Yesterday when I was at Elijah's and waiting for my dad to come and help me with the car, Elijah's mom kept on trying to get me to tell her all of the marvelous things that must have been happening so far this year. Honestly I didn't have much to say except, because its me and Elijah's senior year, I've been stressed with getting my college and scholar applications done, especially because most of them are due in December, so next month. Actually, scratch that, mom has kept on hammering on me to get things done, and how I'm lazy and she can't baby me all the time, blah, blah, blah. Things like that. Well she had gotten bored of me soon and had said, "Well that's nice. I hope that you get your applications done. Well I gotta go help with moving boxes." And then she had just walked off.
In the meantime, Eli had continuously attempted to get us into a dark area so that we could "talk." But then we would hear his mom's voice calling him. It's like she has eyes everywhere, that woman. A few times I had just been minding my own business, and then I would feel a hand clamp over mine, and then I would be drawn somewhere away from where the family usually was.
Several times he would be just inches from my mouth, but in those instances his mom called to us, saying how he had to carry another box agian. After that had happened for the fourth or fifth time, he finally had just pressed his lips to mine, creating an instance that was simple but magical at the same time.
After a while his dad finally had come home, and had relieved Elijah of his civic duties. His dad is a tall white man with light brown hair that is graying on the sides, and kind eyes. A very patient man for Elijah's mom.
When I had gotten home, the whole day had seemed like such a blur that it seemed impossible that Elijah had ever kissed me.
***
It's friday, that means just a week and one day more until Sadie's. I don't know how I feel about it exactly. I mean I'm excited, but nervous at the same time, which is stupid that I would be nervous at all because Elijah and I hang out all of the time and have been best friends since junior high. I just don't know.
I walk into school with Mariah, and it is all abuze as per-usual. We awkwardly squeeze in between a large group of people who thought that standing in the middle of the hall would be a briliant idea to talk to all of their friends.
We find my group of friends, and they are all crowded in a corner of the commons that is AWAY from people. See, me and my friends, we're considerate.
Once we are a part of them I don't even listen to the conversation that is happening right now. I am looking at Eli, and he is looking at me, smiling slightly, casually leaning against the wall. I can feel a blush rise in my cheeks, and I look down. After a minute I peek back up and he is talking to Alicia, but I can see the corners of his eyes turn to me every once in a while.
Mariah, who is standing next to me, gives me a side-long knowing glance, and she smiles slightly to herself, a lot of I told you so written all over her face.
I blush again, and then the bell rings, and I am off up to the third floor to math.
***
"Hey." I say to Jeremie as I slide in my seat in front of him just as the first bell rings. I smile at him, but this time not because he is crazy attractive (allthough that is a well-known fact), but because I am thinking about Eli.
"Hey." He replies. He returns the smile ever so slightly, almost as if its hard for him, like something is on his mind.
"What's up?" I say for small talk, even though I hate small talk.
"Not much."
"Okay class!" Mrs. (No wait, Ms.) Smith calls. She is wearing her regular beige outfit with the pencil skirt and shirt, but today there seems to be something off about her. Her hair is falling out in large pieces from her usually neat bun, and she has large bag's under her eyes as though she had not been able to sleep last night. The top buttons of her shirt are coming undone, and her white camisole underneath is showing off her surprisingly big boobs. I wonder if she has on a push up. Wait, no she doesn't. Oh man, this is the worst I have ever seen her, and that's saying something. She is sitting down, ruffling with a bunch of papers on her desk, confusion crossing her face several times. I slowly get up and walk toward her.
"Umm, Mrs. Smith. Are you okay?" I say gently. I feel bad for her, I can't help it.
She looks up at me, tears welling up in her eyes. Her mascara has already run, I can see, and is creating a dark look for her. Her chin starts trembling, and then, out of nowhere, she grabs me around the waist and lets out a sob. I am so surprised, that for a moment I don't know what to do, and look out to the class for help, but they are just as surprised as me, and no one is moving. The whole room is silent apart from Mrs. Smiths hiccupping cry's.
Finally when she calms herself down enough to talk, she carefully looks up at me. I don't realize until now that my arms reflexively had gone around her while she cried. There are low murmurs from the students that starts to fill the room. "I don't think that Mrs. Smith would be the right thing to say anymore. I'm going to take back my maiden name, Tyler." She turns away from me, and then releases me, leaving me standing there, feeling where her arms were just moments before. "I tried to get him back." She continues. "I tried, but he just does not want that. We're already divorced, but HE has been the one who wanted to leave. Is it my fault that I wanted to try to keep him a little more even though I loved him and he never loved me?"
No. No, its never anyones fault. She just fell in love with the wrong person.
She looks at me again, but now I see the old Mrs. Smith start through her eyes. "Well, what are you doing over here? Get back to your seat so I can teach my lesson, unless you have a question for me." I smile slightly, Ms. Smith probably embarassed that she let her guard down.
I lean toward her, a small smile on my lips, but not one that is full of laughter. "Um, maybe you should clean yourself up a little Ms. Smith." I whisper.
She looks down at herself. Horrified she runs out of the room, grabbing her big bulky purse on the way. The whole class is quiet once more until small talking starts to ring through the room as in any other class. I am sitting back at my desk now, staring at the door, listening to all of the wild blunders about Ms. Smith (or I guess Ms. Tyler now).
"That was crazy." Jeremie say's. "I've never seen her NOT controlled."
"I know, right?" I say. "That was so weird. And you know what? I feel bad for her. Poor lady only wants to be loved by someone who doesn't deserve her."
"Yeah." He say's quietly.
She walks back in fifteen minutes later, her hair smoothed down around her shoulders (something I've never seen), and a little bit of some bright makeup on her face. She has a bra on now, luckily. She must have gone home quickly to get one, and she is dressed the same as she usually is; but something about her now seems like she has let go of all of her troubles. I could get to really like this woman.
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