First Love

Chapter Eight

[Okay, I really need to apologize for this chapter because it's crazy short and it's filler-ish. But it felt wrong to continue because it has to end there but I KNOW IT'S REALLY SHORT I'M SO SORRY but it has to end. I'll start working on the next chapter asap! Thank you for reading this, I really appreciate it:)) ]

 It took me awhile to recover from the shock. I didn’t realize that I was staring blindly at the table until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

  I jumped.

  “Um, sorry about that,” The boy beside me looked a little embarrassed. “But well…”He seemed to be struggling with something. “I’m Lewis.”

  “Annalisa,” My voice sounded weak and defeated.

  He smiled, revealing braces. He had a lanky, skinny frame and eyes that were slightly magnified by his glasses. I’d always seen him in class but never got the chance to speak to him, or anyone else for that matter.

  “You know, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be stuck with Audrey,” He shivered. “That would be catastrophic.”

  I could feel my curiosity pushing past the exhaustion of the day.  

  “Don’t all guys want to be with her?” I took the papers that Adam passed down with a list of plays to choose from.

  “You’ve been generalizing,” He chuckled. “Honestly, look at me. She only sat beside me because she thought she could copy off my answers. Which is redundant because there is nothing you can copy in this subject,” He shook his head in disbelief.

  I managed a smile.

  The lesson passed quickly enough. We had a week to choose our play and prepare for it. The first one would be just a trial, to get us into the ‘groove of stepping into shoes’, as Adam put it. If his brilliant idea didn’t just scare the daylights out of me, I would honestly be excited by his teaching.

  The bell rang and the class cleared out. I lagged behind, my heart filled with this uncomfortable tension, determined not to look in Flynn’s direction. Galen had already left, one of the first few out of the room. On his way to meet Giselle, I suppose.

  I didn’t notice Lewis beside me until he spoke again.

  “Why did you change partners?” He piped up.

  I realized he had fallen in step with me, and I felt bad for wishing he would go away but I was really tired.

  “Why not?” I countered, not willing to explain.

  “I don’t know,” We rounded a corner. “It seems strange that you would give Flynn up to be with me. I mean,” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Audrey, I can understand. You, not really.”

  He was breaking it down like I was a math problem; logic and rationality. I stopped by my locker and stared at my hands. I didn’t know what to say. No one except Giselle had ever asked me anything, let alone an explanation for the ten seconds of insanity I just committed.

  Lewis was looking at me calmly, as if he didn’t find my silence insulting or strange.

  “You’re not a bad choice, Lewis,” I sighed, leaning against my locker.

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Really? I have afro hair, glasses, braces and a really bad case of acne. I top the level for Chemistry every year and I’m as about the most stereotyped geek you can ever meet in your life,” He spread his hands out like he was giving a presentation.

  I couldn’t help it, I smiled.

  “A geek who has a dramatic streak,” I corrected him, the horrible sinking feeling in my chest lightening a little.