Surprisingly, I felt jealous. I would give anything in that moment to feel the boys next to me. I missed Kota’s lap, Gabriel’s chop, and the others holding my hand and touching me. The morning bell seemed to take forever. I wanted to look at my phone to check the time. I wanted to get into class, thinking the time would move by faster if I was busy with school work.
When the bell finally rang, I picked up my things and made a beeline for homeroom. Kota had made it clear to me that between classes, I was to do nothing but head straight to my next stop. The others would do the work of keeping up with me.
I immersed with the crowded hallway. There was the usual amount of whistling and cat calls and random shouts. I ignored it all. At one point, the hallways crowded so much that I was forced to stop and wait as people sorted themselves out. I paused apprehensively, keeping an eye on the moods of everyone around me. Was he angry? Would he start picking on me? Was Mr. McCoy hiding around the corner and waiting for me to mess up?
At homeroom, I felt a little awkward for not picking the same spot I usually did next to the door with North and Luke. I picked another desk near the back. I kept my eyes on the door as others filed in. My heart lifted a little as North and Luke entered. They dropped into their seats and North pushed his bag into the middle seat between them. I hid my grin, wondering why he was saving my seat when I wouldn’t be near them for a while. It was like some small amount of protest or like they wouldn’t let anyone else sit there if I couldn’t. Neither of them looked at me but I felt so much better now that I could actually see them.
I admired how they looked in their new uniforms. North’s blue blazer looked out of place on him since I was so used to his black clothes. The tie, however, looked striking on him. Luke’s white shirt was half unbuttoned, no tie. His blond hair was tucked behind his head in my clip. They were always well dressed, but seeing them in the uniforms had my heart spiraling. They were gorgeous.
Greg slipped into the classroom at the last minute. His eyes fell on the empty seat between North and Luke. He spotted me at the back. He flashed a grin. I tried to look bored and bent over to pretend to dig in my book bag for something I needed.
“Hey there, Sang,” Greg said. He snapped his fingers at the girl sitting to my left. She flinched. He jerked his thumb at her. “Move over there, bitch, that’s my seat.”
I shot the girl a sympathetic look, silently pleading with her to refuse. She frowned but moved to a seat closer to the front.
Greg slid into the chair and hung over the edge of it. He didn’t have any books or notebooks with him. The scent of menthol cigarettes lingered like a cloud around him. “So did you break up with your boyfriends?” he asked.
I kept my lips glued together. I pulled a notebook out of my bag and a pen and started writing random things just to appear busy.
“Hey,” Greg said in a strong whisper as the teacher started calling roll. “Sang. Are you going to go out with me or what?”
I focused on the notebook.
“You mad at me?” he asked. “Am I not nice enough for you?”
I glanced up at Mr. Ferguson, watching his jowls wobble as he tripped over names. It was an excuse to slide a side glance at North, who was looking in our direction. His expression was stony but I knew he was just waiting for me to tell him when he should intervene. I gave the slightest shake of my head to tell him to calm down. I could handle Greg.
Greg leaned over the front of his desk and he poked the guy in front of him. “Psst,” he said. “Yo. Give me that.”
I couldn’t see what he was demanding but a moment later the guy in front of him handed back a brand new number two pencil. Greg snatched it from the guy and held it out for me in front of my face.
“Look,” he said. “I got you a gift.”
“You’ve got a stolen pencil,” I said quietly. I had to back my head up as the pencil was right in front of my face. “I don’t want it.”
“Unappreciative bitch,” he spat at me. His mouth twisted into a grin. “You playing hard to get, right? I like it. I like fighting for my girl.”
I rolled my eyes, put my notebook away and sat back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest and ready to stare ahead until he stopped talking.
Another one of the guys caught Greg’s attention and he leaned over his chair on the other side to talk to him. I was grateful he had a distraction. I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.
“Yo,” the guy said to Greg. “Friday Fall.”
“I know, it’s going to be sweet. We picked anyone out yet?” Greg asked. “My girlfriend and I are gonna be there to watch.” He jerked his head in my direction.
I rolled my eyes.
“When is it?” The guy asked, seeming dismissive of me.
“Wait for the signal,” Greg said.
What was Friday Fall? Some kind of school event?
Their conversation turned to what they were going to do that weekend, and that mostly consisted of boasts about how much they would sleep all day and stay up all night. Trivial. The conversation lasted until the bell for dismissal to the next class.
I picked up my things, crossing the room with my head down now, trying to escape without Greg coming after me.
North remained in his seat but as soon as I started to pass him, he held out something behind his back. I reached for it, taking what felt like a packet from his hands. The slight touch of his fingers sparked warmth that spilled through my body. I clasped the paper packet in my hand, feeling the keys inside as he had promised.
In English class, I slipped inside before any of the boys entered. I picked a seat at the far back near the door. I dropped my things under the desk. I checked the packet North gave me. It was a neatly folded piece of notebook paper with my name scrawled over the front. I opened it up to pull from it four keys, including the original. The inside of the paper had a note:
Do you like me? Yes [ ] No[ ]
My throat closed up and it took the strongest effort so far that morning to blink away the tears. I took out my pen, drew a heart over the yes, and below it I wrote:
Miss you all already. Do you like me?
As soon as I finished, I thought it was too much but I had written it in pen so I couldn’t take it back. I refolded the note and stuffed it into the pocket of my book bag.
Luke, Gabriel and Kota sat together on the other side of the room, with Gabriel taking my seat. Class started and we got back our graded poems. Ms. Johnson had us start on an essay project. I was focused on my notebook, willing for time to tick by as I scribbled notes for the essay. I sensed motion around me and dismissed it at the sound of the pencil sharpener grinding a pencil.
I was adding another line to my essay when I felt a presence near my desk. I looked up in time to see Gabriel walking away with a freshly sharpened pencil and my finished poem that he grabbed from my desk. The glint in his eyes betrayed his stony, disinterested mask. I smirked, looking back down, hiding my blush with a palm as I tried to remember the lines of my poem and if it sounded stupid.
Close to the end of class, the person in front of me dropped a folded note on my desk. I blinked at it, unsure what to do. Was it meant for me? I checked it quickly, looking at the handwriting. My name was spelled wrong. I stuffed it into the bottom of my bag quickly. The boys knew my name so it wasn’t from them. Anyone watching and hoping for an answer might think I was going to read it later but would be sorely disappointed when I didn’t reply.
When the bell rang, I was heading out the door and back outside toward the building. I felt something slip into my hand and I closed my fingers around a thickly folded note. I looked up in time to see Kota stepping double time ahead of me and disappearing into the crowd. I smiled, pushing the note into my palm. I’d read a note from Kota any time.
I was the second to get to geometry class. I knew North would be right behind me. Nathan sat in his spot in class, keeping the seat in front free for North. I took the note out meant for North and dropped it on the desk befo
re I passed around the back to sit on the other side of the room.
Nathan had grabbed the note and he was unfolding it when North walked in. He crossed the room quickly, snatching the paper out of Nathan’s fingers. Nathan said something to him but North fell into his seat, looking at the page. His dark eyes softened and he pulled a pen and a notebook out of his bag, stuffing the note into his pocket.
From the place I was sitting, I had an easier time glancing at North and Nathan casually without making it too obvious, or so I thought. I caught Nathan looking over at me on occasion. We’d share a look. He’d make a face. I’d wink at him. He’d grin and bend his head over his book again.
When I thought I could, I unfolded Kota’s note.
I like your poem better.
I rolled my eyes, stuffing the note into my geometry book. I couldn’t help the small smile on my face.
A couple of notes fell into my hands during class. I checked them just to see if they were from North. When I didn’t recognize the names, I dropped them into my bag, unanswered.
No one seemed to notice the difference in where I was sitting in class. I thought that was a good sign. Maybe they thought the boys and I were casual friends, but we weren’t joined at the hip. Maybe this plan would work out after all.
I did catch a whisper from two girls nearby.
“Watch out. It’s Friday Fall.”
A warning? Were the boys hearing this same thing? What was going on?
When the bell rang after class, I crossed the room. North was stretching in his seat and when I got close, he flipped a note in my direction. I caught it, holding it in my hand. Nathan had one too, and he quietly held it out for me. I smiled, pushing both of the notes into my palm as I walked out and headed to music class.