How To Make Everybody Happy- (the original 10 chapters)

[2] Reflection

She was a scary one, that headmistress. I entered the campus and had to glue my eyes to the ground, to keep from ogling at all the beautiful architecture around me. I knew I'd have time to take it all in later, and I didn't want to be late on my first day.

On my way out of the headmistress's office, her secretary had given me a map of the campus. I had labeled them for each period, so presently, I headed to the building with the big '#1' foam finger sticker on it. When I parked my bike on the rack, I thought it a little strange that no one else's was there. I shrugged it off, but then found my answer as I read the little note on the building's locked entrance.

Morning assembly, I thought, smacking my forehead, duh.

Morning assembly was a strange thing for me, but i liked it. Little did I know, that was only the beginning. Lecture style classrooms, state of the art equipment- I'd never seen anything like it. I guess my parents had thought to send me here to prepare me for what university would be like.

I was grateful when lunchtime rolled around and gave me time to catch my breath. Too nervous to eat, and still pretty full from the big breakfast my mother insisted on feeding me, I just grabbed a fresh- dear Lord, I may faint- fruit cup and a granola bar and went to see if the calculus teacher, my new favorite, needed anything.

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Copy machine, copy machine, copy machine, I thought, Copy... copy- Oh crap!

I was so taken by my new environment, I'd forgotten all about my experiment. I was going to have to pay more attention to the people.

I entered the first teacher's lounge I saw- sadly it was right next to the boy's locker room, which was somehow already smelling on the first day of school- and set to work on the copier. Or- I would've set to work if I knew how to control the infernal machine. I put the worksheet in the copying part of the machine and pushed several buttons, but the stupid thing just made several beeping noises in protest. I was about to sit up and kick it to see if that would get it to work, but at that moment I heard the door creak open. I started to feel nervous, thinking up worst case scenarios, where I'd have to explain why I was in here to some crabby instructor, but instead when I looked up, brushing a few stray hairs out of my face, I found a boy around my age looking back at me. He was probably actually a few years older than me. He had ice blue eyes and short, straight black hair perched on the top of his head.

Relieved to see that another teenager had entered the lounge and not some troll of a teacher, I smiled up at him.

"Hi," I breathed, hoping I didn't sound too creepy. He just kind of stood there looking at me, before walking along.

Well that was rude...

"You're doing it wrong." Suddenly I shifted from feeling affronted to bashful again.

"Oh, really?" I said, laughing nervously, "Yeah I couldn't seem to get it to work... could you maybe help me?"

He just stood there for a minute.

He's a pretty pensive guy, isn't he? I thought.

Well, goodness, it isn't a hard question...

"I'm not asking you to marry me or anything- it's a simple yes or no question. I mean, naturally, the polite answer would be to say yes, but technically you're not obligated to..."

Oh, no-am I rambling?

"I'm rambling aren't I?" I said shaking my head, "Sorry. Anyway, I just need to copy this for the Pre-Calc teacher..."

"You take pre-calculus?" He looked surprised- I suppose he should be, considering I'm only fifteen.

That's none of his business, though. That's it! I should try it out now.

I turned and hopped onto the table. Crossing my legs, I turned to face him, a very self-assured look on my face. I hoped it was convincing.

"What's it to you?" I asked gruffly. He just looked at me.

No longer able to hold it in, I burst into a fit of giggles, uncrossing my legs and dismounting the table.

"I'm- aha ha ha- I'm sorry, I just- he he he..." I paused a moment to gather myself, "I don't think I can do you."

"You don't think you can what?"

Wait, what did I just say?

"I mean- no!" I rushed to him, "I didn't mean it like that!"

Shoot! I have to clear this up somehow... Well, I suppose the secret's already out...

"I'm doing this thing where... well," I paused to look around the room, making sure no one else would find out about my secret experiment.

"Can you keep a secret?"I asked him, hoping he would say yes. He only nodded. However, upon thinking it over, I realized the minute details of my plan hadn't really been exposed.

"Well... actually I won't tell you." He looked stunned so I figured I'd at least tell him something.

"I'll say this- I'm a bit of an experimenter, and what you just saw there-" I said, gesturing toward the table, "was part of my experiment."

"Right," was all he said.

Feeling that the atmosphere was growing increasingly awkward, I said:

"Well, lunch is just about over- I think I'll just be on my way..."

I was inclined to ask his name, but, well timidity took over, and I left it an open ended statement. When he supplied no name, I simply decided to fill in a nickname for him myself.

"Hmm, how about... Bobby? You look like a Bob. Be seein' ya Bobert!" I squeaked, scurrying out of the door, ever the little mouse. And yet... I felt as though I was forgetting something.

"The copies!"