All About Him

Chapter 5: Change of Heart

I got to school really early the next day. It was a Friday and that made things easier for me. It was the last day before my ego-free, guilt-free weekend. Eli wouldn't be getting to me and I was sure he wasn't going to call and complain over the phone. Even he had enough common sense about me now to know that bugging me wasn't going to get him anywhere. He could try, but as he'd found out, he could also fail. Although I had hurt him, I did not regret it. He had to learn rejection sooner or later, didn't he? I was the only girl in school who didn't obsess over him and I was his main concern. I was convinced it was probably just to make him feel powerful. To let him know that everyone loved him. It was stupid.

No one seemed to be at school. I looked at my watch: 7:59. That's why. School didn't start until 8:30 and kids normally didn't show up until five minutes before the first bell rang. I sighed. What was I supposed to do for a half an hour? I took a deep breath and started walking to the one place I had always tried to avoid: the library. None of the cool kids hung out at the library, why should I? Well, no one was here this early, so it couldn't hurt just taking a peek at some of the books they have.

I saw a few signs on some of the book shelves. I found a large sign that read Teen Fiction in big red letters. It was perched above a huge bookcase. Without looking, I picked a random book off of the shelf. It didn't really matter what I picked. I just needed to kill time.

I sat quietly at a table in the back where no one "cool" could see me. I opened the book and read slowly. The book was about a normal girl who had a crush on a guy. Typical. She tried everything to get noticed by him, but he never even seemed to know she existed. This was the complete opposite of my life. I put down the book and sighed deeply.

"Hello?" a timid voice came from behind me.

I whirled around, startled. I saw this really short girl with glasses and a plaid skirt that went down to her knees. She looked like the stereotypical dork. I nodded at her, "Yeah?" I really hoped she knew no one popular, but I thought again and I had never seen her before. All my worries went away.

"Aren't you Libi Hartkin?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm Isabella Mani," she forced the words. I could tell that she didn't talk to people very often... if ever. "You're one that talks to..."

"Eli, yes," I rolled my eyes. It was another one of his followers.

"Actually, I was going to ask about Mark LeBroy," her voice got even quieter and her cheeks turned the cutest shade of pink.

"Oh, he's in my Spanish class," I smiled. She didn't like Eli. This was new, this was great. So I wasn't the only one that didn't like him. "Do you want me to talk to him for you?"

She nodded shyly and looked down at her hands that were clenched tightly.

"Okay. Do you want me to ask about you casually, mention you in a conversation?"

"Just ask. I have nothing to hide. Either he likes me or he doesn't. I just want it out in the open. If not, I can always find someone else," she said. Her voice was getting happier, more open. She sat beside me cautiously.

I smiled, "He doesn't talk much either. He seems like the..." I was thinking of a polite way of saying 'nerdy'. "...studious type. You two would be a very cute couple."

Isabella blushed, "Thanks..."

We had a small conversation before the bell finally rang for first to begin. I didn't start the day as mopey as I thought I would. I felt great, knowing that I would be helping a girl who I'd barely even knew. It was a new thing for me. Normally, I'd be rough around the edges. This new guilty feeling that Eli made me feel truly might have been good for my mental health.