The Challenge

"Because you're a horrible person?"

"His heart tugged in his chest," Mike narrated as he read from the open book in front of him.

Anna scribbled something on her paper as she took a bite of her granola bar; all of our lunches abandoned a long time ago. The three of us sat hunched around the round lunch table, quickly trying to finish our English homework before the next period rolled around.

Well, Mike and Anna were trying. I sat, twirling my pen absentmindedly in my hand, staring intently at the entrance to the cafeteria waiting for a certain someone to walk through. A certain someone who I had not seen since yesterday because she had been so sneakily avoiding me.

I'm using the term 'sneaky' quite loosely considering the fact that every time she would see me coming down the hall, she would let out a small shriek, pull her hood over her head, clutch her books to her chest and dash to the nearest exit. I would think it was pretty adorable if it wasn't me she was running away from.

Once the anger from yesterday's debate melted away, I was left with the incredible amount of guilt. Guilt and yearning to see Lilly again.

Mike groaned, placing the book down and cracking a kink in his neck. "Ugh. Books would be so much more fun if someone else was reading it to you," he said, rubbing his neck.

Anna sighed, placing her pen down and stretching out her cramping fingers.

"They do have that, you know? It's called books on tape."

"Well, why didn't we just get that?" Mike asked.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Because someone didn't want to spend another seventy five cents for it!"

"Whatever," Mike said, looking at me. "Dustin, it's your turn to read the book."

I ignored him and his outstretched hand that was holding the book out to me, my attention still focused on the doors.

"Dustin," Mike called again, this time choosing to through a french fry at me.

I blinked down at the fry that had fallen onto my lap before snapping my head up to look at Mike. They were both staring at me expectantly with wide bemused eyes. I raised my eyebrows at them as an answer.

"Are you thinking about Lilly again?" Mike asked exhaustingly.

"No," I denied forcefully, picking up the fry and putting it in my mouth.

"But now that you brought it up, where is she?" I asked, playing indifference.

Anna rolled her eyes, seeing right through me. "Lilly is with her history teacher. She has to make up a test."

"Oh," I mumbled, flicking my eyes to the door in disappointment.

"You are so pathetic," Mike laughed. "Would you just be a man and tell her you're in love with her already."

"I'm not-" I cut off at Mike's disbelieving look. "Okay, I might be. I just don't know yet."

He shook his incredulously. "How do you not know? If you feel it then you just say it!"

"How did you know you were in love with Anna?" I bit back.

Mike smirked, flinging his arm around her shoulders, which- to my surprise -she did not push away. "It was actually very easy."

"Really?" I asked, doubtful.

"Really," he answered. "Every time we hung out I hated having to leave. Every time I walked away from her, I felt my heart tug in my chest. It was almost as if my heart didn't want to leave because it was already bound so tightly to hers. It was like every single time I walked away, a little part of my heart stayed behind."