Paying Attention

CHAPTER TEN

Once I walk into school I immediately see Elijah, and he's just a few people ahead of me. Mariah and I walk up to him and I say, "Hey."

"Hey." He say's smiling. 

"So how are you?"

Oh great, the awkward, trying to start a conversation, conversation.

"Pretty good. How art thou?"

I honestly don't know why I say it like that. I just do sometimes. It's just fun.

"Good. A little tired, but good."

"That's good."

I'm glad that Mariah is here, because it's already taking some of the tension away, which I don't know why it's there. 

"So how are you Mariah?"

"I'm good." She replies simply. I think that since she already heard his answer from my question she just decided not to ask. Good call, because it would be a little pointless.

"Good, good." He say's, rocking back and forth on his heels. "So have either of you seen The Woman In Black?"

"Oh my gosh, yes!" I say. "It was so freaking scary, but also so freaking good. I screamed the whole way through it."

"I know, right? But I bet that I handled it better."

"Ptsh! You weren't even there when I saw it. So how would you even know?"

"Because I'm a man," he say's puffing out his chest, and adding a deep voice. "And men don't get scared."

"Okay, I'm gonna see it with you sometime, and we're gonna see who's REALLY screaming!" I say laughing a little.

"And I know exactly who it's gonna be." 

"Who? You?"

"Yeah," he say's sarcastically, "and I'm also going to be the one who will be screaming into your arms, and you'll be rocking me like a baby."

"Well, you're pretty right on that one." I say.

He laughs, I laugh too. Because even though it's a stupid bicker contest, it just seems so funny.

The bell rings and we say goodbye, even though we're gonna be seeing each other at lunch again, and go our separate ways to our classes. It's not until I'm about halfway down the hall, that I realize that Mariah is right there. I had forgotten about her, and that she had the direction to go to, and she also was so quiet. I guess when a talkative person is quiet it's hard to remember that they're there. Well.... sometimes. In most cases I think you get to wondering where that person is. I think it's because I'm still used to her going off to her own friends, which she doesn't have anymore. Which is weird considering that she's been hanging out with me and my friends for the past two weeks. Hmm. I should work on paying attention a little better. And I should probably stop having long times of thinkings (you know what I mean), and just clear my mind. Which isn't really possible for me. Okay, now I'm gonna focus on her.

"Hey Mariah." I say. "Are you okay."

She shrugs her shoulders. "I guess."

I put my arm around her and squeeze a little before we go off into our different classes.