eudaimonia

The Smile, Part Two - at first.

I spent my first day of school barely getting to classes on time and managing to make a few friends. After three exhausting periods, I finally got to organic chem, one of the classes rumored to weed out all the students who weren't ready for the medical program. My teeth jittered a little as I found a seat in the middle of the lecture hall, hoping that I wouldn't draw anyone's attention.

My solitude was interrupted when a stunning girl tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped a bit before I realized it was just another student. She was wearing a black T-shirt with some French-looking words written on it in grey and shorts that showed off her long, tan legs. I really should've paid more attention in French, I thought to myself. Her lengthy black hair was perfectly smooth even in a ponytail-- I really wanted to ask what conditioner she used. "Yes?" I asked.

"Hey." The girl tilted her head to the side, bringing my attention to her shiny silver earrings that matched her shirt. "Anyone sitting here?" One of her manicured hands rested on the chair to my left. Her voice carried a slight California accent to it.

"Uh... yeah." I cleared my throat. "Sure." I hurriedly moved my stuff to the right and scooter over a little.

"So." She sat down and stared at me. I felt a bit taken aback, the way she was looking at me. Did I have something on my face?

"What's your name?"

"Alyssa." She held out a hand to me. "Alyssa Wang."

I shook her hand, suddenly realizing how sweaty my palms were. "Sorry," I said as I wiped my hands down the front of my pants. "I'm Jenna Hara."

Alyssa opened her mouth to say something, but the bell rang. The teacher, an elderly woman with gigantic golden hoop earrings, shut the doors with a bang. Everyone jumped in their seats. "Whoops," she apologized cheerfully, not sounding very sorry at all. Her voice was awfully high for a woman of her age. "Welcome to Organic Chemistry 8009."

We passed notes for the rest of class, doing our best to pay attention and also carry a conversation. I learned that she grew up in New York City with two brothers in a tiny apartment. When her father's business began to blow up, they moved into a larger house and could afford to send Alyssa to a better school. Her favorite color was grey and she had a dog, Pomme, who was still at home in New York with her parents.

After an exhausting four-hour lecture, the bell finally rang. It was six now, and the sun shone happily through the windows. "Wanna go get something to eat? I know a great sandwich place off-campus," Alyssa said cheerfully as we packed up our laptops and bags.

"Oh, sure!" I smiled, brightened by the prospect of a good lunch after a long class. "Do you have any other classes today?"

She shook her head. "I scheduled most of my classes towards the later end of the week so I could take care of some fundraising events for my parents. This is my only Monday class."

"That makes sense." I was impressed that Alyssa could balance work and school. I could never imagine doing that. "I'm done for the day too."

She tossed her dark hair and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go."

We made merry conversation over grilled cheeses and BLT's that night. The restaurant gave me the feeling of a cabin in the middle of the woods, with its log walls, soft-cushioned seats, and crackling fire in the corner. I loved hearing about her life at home, with her dog and siblings. I had always wondered what it would be like to grow up with brothers or sisters. As an only child, it got lonely sometimes.

"Have you ever dated?" I blurted out as Alyssa took a bite of her grilled cheese.

She laughed. I blushed, appalled at myself for even asking. "Well..." she sat back against the comfortable black leather booth. "I had a couple flings in high school, but nothing serious. I didn't want to get attached since I was aiming for an out-of-state college anyway. Have you?" Her eyes took on a sparkle as she asked that question.

"Nothing serious." I averted her gaze, finding that I suddenly couldn't look her in the eyes. "I guess I never really found the 'right person.'"

"Hm." I felt like she knew I was lying, but she didn't mention it at the time. "That's okay. Why did you ask?"

"Just wondering."

The waitress came along, putting a check on the table. I immediately pulled out my wallet, but Alyssa patted my hand and took the bill. "It's my treat today, okay?"

"At least let me pay for mine--"

"No." Alyssa winked and gave the waitress her credit card. "Please, let me." She smiled and took one last drink from her tea. "I have to go back to the dorms-- are you coming?"

I nodded gratefully. We were getting up to leave when the green-eyed boy walked into the restaurant. He was alone this time, without his group of rowdy friends. We passed by him at the entrance. He looked at me for a moment, but I didn't look back. As soon as we were out of his earshot, I exhaled heavily.

"Ooh!" Alyssa nudged me playfully. "Does Jenna like someone already? We're hardly a day into school!"

I laughed nervously and blushed. "I hope not. I just saw him on my first day here, when I was visiting. I think I stared."

Alyssa squealed happily. "I mean, I can't blame you, he's pretty cute." She flashed a saucy wink.

"Shut up!" Embarrassed, I covered my face with my hands. We walked back to the dorms, arm in arm, laughing like the world couldn't hear us.

It turns out that Alyssa would become one of my closest friends. I still think about her every day even though she's a few states away and happier than ever without me. Her endless energy and cheerful attitude made her different from anyone else I had ever met. She was perfection I could never compare to even though she never saw or thought of herself like that. She was so breathtaking and yet so blind to how spectacular she was.

Alyssa's flawlessness encompassed her academics and her... well, her everything. I could always count on her to be there for me. I made a resolution to always be there for her too. At the beginning, it seemed as if nothing could ever go wrong with her. Sometimes I still don't understand why she ever saw me as a potential friend. In everything except our studies, I was always second to her. I never minded it though-- she was the most amazing person I had ever met.

The first two months of school passed without a hitch. We helped each other in every way we could, even moving our beds closer in the dorms. She had other friends too, but she never spent that much time with them. Some of them seemed fishy to me, too-- I suspected that they were only talking to her because of her wealthy upbringing. I still don't know why she favored me so-- it was like one of those stereotyped friendships, the everything and the nothing. Why was I so ungrateful that I had her?