Bringing him back

Algebra II

Autumn walks quickly walks to her locker and throws her Chemistry binder in it. She walks down to the art room where she finds Marie already sitting at their table. Marie jumps to her feet and immediately begins apologizing to Autumn.

"I'm sorry I left you after Chemistry! After I finished the pop quiz I hurried up and just left and I totally forgot about you to go meet up with Kyle! I'm a terrible person, aren't I?" Marie asks.

"No you're fine." Autumn says with a faint smile on her lips. "Hey, listen..." Autumn begins to tell Marie about how James was the only one to help Autumn after she tripped.

"So do you think he remembers you?" Marie asks, frowning as she ponders over the situation.

"Maybe. I think so. I mean, why else would he help me? Lindsey must have been right there but he left her to help me. So that must mean something, right?" Autumn asks Marie excitedly.

"Maybe...Wouldn't that be so romantic if you guys got together?" Marie asks, smiling.

"Well I have Algebra II with him after lunch so maybe I can talk to him and tell you everything tomorrow." Autumn says as she pulls out her self portrait from her art shelf. She and Marie quiet down as they both become absorbed in their artwork. Autumn always couldn't stand self-portraits. It wasn't so much that she couldn't draw faces, it was more that she couldn't stand concentrating on a picture of herself for an hour and noticing all her flaws. Even if she picked out a really nice picture to draw of herself, the longer she stared at the picture the more imperfections she noticed.

Her left eye was closed more than her right. She had about ten zits hidden away on her face. Her eyeliner in the picture looked as if it was put on with a shaky hand. Her cheeks looked huge and round. Her eyebrows needed to be trimmed. She had man shoulders. Her hair was flat and coarse looking.

Autumn hardly got started on her eyes when the bell rang and dismissed them for lunch. She and Marie put their portraits away and began walking down to lunch. Autumn's silent through most of lunch though as she tries to think of ways to approach James. She considers many possibilities but finally comes up with an easy, simple one. Autumn begins nibbling on the baked chips that they now sold at their school to promote healthy eating as she begins worrying about James. Finally, the bell rings and Autumn scrambles up the stairs to go to Algebra II.

Like usual, Autumn was the first person in the room. She sets her backpack on top of her desk and sits down waiting for James to come in. Students slowly filter into the room, many with their friends chatting away happily. Autumn taps her foot impatiently on the floor as she waits for James to come in. The warning bell rings and Autumn finally sees James by the doorway. With Lindsey.

"Oh my gawd, no way!" Autumn can hear Lindsey screech loudly. Autumn strains her ears to hear what James was saying, but she could just hear the warmth in his voice.

"Well I'll meet up with you after class." Lindsey announces loudly. Autumn rolls her eyes as she hears Lindsey walk away. The final bell rings just as James steps in the room. Like usual, James didn't look at her. The math teacher clears his throat and begins lecturing on something they learned in eight grade Algebra but they were going to review it. Autumn lets her mind wander about James as she stares blankly at the board.

She didn't expect Lindsey to still be with him. She never imagined James with some ditz Blondie girl that just screamed fake. Why would he choose her? Autumn could understand if he went with some nice, sweet girl, but Lindsey? Lindsey was too much. Something must have happened to James the six years he was away. Autumn was almost certain the he remembered her. Of course, it could just be wishful thinking...Why would he pretend to forget her? And why would he help her pick up her papers when everyone else simply laughed at her?

"Autumn?" the teacher asks her. The whole class is staring at her.

"Uh...What?" Autumn can feel heat rising to her face. The teacher sighs.

"Never mind. Dylan, can you answer the question?" Autumn turns beet red and begins furiously scribbling down the notes that he already put the on projector. Autumn began paying strict attention to the teacher for the rest of the period so she wouldn't embarrass herself any further. Many notes and one homework assignment later the class ends and they break away. This was Autumn's chance to get to James before Lindsey did. Autumn springs out of her seat and catches up to James. He sighs and looks at her.

"What, Autumn?" he asks. Autumn gets excited for a minute because she thinks he remembers her because he called her by her name. However, she realizes that they were in two classes together where role call was taken orally every day.

"I, uh, just wanted to thank you for helping me pick up my books. I mean papers. Thanks for that." Autumn says and dares to peer into his crisp green eyes. She was hoping for a softness or maybe to see them crinkle up from a smile. However, he just looked distant.

"That's it?"

"Well...Yeah. You were the only one to help. Everyone else just laughed..." as Autumn spoke those words Jame's expression seemed to soften.

"Well it was rude of them to - "

"JAMES!" squeals a high pitched voice. Lindsey runs up to him and wraps her arms around his waist. Whatever softness James had left his face. Lindsey glances from James to Autumn and glares.

"What did it want?"

"She just came to give me back my pencil." James says. Lindsey glares at Autumn. Autumn wanted to crawl out of her own skin and hide. Lindsey glances over Autumn once and shrugs, as if Autumn wasn't pretty enough to be a threat. Then, to mark Lindsey's territory, she pulls James down to kiss him. Autumn gets out of the math hallway very quickly.