Page 4

Connor

It has been a month since I met Abbs, and I haven’t been able to catch her anywhere.

I haven’t tried church. That would be too in your face. Besides, I haven’t exactly been in the mood for prayer lately.

In the evening me and the guys are in the Den. Stan pops by.

“Yo, bros, what’s up?”

“Hey, Stan, long time no see.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been busy. I just stopped by on my way from the market,” he says and adds: “Well, time for me to go.”

“Wait up. I’m going too. Let’s go together.” I say, getting up and following him out.

Stan keeps asking how things are with Abbs.

“Since you’re asking, Stan, listen… We got introduced.”

“Oh? How’s that going for you?”

He’s close to the only person who didn’t believe what people said about Abbs. He used to say she was the best friend he could have. The way he spoke about her made me feel jealous about the time he got to spend with her. They were too close to each other. I even started wondering if he had a thing for her.

“I don’t know. I’d like to get to know her better. Maybe you could tell me which way she goes to school? At what times?”

“I could tell you, Connor, but why would I do that?”

“Come on, spill.”

“Do I have a choice here?” he grumbles. “She takes the morning bus, the eleven-eleven, at seven thirty-five, and walks through there.” He gestures to a path between the school and some buildings.

“Thanks, bro.”

“Just don’t fuck this up, Connor. I really do like and respect her.”

“Chill, dude. I’m good.” At this point, I’m not even interested in the bet anymore. This is something else. For some reason, I just can’t stop thinking about her. Morning can’t come soon enough.

I get up and shower. It’s twenty past seven. I’m on my way to the door when I bump into Dad, who shoots me a shocked stare.

“What? I’m going to school. Got some change for a bus ticket?”

“ You’re going to school? All the luck getting there, son,” he mutters, but he hands over a couple of bills. I don’t blame him. Even when I pretend to go to school but end up in the Den, I never leave so early.

I reach the crossing behind the school and stop, scanning the neighborhood. I’m standing by a tree and—fuck me!—I’m getting nervous. Weird as balls.

I light a cigarette to calm down a bit. When I’m at my last drag, I notice her. She’s wearing a short, tight-fitting miniskirt and a short coat. Holy hell, look at those legs! I imagine her wrapping them around me, losing herself in… I shoo away the distracting thoughts that keep trying to take my mind over. She’s going to school wearing that? Is that, like, even allowed? They shouldn’t allow that. Jesus, I couldn’t keep my focus in class if I had a piece of ass looking so sexy sitting next to me.

I set out nonchalantly. Her face twists into a puzzled expression as our eyes meet.

“Hey!” I call out.

“Hi, Ve! What are you doing here?”

“I’m on my way to school.”

“Really? I’ve never seen you here at this time.”

Fuck, she’s smart. I’d better watch my tongue. Wouldn’t want to ruin this.

“Uh, no, we just never ran into each other.” I attempt to sound natural.

“Maybe,” she says, apparently accepting the explanation. “So, you’re going to school? Which one?”

“ONC,” I reply fast.

She asks me a few more questions. I try to keep my cool and reply logically, but listening to her melodic voice scrambles my brain. She’s so pretty. I like looking at her—the way her lips move, the dimples in her cheeks as she smiles.

The bus arrives. I get in, intent on continuing our conversation. She seems surprised that I’m on her bus, but it also goes to my school. It’s her stop in a couple of moments. I want more. I’d like to kidnap her and spend the whole day with her.

“Bye, Ve. That’s my stop. Have a nice day!”

“Thanks, you too. Bye.”

The moment she leaves, the bus grows gray, as if all the colors and all the light came from her. When I reach the stop where I can swap buses I do so. I quickly check when the bus back will arrive. Alright, I have five minutes. I light up a cigarette. I can’t get her out of my head. She’s so petite and takes up so much space inside my skull. Nobody has ever fascinated me like that. It’s incredible how I feel when we’re close. Even stranger is the emptiness that immediately fills me when she leaves.

The bus arrives. It’s nearly empty, so I take my favorite seat—the one in the back. I’m at the Den by eight in the morning. There’s nobody there, so I lie down. The plan is to catch the bus that’ll let me travel back with her. It’ll look as if I’m returning from school. I just hope she won’t think I’m some kind of stalker.

As I lie and think, Phil drops by.

“’Sup, bro. What’re you doing here this early?”

“Hey, Phil. I didn’t want to stay home,” I lie. I don’t know why but I don’t want Phil to know the truth.

“What’s the situation on Abigail?” he asks.

“What’s it to you?” I retort coldly.

“I was just wondering if you managed to wrap her around your finger yet. Or that other one.”

“I thought the bet was off, but if we’re still doing this, I’m in,” I say, my voice neutral and impassive.

“Oh, it’s on, but they’re pretty hard to catch lately. What if we pool our resources, and I focus on that Lizzy girl more?”

“We can do that,” I say, inwardly happy he chose Lizzy. At least he won’t be in my way. On the other hand, it’s suspicious he’s so eager all of a sudden.

By the time Abigail should be ending classes, I leave the Den.

“Where are you going?” Phil asks.

“I have a thing. Catch you later.”

When the bus stops by Abby’s school, I start getting nervous all over again. It’s not like me at all, but I’m getting used to the feeling whenever I’m with her. More alien still is the thing that fills me when I see her enter. Relief, happiness maybe, or something less defined…

“Hey, Abby.” I wave at her from the back.

“Hey, Ve,” she replies, dragging out the sound. She seems puzzled.

“Sit next to me?” I call and pat the seat next to mine. Her friend, one with a less-than-stellar opinion among her peers, says something to Abigail and fixes me with a stony stare. Abby walks over. I feel the heat radiating from her as if wrapping around me.

“Going back from school? Your classes end the same time mine do?” she asks, pinning me with her eyes.

“Seems so.”

“How was your day?”

“Dragged on forever,” I say. That’s not even a lie. For some reason, I just couldn’t wait to see her again.

We ride the bus home together. She seems a bit on edge as if my presence is paralyzing her. Maybe I’m being too forward. I don’t want her to think I’m some kind of perv, but I feel those vibes from her—she’s definitely keyed up. We reach the spot where our paths diverge. It’s where we met. By the old school. I realize I’d like her to stay with me for a while longer. Sadly, I have no idea what I could do to keep her. Maybe I should walk her home, but I don’t want to overdo it and come across as a creep, so I say: “See you around.”

“Yeah, see you, Ve,” she replies curtly, sending me one more look.