Electric Flame

1.3

I searched the seemingly endless yard for an empty space, but everything was full. There were no open tables, chairs, or spots on the beautiful lush grass. Zero. There were students huddled everywhere within their own groups and cliques. Even on the first day, everybody was able to resume where they left off before the summer.

Once I sat in the shade of a tree in the far corner of the courtyard, I shoved my hands into my pockets and closed my eyes. Something sliced my finger and I creased my eyebrows together, pulling out a small wrinkled ball. As I stared at the small sliver of paper Dick gave me earlier, I thought about what I had said to him.

Maybe I was just a tad too mean. But how else was I expected to react? I was thrown into a high school full of people I'd never met before. I don't even know how to interact with people my age. It surprised me how I was able to talk to Dick for so long.

Suddenly, something in me forced my head to rise, but I wish I hadn't. A girl with flaming red hair was wiping Dick's mouth with a paper napkin. A pit formed inside my stomach and guilt began to eat me alive. I was disgusted with both her and myself. But I didn't even know her.

What is that? I asked myself. Then we made eye contact. Even from this far away, his azure irises glimmered and glistened under the bright sunlight. I shook my head. Don't even think that way. Mother wouldn't approve. Plus, you just met him. You'll forget about him sooner or later.

The soft pound of footsteps against dirt drew me away from my internal lecture.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

It was Dick.

He gave me a shy smile, making me feel like we'd never met before. His eyes gazed into mine. and my mind wouldn't form full words, never mind complete sentences. 

"Uh, yeah, sure. I mean no, it's not." He sat beside me and leaned against the tree. The guilt only grew the closer he came. So, I took a deep breath and began the first apology I'd ever said. "Um, Dick, listen. I'm sorry for bailing and being unappreciative earlier." To say I was a little nervous was an understatement. But I was a little jealous at the same time, I'll admit. "I'm just not used to people trying to be nice."

He nodded understandingly and muttered an, "I'm sorry, too." But my next words shocked him. Heck, it shocked even me.

"So, are you two dating?" I asked, referring to the redhead girl he was with earlier who was now staring me down and making me feel extremely uncomfortable even though I was well over fifty feet away.

He began to laugh.

"What's so funny," I asked him, wishing I could crawl back into my turtle shell. I crossed my arms across my chest.

A few seconds later, he was laughing so hard that he was clutching his stomach and rolling on the grass.

"Dick, people are staring," I told him, hoping that he would calm down. He continued to roll around on the grass and dirt attached itself onto his black Gotham Academy cardigan. "Dick!" I whisper-shouted, grabbing his arm and yanking him up rather harshly. 

Enough is enough. People don't laugh at me and get away clean.

"Okay, okay," he said, getting back up, still giggling with his hand covering his mouth, unsuccessfully muffling his chuckles, "Sorry, sorry. But no, Babs and I are definitely not dating. She's just a friend."

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding and leaned back, resting my head on the bark. "You laugh weird," I joked, trying my best to contain my posture and keep a straight face.

"Yeah, okay," he chuckled sarcastically. "Because you're the greatest catch yourself, right?"

"Absolutely." I placed my hands on my hips, which was extremely difficult considering that I was seated on the grass. "I'm chillin' like a villain. Can't get much sweeter."