The Physics of Love

Chapter 20

Marry Harry is tottering behind me while I'm trying to walk as briskly as I can to avoid his questioning. My mom taught me to always act decently, no matter how repulsed I am by someone's appearance or behavior, but this is as far as it gets.

'Where's Annie, I haven't seen her this morning? Is she okay? She's not sick or something?'

'Not that I know of.'

We're heading out to the school yard; I want to breathe in some fresh air. Also, I hope Harry will freeze and get back inside soon.

'So she's coming to school, right?'

'We're all expected to, unless we want to suffer the consequences.'

I can tell he wants to ask me more questions, but he's just looking around in expectance, fidgeting.

'What is it, Harry, spit it out?' I decide to help him and also decrease the length of our time spent together.

He shifts from one foot to another, and his hand reflexively reaches for the mouth. He puts it back down before his teeth sink into already inflamed cuticles.

'You might think this sounds weird, but sometimes I have an impression that Annie's avoiding me.'

I'm trying so hard not to burst into laughter, my eyes will pop. The only thing not weird about you, my friend, is that random thought you just had.

'Listen, Harry,' I muster all the patience I have left, 'Annie hasn't really told me anything about that, but...in general...people who long for your company call you on the phone, ask you to hang out, invite you over...the usual. Does Annie do any of this stuff?'

Harry's nose is red from cold and if I'm right, like I usually am about everything, it's gonna start running soon, not necessarily to Harry's knowledge.

'Nah,' he's shaking his head. 'But she asks me to tutor her sometimes.'

'Aha, you see. Your case is self-explanatory.'

The moment these words come out of my mouth, Annie pops up from the main entrance, no less than hand in hand with her new, obviously, boyfriend, Noah from science class. If Harry wasn't already crushed by my clarification of things, he would certainly sink now, in presence of his worst nightmare: Annie's significant other.

'Hey, we were looking for you. Harry...' she hardly even looks at him.

Harry's getting smaller by the second.

'Hey, there, you...couple! I already thought you took a day off.'

'It wouldn't be such a bad idea, you know.' Noah finally seems relaxed around Annie. He cups her face with his big hands and her chubby cheeks fit right in.

'Ooh, you're so disgustingly cute.' Why's Harry still here?

'I gotta run.' Noah kisses his girlfriend on the forehead and rushes inside.

Finally, Harry snaps out of his bad dream.

'I...I also...have to go. See you.'

If his nose wasn't already runny before Annie came, I'd think he's crying. He wipes it with the back of his hand and trods in the opposite direction from Noah.

'Ooh...I know you detest him, but he's truly devastated.'

'Please don't ruin my good mood now.' Annie's cheeks are beaming with excitement.

'Okay, then. Tell me the details.'

'Well...' she's melting, 'he called me yesterday and said he wants to meet.'