Falling Slowly

Chapter Two: Lunch

Chapter Two: Lunch

“So, I heard you had an interesting morning,” Hayden said sliding into the bench next to Gemma. He kissed her forehead in greeting and she smiled, tenderly and lovingly.

I sighed slumping down into my seat, feeling small. “I should have just stayed invisible.” The dark clouds loomed overhead, covering the edge of the sun as the world turned gray. It was going to rain. In any other given day I would welcome the rain with open arms, but not today as I was wearing a dress and would be walking home. Dad had a first day of school meeting, and I imagined that they would throw a grand old party filled with confetti, balloons, cake - the whole shebang. They’d probably celebrate the first day of school, and the very fact that no teacher committed murder or strangled a kid.

I took out my peanut butter and banana sandwich from my bag taking a huge bite of it as the growling in my stomach ceased. The sticky peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth, while the sweet taste of banana added an extra hint of yumminess. There was nothing better than peanut butter and banana sandwiches for the first day of school. It was tradition, a custom that was presently only celebrated by one.

“I think it’s too late for that.” I heard Hayden say bringing me back from my thoughts. I looked at him and saw his eyes flickering back and forth between me and something behind me. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at Gemma to see if I could detect any trace of what Hayden was looking at. I had no such luck. Gemma was finding her container full of fruit seemingly more interesting than the conversation at hand. She glanced at me, but quickly averted her eyes.

I looked back at Hayden to see the smirk on his face. Curiosity got the best of me and I turned around to lock my brown eyes with cold slate blue ones. He was leaning against the stucco wall of the art building. His arms were leisurely crossed over his chest and his eyes were calculating as he watched me.

There was no wave. No smirk. No way of indicating that he saw me looking back at him, curiously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lit it in one swift motion. I shook my head, disappointment washing over me like a giant tidal wave crushing me under its might.

“Looks like he’s taken an interest to you.”

I turned around and glared at Hayden. He was amusing himself with this new piece of information and I kicked him under the table. “Ow, hey! I’m just messing with you. Relax, will you? You don’t need to be violent.”

Gemma stifled a laugh and I smiled. She spoke as she signed, “Shouldn’t have said that.”

Point one for Anya. Score! Hayden was going down. I smiled and said, “Exactly. Listen to your girlfriend. Jerk.”

He shook his head. “Women.”

Hayden was so difficult sometimes. But I liked him. He was a good guy for Gemma and saw past her disability. He even started to teach himself how to sign with the help of Gemma and I on a daily basis. At this very moment, Hayden was trying to sign, but wasn’t getting anywhere by the confused expression on Gemma’s face. Her brows were drawn together, making a crease on her forehead. Hayden became animated – waving his hands in the air in frustration as neither one of us understood what he was trying to say.

It was quite amusing.

Eating my delicious sandwich made me thirsty and I reached inside my bag for my soda, but ended up empty handed. I rummaged through my bag as panic rose up like bile in my throat. “Dammit,” I muttered. This could not be happening. Could this day possibly get any worst?

“Hayden?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you go grab me a soda from the vending machine?” I asked pushing the money across the table. “Please?”