Rejected 22 Times

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Are you okay?", Mia asked as she grabbed her books out of her locker.

"Yah. Why do you ask?", I responded repeatedly glancing over my shoulder.

"I don't know. It might have to do with the fact that you have spent three minutes trying to open your locker", she replied sarcastically.

"Oh..", I realized finally entering my combination correctly.

"What's going on?", she questioned.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Sophia... I can tell when there's something wrong. Spill it."

"Hey, Soph", I heard Liam say. I turned around and sighed, relieved to be saved from Mia's question.

" Hey, Liam", I responded awkwardly as he glanced at Mia.

"I'll see you in Math", he said shuffling back down the hallway.

"Now I see...", Mia observed.

"See what?", I asked trying to find my poetry book.

"It's him. He's the reason you're so on edge. Just ask him out already!"

I gave her a look telling her she was crazy. "It's not that easy. What would happen if people found out we were dating? What if he says no? What if it doesn't work out?

"I don't get you. When you like someone, you just ask them out, and you obviously love him", she teased putting emphasis on the word love.

"I'm not in love with him", I replied not paying attention to her. "Besides, love is just so... complicated."

"Leo Buscaglia once said, 'What we need to know about loving is no great mystery. We all know what constitutes loving behavior; we need but act upon it, not continually question it. Over-analysis often confuses the issue and in the end brings us no closer to insight. We sometimes become too busy classifying, separating, and examining, to remember that love is easy. It's we who make it complicated.'"

"When did you get so insightful?", I asked dumbfounded. I glanced up at her as she smugly read aloud from my poetry book.

"Give me that", I demanded as she handed it back to me.

"What happened to you Sophia?"

"People happened. They can change a person."

"But you're lying to yourself! It's making you turn into this other person!"

"I'm sorry, but it's just easy to let others control what you say and do", I said slamming my locker shut.

"Just be honest with yourself. Be open to who you really are. Then maybe, you'll be open to him."

"I'll keep that in mind. Ok, well, see you later."

"Bye Sophia. See you in Math", she said in a manly voice mimicking Liam.

I rolled my eyes at her as I walked past the main doors to my classroom. I glanced out the window and witnessed a noisy commotion occuring. I took a closer look and saw a curly-haired boy in plaid getting beaten to death.