I’m really starting to like this girl. She told me her name was Jazz.
Evan says we can’t be friends now because I like Jazz. I don’t get it but he did a finger guns gesture when he said it, so I guess it was supposed to be funny. There were little question marks floating around my head at that moment.
Then Jazz and I are walking together. Her mom picks her up around four. I can go home sooner; I don’t really want to. I told Dad I had to talk to a teacher after school. So now we’re walking around together. I hadn’t actually realized there was another set of stairs on the science building. I swear I’ve only ever seen the ones by the small gym. We stand on the stairs by the auditorium. We look at the distant skyscrapers by the beach. It’s a lovely view but I can’t help sneaking glances at her instead.
Just say it. C’mon John, you know you like her, just tell her. C’mon, what’s the worst that could happen?
She could grab your shirt collar and jump off the balcony, taking you with her to your horrible splat three stories below.
She could be like Isabelle. That one hurt.
“You know you’re really kinda cute.”
“Thanks,” I reply, before my mind registers what she said.
Then I whip around to look at her. She looks crushed.
“Oh my god wait. Really? Do you mean it?”
She does this adorable half-laugh-half-sigh. It was poetic.
“Yeah,” she says. “I’ve been crushing on you for a few weeks now.”
Holy-mother-of-all-holiness- thank-you-Jesus-and-Santa-Claus -and-Buddha-and-whoever-else-made-this-happen. I am shocked.
She’s still looking hurt. I don’t know what to say. This is not how I saw this going. I am okay with this. I am very okay with this.
I smile and she smiles back, softly. We walk down the stairs. She says she has to use the restroom.
I wait outside. Dad says he’s here, but I don’t want to go. He calls my phone. I can’t ignore it; I pick it up and walk to one corner of the science building. I hear the bathroom door open and turn around slowly.
All I catch is a flash of her hair and a quick glimpse of tears on her cheeks. Then she runs down the stairs.
“Wait!” But she’s gone. What the hell just happened?