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Ouch.

“Don’t you think we should talk about it? I’m free after school today if you are. Maybe we could meet back at the-”

“I, uh, I don’t know if I can. I’ve got something tonight.” Laine says quietly, still looking down. I glance over to see Thom glancing over at me, then going back to pretending not to listen.

“Oh, alright then.”

I bow my head awkwardly in defeat and head back to my seat. Now it’s been confirmed. I really messed up by not saying anything remotely helpful last night. I’ve always been terrible at comforting people, and I never know what to say when someone cries in front of me. The best I know to do is to just touch them in a way that makes them feel touched on the inside, so that’s what I tried to do last night. But clearly, it wasn’t enough.

Honestly, I’m more mad at myself for not being able to pull any comforting words out of my ass at the moment than actually not being able to be comforting. I mean, it isn’t that hard to at least bullshit some sympathetic words, even though I really did care, yet I couldn’t do it.

I start to space out as our AP Environmental Science teacher, Mr. Rickshaw, drones on about the pros and cons of different irrigation methods.

About halfway through class, someone taps on the back of my shoulder. As I turn around, I’m greeted with a tiny folded note. I thank the girl behind me who passed it along and open it carefully.

Inside, there’s a phone number written in neat, bubbly handwriting with the letters LL next to it. I cock my head back subtly and see Laine’s eyes go big and a soft smile plasters over her face. I smile back at her, and my face turns pink.

Yes! This is good. Maybe this means I didn’t fully mess it up last night.

I grab my phone out of my backpack slowly so Mr. Rickshaw doesn’t see, and I text the number.

Me

8:40 am hey

Laine8:40 am Hi

Laine

8:41 am I’m sorry

Me

8:41 am for what?

Laine

8:41 am

Everything. Last night

This morning

Me

8:42 am

it’s okay

are you okay?

Laine

8:42 am

I’m okay, just really embarrassed

I hate that you had to see me that way. I don’t know what came over me.