Song of a Sophomore

CHAPTER 17 - Breakfast at Tiffany's

Leo smiles and his eyes meet mine. "So, as you can see, I'm a real Renaissance Man."

I am slightly amused at this remark, but wipe the smile off my face as Leo takes his seat.

"Thank you, Leo. Doesn't it feel good to be off the hook?" asks Mrs. Tuttle.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Why don't you do the honor of picking our next speaker," she says.

"I don't mind if I do." He spins around.

I already know who he will pick.

"How about you?" Leo points at me.

"Okay," I answer, surprised at the weakness in my voice.

I rise to my feet and smooth out my skirt, rubbing my wet palms on the cool synthetic fabric. Time slows down as I approach the front of the classroom. The world seems to fade to black and white as my throat cinches closed. I suck in a slow, deep breath.

This is a fresh start. You can be a new person. The cheerleader chick. Just pretend.

The calming voice inside my head dulls my anxiety. My face softens and I smile at the group of strangers.

"Hi, I'm Josephine Rose Blakeway. You can call me Rose. I moved here from a small farming town in Oklahoma last month. I spent a lot of summers at my grandma's house as a kid helping out in the garden, reading books and climbing trees with my little brother."

Oh, my God. So dorky! What about the cheerleader chick? Say something cool, for crying out loud!

"I like to travel, too." It was a lie. "I plan to go backpacking in Europe after high school. You know, tour some castles, walk the streets of Paris, ride a gondola in Venice, see Florence... and meet a real Renaissance man."

The words are out of my mouth before my mind process the veiled insult at Leo. Laughter breaks out. Autopilot abruptly cuts off and I assess the damage of my careless ramblings.

"Oh, snap," Zachary gasps with one hand over his mouth and watches Leo squirm uncomfortably in his seat with a forced smile on his round face.

"Touché." Leo directs his attention at me and my cheeks flush. "Josephine the farm girl, bookworm, no dates... Got it. Please continue."

I should stop and go back to my seat before I make an even bigger fool of myself, but, my only choice as the new me is to appear confident and slightly precocious. I smile brightly and continue.

"And, I love dancing. My mom put me in ballet when I was three and I've been doing it ever since..." My voice trails off. Is that five things?

"Maybe you can dance for us sometime," the ogre in the front row utters under his breath. 

Is he mocking me, or hinting at something else? In either case, he's attempting to break my stride. The jerk isn't going to win.

"Besides dancing, I love watching old movies—Casablanca, Rebel Without a Cause, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and anything with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. You know, old Hollywood... it's all really glamorous and fascinating."

In that moment, I stare into Zachary Austin's piercing, sapphire eyes and completely lose my train of thought. The hot lifeguard is watching me with genuine interest, not laughing or smirking. I that a smile on his lips? His lips...

"Where was I?" I wonder aloud.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's... it's a good movie." Zachary smiles.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks." I giggle nervously and bite my lower lip. "Um... so, yeah. I'm into old movies and stuff. Especially Breakfast at Tiffany's. That's me in a nutshell."

I practically run back to my seat, unable to hear the students' polite applause over the thoughts rattling around in my head.

Zachary Ashburn looked right at me and talked to me. And, we like the same movie!

Why am I being so ridiculous? He isn't the first attractive boy I laid eyes on.

"Great first speech—minus an interruption or two." Mrs. Tuttle shoots an angry look at Leo. "Why don't you choose our next speaker, Rose."

"Zachary." His name rolls out of my mind and off my tongue in a heartbeat. I look down in embarrassment. Does anyone else notice I am a little too eager for him to take the floor?

Leo jostles his friend in the ribs with a fake punch. "Get up there, Dreamboat."

I roll my eyes. It's day one at Meadow Wood High and the future is already laid out before me. Leo will be my enemy, no doubt. It is his nature. I've his type before—far from perfect, but striving to reach the upper echelons of the high school social strata with his larger-than-life personality compensating for his physical shortcomings. His willingness to pick on less fortunate souls will only help him on his climb to the top.

Zachary Ashburn, on the other hand, is the real deal. With his untamed locks, athletic build and flawless complexion, he's destined for social greatness. Zachary stands before us as poised as royalty, with the air of someone well beyond his age.

"Hello, my name is Zach Ashburn and I am a sophomore. I turned sixteen in mid-August, so I just got my driver's license which is really exciting. Currently, I'm the placekicker for the varsity football team. Go, Bulls! I'm going out for varsity swimming and lacrosse later this year, same as Leo, here. I plan to attend William and Mary for college and maybe study abroad. I want to travel, too."

Zach looks at me and nods. The hot lifeguard is talking to me? I pretty much melt under his gaze.

"My dad, Grandad and I do Civil War reenactments twice a year, usually out at Bull Run or up in Gettysburg. My family has basically lived on the same land since the mid-1700s, when they settled in the piedmont region from England and were on both sides of the Civil War. My Granddad runs a vineyard on the property so I'm learning the ropes of winemaking from him." Zach sinks his hands into his pockets. "But, I don't get any free booze, so don't come asking."

The class laughs. Zach returns gracefully to his seat. Every student was able to get up and speak before the bell rang. Although I am relieved to put it behind me, the knot in my gut grows tighter as I stare at my schedule. Lunch is next. I picture a table in the cafeteria full of varsity football players and cheerleaders who witnessed my most embarrassing moment a few short days ago. How will I find the courage to face them?

Just fake it. 

It's becoming my personal mantra.

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WOW, Rose did it! She gave her first speech minus an interruption from Leo. What do you think of him?

What do you think of Zach?

Thank you for your comments and votes. I appreciate your support!!