wondered if he noticed me or thought I was nothing special like most of the guys thought about me. I wondered if he thought I was pretty. I wondered if I would ever stop wondering this kind of stuff. Doubt it.
After three weeks, Mrs. Laurent suggested that I change classes to the college prep class during fifth hour. I realized very quickly that I was much more advanced than the students in my original class, so I was glad when she talked to me about it. I had to rearrange some of my classes to get it done, but I was ready. It was like I felt something better was coming.
So far high school hadn’t been too bad. I adjusted well and quickly to the changes. Changing classes, increased hom ework, new faces and names to remember. It all came pretty easily to me. School was actually not too horrible. I was meeting new people and making new friends in addition to my old ones. I even felt like I fit in a little better.
Reneigh sat in front of me in Mrs. Laurent’s class, which was both good and bad. As long as we controlled how much we talked and passed notes, then we would probably stay out of trouble. However, I was relieved that she was there to help break the ice. There were a lot of people from Holy Cross, the catholic school in town, and I didn’t know very many of them. I usually liked to sit up front or close to the teacher in class because I was a total nerd. But in a college prep class, I was not the only nerd in Mrs. Laurent’s class, so I was stuck at the end of the row in the back of the class. And sitting directly across from me was Jack.
Jack Schlosser. The guy that I bumped into on the first day of school. At least he smiled at me when I sat down. Hes itantly. Hmmm. He was so cute! Dark blonde hair kind of spiky on top and curled slightly around his ear, warm hazel eyes, crooked smile with a slight gap in between his front teeth. He didn’t dress like everyone else really but he didn’t stand out either. Maybe that was what made me realize he wasn’t like everyone else. Most people, including guys, got into the 80’s with bold colors and wild hairstyles. Jack was a bit more understated. His clothes were nice, but he kept his shirt untucked over jeans that weren’t too loose and weren’t too tight.
H e smiled at me. I felt a little nudge in my heart, but quickly dismissed it as being a bit nervous about missing the first few weeks in there. I just wanted to sink into my chair and keep quiet.
I suppose I dismissed his smile for a few reasons. One: I couldn’t focus on much that day except catching up and fitting in the class and all that crap. Two: I figured he was just being nice. And three: I was head over heels in love with Pete, a guy from a rival schoo l. The only problem was that Pete didn’t really know I existed.
*****
He couldn’t believe it. The day had been fairly boring so far, until he got to Mrs. Laurent’s class. And SHE walked in. She just had a way about her. The way she walked, the way she smiled and, just simply, the way she just WAS. He’d gotten so used to seeing the girls he had known forever, that looking at her was like a breath of fresh air. Today she switched classes and now she sat right across from him. In a way it felt like all of the air had left him and he was left feeling as if he was lost in a dream. Perhaps English won’t be quite so boring now , he thought with a smile.
He was used to daydreaming in class. His visions usua lly started out with Beth Anne, but recently the image of Suzy infiltrated his reverie. He had seen her here and there at school. She wasn’t just cute to him. She was beautiful. She was graceful. She was smart. Each time he thought of her, he felt a slight tingle shoot through him. He was beginning to wonder what it would feel like to run his fingers through her crazy hair. He wanted to get close to her so he could look
David Drake, S.M. Stirling
Kimberley Griffiths Little