I walked into the cafeteria a few days later. I was late meeting up with Aaron. I had a big test in French class and I’d been studying with my group. My eyes shifted over the room and locked on Aaron. I sighed. He was perfect.
“Aaron!” I waved at him from across the room.
He frowned but waved me over to the table where he was sitting.
“Hey,” I said as I sat down beside him.
“Where were you? I’ve been waiting all lunch?” he asked in annoyance.
I paused for a second surprised by his angry tone. I’d told him before that I’d be a little late. “At the library. I told you I was going to be there for a bit.”
“I didn’t think it would be this long. Lunch is practically over,” he said, the corners of his mouth still tilted down in a frown.
“I’m sorry,” I finally said to appease him. This wasn’t like Aaron at all. He was usually happy go lucky. Where was the attitude coming from?
He didn’t comment on the apology and when I looked up at him, I saw that he was staring across the room. I looked in the direction he was looking at and was unsurprised to see Vanessa standing by the doors flirting with some guy.
“Aaron?”
He glanced down at me in surprise, like he just remembered I was there. “Yeah?”
“Did you hear what I said? I’m sorry I was late.”
He shook his head. “No, I should be apologizing. I wasn’t really angry with you. I was just, uh, what’s the word--transferring my feelings. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
“Well, who made you upset then?” I asked, even though I clearly knew it was Vanessa. I just wanted him to admit it to me.
“Uh, forget it. It was nothing … So, where do you want to go out this weekend?”
I looked at him, slightly disappointed that he wouldn’t tell me what he was feeling but I quickly cheered up at the prospect of going out with him that weekend.
“I don’t care. You decide.”
“How about Luma’s?” Jake said suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
He slid into the seat across from us and pushed a flyer across the table. I glanced down. Jones, that was Jake’s band, was playing at Luma’s that Saturday night. Luma’s was one of the only restaurant/bars in town that played live music every Saturday night. To get a gig there was a big deal.
I looked up at Jake and beamed at him. “Jake, that’s great. Of course, we’ll go.”
“Yeah, that’s awesome man. We’ll be there,” Aaron said nodding.
“Good,” Jake said getting up as the bell rang announcing lunchtime was over.
I got up with Aaron. He took my hand in his and looked
deeply into my eyes. “I’ll see you after.”
”Okay,” I said smiling at him.
He kissed me on the cheek and left with his football buddies.
“So, it looks like you got what you wanted,” Jake said as we left the cafeteria and walked to English Lit together.
I grinned. “Yeah. Things have been good. He’s even taking me to the Winter Dance and everything.”
Jake tilted his head as he gazed at me. “The Winter dance and everything, huh?”
“Oh shut up,” I said reaching over and smacking him. “I don’t care how much you mock me. I’m too happy to let it bother me.”
He gave me a lopsided grin before saying, “Okay E. I’ll lay off.” We entered the classroom and sat next to each other as we waited for the class to begin.
Jake could mock me all he wanted but the Winter dance was a big deal, no matter what he said. It was the second biggest dance of the school year and everyone was going. I glanced at Jake. Well almost everyone
“What about you, Jake? Why don’t you come to the dance?” I whispered as our teacher started writing on the board.
He gave me a disgusted look. “You know school dances aren’t my thing. There’s the whole dancing aspect and the music – that horrible shit they call music. I don’t think I could take it.”
“The last time you went to a dance was, like, seventh grade. Things have changed since then. You might even have fun.”
“E, I don’t dance. It’s not happening.”
I was about to say something else when our English teacher, Mr. Douglas, called the attention of the class to the front of the room.
“Today we will spend most of the class on your group assignment. This assignment will in part show me how much you know about the works we have read as well as your writing skills.” He went around the class passing around the assignment.
“In a group of two or three, your group must rework or re-write a scene of one of the plays we have read. You must tell me which scene you want to do so I can write it down. No one can do the same scenes. Everyone must present the scene that they wrote in front of the class. I will let you choose your own groups. When you have done so, please pick a scene and come to the front of the class so I can mark it down.” He nodded briefly to the class before sitting down.
Chairs scraped back as people got up to choose partners and I looked around wondering who I should work with.
Jake leaned over towards me. “So, which play do you want to do?”
“And what makes you think I want to go with you?” I asked him pointedly.
He shrugged. “Okay, I’ll find someone else.” He turned away and reached over to tap the shoulder of the girl sitting in front of him.
“Wait, wait. Okay. There’s no need to be hasty. A girl just likes to be asked,” I said laughing.
He turned back a small smile on his face. “I knew you couldn’t resist Coppley. All the late night study sessions we could have.” He leered at me in a teasing manner and I laughed.
“Riiight,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Stop flirting with me and let’s get to work,” he said, pushing his chair so he could sit closer to me.
I rolled my eyes again at his flirting comment before bending my head to read the assignment.
By the time we had chosen the play, discussed what scene we were doing and told Mr. Douglas, class was over.
“So how about we get together tonight to work on it?” I said as I gathered my books.
Jake raised a brow. “E, we have three weeks.”
“I know,” I said. “I just like things to get started early. The early bird and all that.”
Jake shook his head at me as we walked out of the classroom. “Sometimes I forget what a big geek you are, Coppley.”
“Oh, shut up. Are we meeting or not?”
Jake stuffed his hands in his pocket and shrugged. “Yeah, okay. Your place or mine?”
“Try not to sound too excited or anything,” I said sarcastically.
“It’s schoolwork. What you want from me? Cartwheels?”
I giggled at the image of Jake doing cartwheels. That would be the day.
“Cartwheels would be a bit much, I think. Anyway, how about you meet me at my
house and then you could stay for dinner.”
He nodded. “All right, sounds good.”
“Okay, so I guess meet me after school in the lobby?”
He nodded again and we parted ways.
I felt someone slip an arm around me as I was walking down the hall. I looked up and saw Aaron smiling at me.
I giggled. He was so cute. “Hey.”
“Hey. Walk you to class?” he asked.
”That would be great.”
We walked like that all the way to my class and I knew I was glowing.
Life was perfect.
...