To Zion

4

The following event was so suspicious that I had to add Cooper to my list of suspects. Before this, the thought never even crossed my mind. Maybe he has someone helping home. If it's not him, then he has to know who it is. Maybe he's helping them...

So, here what happened. I was switching out my books in my locker at the same time as Cooper. His locker is on the other side of the hallway and a few lockers over. I was almost finished when I heard him call me over.

So of course, I ran over to his locker, leaving mine wide open. It turned out to only be a picture of a cat that he wanted to show me. I mean, it was adorable, but totally something he could have shown me on our way to class.

I was only gone for a minute, but there, sitting in my locker, was another paper airplane.

I looked over my shoulder quickly, but Cooper still had his back towards me. Looking back at the airplane, I saw the same words written on the wing. To Zion.

Quickly unfolding the paper, I quickly read the messy words written there.

Zion,

Finally I can say all of the words I've been meaning to say to you for so long. I can't even remember falling in love with you. It must have happened gradually. So gradually that I let so much time slip by before letting you know. I remember when I first saw you. I thought your hair was brown. And then I saw you in the sunlight...
Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your hair is? Is so dark red you almost can't tell. I'm not a pervert, I swear. I don't stare at you that often. Just sometimes I can't help it. Please don't think I'm a creep. I'm just someone who has fallen so hard for you that I don't think I'll ever recover.

-your secret admirer

I slowly folded the airplane back up, my movements slow and unsteady. This all felt unreal. Someone, someone in this school was in love with me. In love? With me? Why?

"Hey, you coming to class?" I vaguely heard Cooper's voice from behind me.

"I'll...I'll be right there."

"Okay....you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good." I sent him a smile that seemed to reassure him, because he nodded and started to walk down the hall.

I looked down at the paper airplane, wondering who on earth could think so highly of me. The first airplane I had received was still in my locker, and I set the new one down by it carefully.

I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see who else would be late for their class.

"Miller! I didn't know you were back." I closed my locker quickly, falling instep with Miller, who sent me a small, almost imperceptible smile.

"I actually have been back at school for the last few days...I just haven't spoken to you since I got back."

"Well, we only share literature, so it's not like we run in to each other a lot."

Wait so that means...Miller was there the first day I got an airplane. Not that I think it likely, but...

"Male pronouns are good." His words were hesitant, even though he knew I wanted to hear his pronouns.

"Alright." I smiled at him, and he nodded curtly.

"Are you...how are you?" I asked carefully, and he pulled a sour face.

"You'd think better, right? Let's just say seeing you made me feel a whole lot better. But I'm still not looking forward to calculus."

"Is anyone ever ready for calculus? Who do you sit by?" Friends were always a problem for Miller. He was usually too shy to start a conversation, and most people thought he was a little strange. The world was cruel to people like Miller. He was too gentle for most people to understand, and so they avoided him.

"No one? I mean, sometimes Laurie if he actually shows up." He laughed breathily.

"I still don't understand how he plans on graduating."

"I don't think he does." I met Miller's brown eyes and saw sadness there. I worried about Laurie too. Worried about him and Miller, for entirely different reasons.

"Yeah." I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "I wish I knew how to help him more. Like, I talk to him when I can and stuff, well, when he lets me, but I don't feel very helpful."

Miller looked sideways at me, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Zion...you do more good than you know."

He smiled one more time, leaving me at the door of my classroom, more confused then u had been before he spoke to me.