest guy in the whole school. His real name is Davincii, but he hates being called Vincii, so he goes by Dave instead. He has shocking green eyes and lots of blonde hair. We're both left-handed and he plays for the lacrosse team.

I like him. Like really like him. But Khloe always gets in my way. She always forces herself to him even though it's clear Dave hates her. I've liked Dave since we were in third grade. He's the one.

"Oh-oh" Polly says and grins.

I look up and try to control my blush.

Dave is walking towards our table. He pulls his chair close to mine and smiles.

I'm shaking.

"Hi."

His breath smells of mint.

I love it.

I love him.

I love "us".

"Hey." I smile back and tuck my black hair behind my left ear.

"You look beautiful today."

Beautiful? Dave thinks I'm beautiful.

"Thank you." I blush.

" What's your name again?" He asks and takes out his phone.

WHATTTTT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WE'RE ALWAYS IN THE SAME CLASS YET YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME???!!!!

"Hal."

"Yeah. Sorry, I keep forgetting."

What's there to forget? It's a three letter word. "H-A-L"

"It's okay." I smile politely.

"Can I get your number?"

YESSSSS!!!!

He drops his phone on my open palm and I write and save my number as quick as possible. I save it with a heart emoji at the end.

That should give him a hint.

"See you in class beautiful." He says and leaves.

He called me beautiful...AGAIN!

" Did you hear that? He called me beautiful!"

" Duh, I was here remember?"

THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!

"Highschool boys are morons." She rolls her eyes and takes a ferocious bite of her sandwich.

"Says the girl with a huge crush on Max. The smartest kid in school."

" Max?....No, he's....."

" cute?"

It's Friday and school ends early. I still have to clean up my room, wash my laundry and print pictures of Billie Ellish to hang them on my walls. I lose track of time and my room grows too dark. I'm forced to rise from the floor and plug in my twinkle lights. I stretch my sore muscles and stare at my window.