The Optimist

eleven

"I want you to smile. My camera didn't quite catch it the last time, and he couldn't attend prom." He laughs at his joke and I shurg. He still made me angry somehow, despite the prom night and the after school ditching (which I assume he did, but I hightly doubt it).

"What if I don't wanna smile." I challenge. "Then my life will be over." Jacob replies, the dramtacially fists his hand as if he's holding a knife. He stabs the air knife at his heart and pretends to due. I admit, it's funny, and I can't help but giggle a little.

"So the cause of your death will be because of a girl who didn't smile for you?" I ask. He nods and smiles, accompanied by a laugh. "That's exactly the cause." He adds. I look at him strangely and he ruffles his Afro in response.

"You're weird." I mumble, moving a wisp of hair away from my glasses.

"I know, but that's what I love about you. You're weird, too." He says. I look up and raise my eyesbrows. Unfortunately, I can't raise one like Mom, but who cares?

"How?" I ask. I need a good explanation to his insane words. Weird? Me? No.

"Everyone else, and literally everyone," He elongates 'everyone' to exaggerate before continuing, "has smiled for me. Everyone else broke the smile boundary, but you, you're harder." He explains. "Yes, you've smiled for me before, but I want it to be genuine and not becasue I'm forcing you."

"Ah, so you're admitting it was force?" I challenge with another raised brow. From behind him, I can see Nathan doing his rounds of shaking hands and hugs.

"Maybe." He gets up as the bell rings, once again interrupting us. I grab my single notebook, novel, and apple and stand up. "Meet me at Crowne Park. after school. Three o'clock sharp." He says.

"And don't ditch me this time!" He yells with a smile, and just like that, he's gone. Again.

"I have nothing better." I mumble to myself walking toward the exit.

. . .

French ll homework is the best! Right?

Wrong.

Ms. Nesburn gave me a full two pages of vocabulary pratice worksheets and expects us to kknow all sixty words by Friday. It's Tuesday, and I'll never learn them. I'd rather fail her class than to try to memorize sixty words and embarass myself miserably trying to pronounce them.

I look at the bedside clock and stretch, tossing the papers to the side and toss on some Converses as I prepare to meet Jacob. I don't get out easily this time, and Dad catches me.

"Where ya going, sweetie?" My Dad's fake country accent makes me giggle a little. he's shocked to see me smile, I can tell, but it's mostly so I can get going. "Just to Crowne Park. I'd read in peaceful quiet." I say, partly truthful.

"It's louder there, ya know?" He continues the accent. "There's dogs barking and running, people playing football and yell loudly, and last but not least, murderers." He says. The last one is true, but I've beeb to Crowne so many time I don't even notice it. A a small rant of safety precautions, he finally throws on his regular father tone.

"Be careful though, okay?" I groan a little and nod impatiently. "Okay Dad." I sigh.

"I love you." He calls as I step out the door. "Same," I mumble and tuck the book under my arm. I feel a pang of guiltiness for not telling the whole truth, jusy like when I stayed silent the time Nathan ran away. Mom cried like he's commited suicide, but thankfully, he didn't.

My thoughts of Nathan drift off as I walk around three blocks to reach the sunny hotspot. I spot a certain curly Afro from a far, but to be safe, I walk slowly, clutching on to the book in my hand.

"Hey Nadia." He says when I finally reach him. 

'Hey." I say, plopping next to him. i open my book and start to read, adjusting the glasses on my nose.

"I wanted to talk to you, not watch you read." He says. With a sudden swipe, he grabs my book, hopping up from the bench. Seconds later, he takes off. I stand awkrawrdly with a small hunch as I watch him go.

He turns back around, and he's close enough for me to make out a grin. He dangles the book by his two fingers, threatening to drop it.. He knows it's my weakness to see a dirty, broken book. I sigh, knowing I have no choice but to save my book.

I run, my feet thudding the ground. Years spent not making excersising and cheering throw me down, and my legs feel heavong as I chase after the book. He cluthces the book and takes off again, and I stop, breahtless.

My chest and throat burn and I feel like I've ran a mile. My capis don't help to cool me down as I struggle to breath. I take a few slow, deep breaths and run again, the book heavy on my mind. I dont know if I made me faster, but he comes into a better view.

When Im finally hot on his tail, he takes a peek at me from beihnd. Suddenly, he stops and I colldie wth his back vecasue my feet don't slow down in time. We topple to the floor and Jacob laughs as I snatch my fallen book and stand up.

He dusts off as I flip through each page, checking for grass. I pick the few strands as he smiles. "That was fun. I know what makes you run know." He smirks.

I pause from cleaning the book and stare at him. What does he know? 

"You probably didn't realize it, but you'll smile for books. Maybe do anything it's one of your favorites. I look at him curiously, dropping my jaw. It's like he could read ke better than I can read books.

"I won't do anything." I say. He nods a bit and says "Yeah." before plopping down on the hot bench again. i sit next to him.

"You know my family hates yours, right?" He says randomly. I sit stiff in my position and slowly turns my head to meet his gaze.

. . .