For Elise.

Chapter 3

A week after the party, school started up again. I completely forgot about me and that girls interaction. School was uneventful as usual. Nothing happened. I went to my classes, and then I headed home, but today, today is different. I can feel it.
I put my bag and coat in my locker, but before I could even finish, my locker door slammed shut. It was Elliot.
"Elliot what the hell?" I said staring at him aggressively.
He was about to tell me the latest gossip. He does every morning. He never actually knew what was going on, Every morning Ellis would tell him the latest "Talk of the day." Who's dating who, who broke up with who, you get the picture.
"Did you hear about the new girl?" He asked me. Whispering like it was some sort of big secret.
"No I didn't." I say nonchalant. "Why is it so important?"
"I don't know." Elliot responded. "I just heard she's different, I don't know how or why. But she is, at least, that's what Ellis said. She's going to tell me more later. I'll see you at lunch." He said and then walked away.
I opened my locker again. I wonder who it is? I guess it's none of my business anyways.

I went to my next class and sat down in my seat. Third row, closest to the window. I sat through about 15 minutes of the class before my head started to throb. The night before I stayed up late to make my mother dinner. She works super late on Thursday nights, so I thought I would help her out.
"Excuse me Mr Jacobs, I didn't get a good sleep last night, may I go to the infirmary?" I asked raising my hand.
"Very well then, but be better rested in my next class." Mr Jacobs says. Clearly irritated.
When I walked out of the class, I was already stumbling, my vision was all blurry, almost prickly. Since I wasn't paying attention, and I ended up tripping over my own feet.
After regaining my balance, I realized I had bumped into someone. I looked up to see a girl standing above me.
"I'm sorry are you okay?" She said worryingly, holding out her hand.
"It's alright, thanks." I responded, putting my hand in hers as she lifted me up. When I finally got the chance to have a good look at her I realized that It was the same girl from the party!
It seems like she noticed too.
"Oh, you're the guy from the party?" She said looking me right
in the eye.

She seemed kind of intimidating, Almost like her eyes were trying to stare into my soul, my very being.
I couldn't help but try to avoid her gaze. So instead I looked at her forehead.
"Is there something on my face?" She asks.
Oh shoot, she noticed.
I look her in the eye again.
"No, it's nothing. I was just heading to the infirmary." I say, dusting myself off.
"Anyways, I don't believe I've properly introduced myself." She mentions. Pretending she didn't hear me. "I'm Elise Wood, a Senior."

I don't say anything, her name ran through my mind.
Elise Wood, I liked the way she said her name, it sounded so clear and plain.
"And your name?" She asked.
"Oh, yeah I'm August Park, also a Senior." I responded, trying to sound as cool, calm and collected as possible. However it didn't turn out like that because I was a stuttering mess.
How was Elise able to speak with such confidence in herself?

"Anyways, I'll be heading off, it was nice meeting you!" I say dashing down the hallway.
"Wait!" She says, grabbing the sleeve of my sweater. "I was wondering if I could come with you." She asks so clearly that it was hard to understand that she was even talking to me.
"You don't have to. Unless you got hurt when I bumped into you?" I ask.
"No I didn't um..." She stuttered. That's the first time I ever heard her stumble over her words. "Well, I... I was kind of hoping you and I... could possibly... Be friends?"
I stared at her in shock. "Okay, let's be friends."

So we went to the infirmary together.
This girl, is so bizarre. One minute she's criticizing me for putting my foot too far out, then we are bumping into each other in the hallway, then she's asking to be my friend. MY friend, Me, the most uncool person to ever exist. I just can't wrap my head around it.
So we sat in the nurse's office, listening to the sound of the clock tick by.

"So what are you doing sitting in the infirmary?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh, I always have to sit out during Gym period. There is too much physical exertion involved." She answers. "Honestly, I kind of hate it. I would much rather be running around with all the other kids."
"I can understand that." I say, "But if it were me, I would much rather be sleeping."

She laughed just as the bell rang.
We both stood up, almost at the same time.
"I'll see you around." She says "Maybe we can hang out sometime soon?"
"Sure." I respond, I give her a wave as she runs out of the infirmary, and to the cafeteria for lunch. I try to follow her but she was already lost within the sea of students coming out of their classrooms.