I Am You

Chapter Thirteen

A couple of days after the test was taken, Miss Rose was done assessing them. That, to me, was quite surprising because she usually takes at least a week to grade the tests. We were sitting in the class, Nat next to me, Ethan in front of me. Nobody seemed to care about the results as much as we did. I mean, why would they? They didn't have a major bet placed on the scores. Nat was jumping with excitement. You'd think that your friend would take your side in a situation like this. But contrary to that, Nat was clearly hoping for me to lose this one.

Just before the class was over, we were handed out our tests. Looking at my score, I was pretty sure I had won. Ethan turned to me.

'So?' he asked.

'So?' I mocked.

'Oh my god, just say it already. I'm too excited! We all know that the first digit of the score is nine. Just say the second.' Nat said, clapping her hands.

'On three?' Ethan asked, looking at me.
I nodded.

'Oh god! One, two, three, go!' Nat squealed.

'Nine.' we said in unison.

Wow, what are the odds? First of all, I still can't believe that an otherwise stupid-seeming person like Ethan could do so well, academically. Second, how anti-climactic is that? I had been working so hard, for what? So that we could be tied? Hell, no.

'So, now what?' Nat asked, looking a bit puzzled.

'Now, your best-friend has to go on a date with me.' Ethan replied.

'No, I don't! I didn't lose.' I exclaimed.

'You didn't win either.'

'Well, neither did you. I'm not going out with you, that's final. I think that even the idea of it is stupid. It's not like we have something. Most of the times I can't even stand being around you. And why do you want to take me out, anyway? What do you see in me? I've got nothing. Basically, I'm a nerd with a little bit of sarcasm sprinkled on the top.'

My tone came out harsher than I had intended. It rattled him. He let out a deep sigh.

'Okay, you've made things very clear. I'm not going to force you to go out with me.' he said calmly. He almost looked sad. He wasn't his chirpy, usual self. 'And for the record, I wanted to take you out because I think you're interesting. More than that, I think you're more of a romantic than you let on. As for the sarcasm, who doesn't love a sprinkle of that?' he smiled.

'Oh.'

That was all I could manage to get out of my mouth. No one had really said that to me before. But let's be honest, "interesting and romantic" is a stretch. The surprising part was, he wasn't saying all this in his cocky tone. He was serious. He was genuinely complimenting me.

He came closer to me. He looked me in the eyes and gently pulled the black scrunchie from the back of my head, letting my hair down.

'It looks better this way.' he smiled as he walked away, taking my scrunchie with him.

I smiled slightly. What is happening to me? I wasn't mad that he took it with him. He seemed different today. Sincere. Suddenly, I didn't feel the need to run away from him. Something changed. I wondered if I was too quick to judge him before.

'You were too quick to judge him before.' Nat announced.

Wait, she can read minds now?

'I don't know, maybe.' I sighed.

'All I'm saying is that you should've at least given him a chance. He seems sweet.'

'Well, what's done is done, isn't it?' I asked, raising my eyebrows.