I started off the day thinking about Hanna. I didn’t want to but she demands attention even when I want to think about something else. It’s like she’s always there, around the corner or invading my mental space. A body like hers doesn’t come around often but the personality that came attached was something I would be happy without.
The first time I met her was when she was a freshman and I was a junior. It was hard not to stare. She was built perfectly, with curves in all the right places and didn’t look like a freshman. I felt bad, too, since nearly upperclassman female hated her. She had been getting a drink from the vending machine when I walked over.
“Hey,” I say and lean against the wall next to her. She looks at me with wide blue eyes and a semi-petrified expression. I hadn’t expected that from her since she you would think a girl that looked like her would have too much confidence.
“Hi,” she replies. Her voice is lower than I was expecting. She looked like someone who would have a voice that was high pitched and squeaky.
“What type of soda are you getting?” I ask and look at the pit of the vending machine where a coke bottle is. “Ah. Good choice.”
“Yeah,” Hanna says slowly.
“You a freshman?” I look at her and I see a glimpse of a scared, younger girl. Two years doesn’t like that big of a difference but personality and appearance wise, people change a lot.
“Yeah. Babies of the school,” she says dryly and rolls her eyes. “The people here are unbelievable.”
“No kidding.” I smile and she smiles a little back. “I’ll see you around...”
“Hanna,” she tells me. “And you are?”
“Danny. Danny League.” I say and her eyes go even wider. She moves a piece of dirty blonde hair from her face and looks at me.
“What?” Hanna says and looks at me from my toes and up until she meets my eyes.
“Is there a problem with that?” I ask, a little weirded out.
Hanna blushes. “No. It’s just that I’ve seen you in sports games and stuff before. You’re really good. I just didn’t know that was you.”
“Oh,” I say and nod. “Understandable.”
“Yeah.” It’s the third time she’s said it and I think she’s starting to realize I shouldn’t be the only one talking in the conversation. “I have to get to class but see you around.”
“Yeah,” I say and wink. Hanna turns and walks down the hall, her friends walking over to her and talking quickly, glancing back at me. I remember my friends looking at her and commenting on things that were supposed to be a joke - “is that your girlfriend?” - and didn’t turn out to be later in the year.
