The Optimist

twenty

Principal Berkley to the side or above! Yeah, I know. Ugly.

Nadia

. . .

After the phone call last night, I ended up staying up half the night, wondering if he'd call again.

But he didn't.

The next day, I do a once over in the mirror, sighing at the clothing I was desperately wearing. Nathan's old joggers (he's engrossing in skinny jeans now), a thick hoodie because of the predicted nasty weather, and my hair is up in a mess of a ponytail-bun thing.

I rush downstairs and grab an orange from the kitchen, greeting Mom on the way and coding her kiss. She hugs Nathan behind me and I check my phone in my pocket one last time. It's still on the New Contact option from where I fell asleep last night debating whether to add Jacob in or not.

Down in the Perker Hallway, founded by previous school owners Tim and Holly Perker, is where most action of the school is held. It's the extra curriculum classes hall, where everyone from dancers to actors to chess champs and more are held.

I'm part of the Literary Arts Club, where we read and discuss books. Half of my library is the why it is because of this club. The reason I joined was becuase back as a freshman, I abhorred reading and I needed the extra practice according to the freshman Language Arts teacher, Mr. Tentile.

I loathed him.

Now, I need it to help me graduate and get at least a 3.8 GPA for being "loyal and participating through the program." Ms. Hawkes, the LAC director, says I'm the only student who actually stayed in the program all four years, and that I have an opportunity to receive a scholarship during graduation because of it.

Back in her room, I take a seat in the front, a dominance I've gained over fighting geeks and for my rep as the oldest in the program. Students file in minutes after I do and few hold today's Discussion Book, The Reed Files, a thrilling mystery, in their hand as they enter.

I sigh and pull out the novel, when my face brushes with smooth hair as I bend down. I raise my head as Mystery Hair does, and our heads collide, bumping. I grown and hold my head as I listen to the giggles of Mysery Hair.

When I release the hand covering the half of my face, none other than Mr. Optimist gazes at me. I hitch a breath, a feeling that he can see straight through me surging over. We stare at each other for another good five seconds, shocked.

"Jacob?" I whisper behind the book. His mouth ajar, he slowly nods as I sit the book on the cool desk.

"You're in this class?"

"But when?"

"How?"

We stop speaking in unison as he laughs at the twin moment. I slump down in the desk and look down gazing at the converse I'm rocking today. Plain gray-shaded shoes with a comfortable amount of space.

"Well, yes I'm in this class," he clears his throat, "and I've been here since.. um, today. Oh, and how I came, I applied for this class last yea-"

"Okay, I get it." I say, throwing up my hands. He talks to much. He chuckles and pulls out his book. "I, uh, didn't know you were in this class."

"What did you expect?" My fluency in sarcasm brags as I open the book to our discussion page. Jacob leans to my side and peers at the book page, squinting his eyes a bit. I snatch it and cover to book, only to where my eyes can see.

"What?" He exhaggerates drastically. "Can't a guy get a book page number?"

'That's what the teacher is for." The same old Nadia he met a little over a month ago comes back to me due to my new vows. The sour, pessimistic minded silent reader who loved the way she lived.

Alone and happy that way. That it, until he came.

"Okay, sorry." He says. "At least I still have Emma, right?" He turns the opposite way and whispers with Emma, the school's know it all. Teacher's pet, on the overachiever and the claimer of the school's highest GPA, a 4.1 average.

I purse my lips and shrug at his back as he curls wobble. Ms. Hawkes claps her hands, breaking coversations, homework-rushers, and my thoughts as she reminds everyone of the page. Jacob turns back over in his seat, smiling at me before dedicating his attention to Ms. Hawkes.

"Jacob, would you like to read aloud?" Ms. Hawkes says after explaning the instructions for today's Discussion. I sigh and bury my head in my hands.

This is going to be a long forty five minutes.

. . .

"Hey!" Jacob rushes to my table at lunch, scrambling for the seat directly in front of mine. I don't know why he's rushing to sit because there's no one fighting to sit dicrectly across from me.

"Hey," he sighs. "Okay, I have a whoole bunch of words I need to ask you about. Care to help me?"

I shrug. "Sure." I sigh.

"Okay, first word. Amble."

"Jacob." I say. He's got to me kidding! That's freshman vocabulary! I want to giggle, smile even, but I don't as I watch Nathan and Chresanto past Jacob's curls.

"Well?" He shrugs sheepishly and sits the book down, plopping his tray next ti it.

'Well, when you amble somewhere, it's a steady kind of walk?" I guess, digging deep in my brain as best as I can. Wait, I'm violating my vows!

I stop talkig suddenly and he glares over me curiously.

"Nadia. Why'd you stop?" He asks, running a callused hand through his tousy mane. It swoons back before pulling forward again as he removes his hand.

Silence.

"Nadia? You okay?"

More silence.

Then he grins. "Ahh, I see what you're trying to do. You want to be the same old Nadia you were when we first met." He catches along, nodding slowly at my intentions. Correction, I think to myself, when you came over to talk to me.

He sighs frustratedly and runs a hand through his hair once more. It must be a comforting habit of his, I've come to realize. The lunchroom is now filled with chatter a bit louder as Jacob stares directly through me. "Talk to me."

I don't know how, but with that, I spill it all.

"Mom's better, Dad's sicker, Nathan's gayer if that's a word and amble is a type of walk. Okay!" I rush all the words out at once like wore vomit and he takes a baffling double take. I mentally kick myself for breaking my vows that I promised.

Of course, I can never keep up with self-promises I make to myself, but this one seemed like a good idea. Jacob brings his palms together, strechting the tension in his fingers. He stars at the book, most likely speechless, and returns a greeting from a fellow student.

Emma.

"Heey," she beams, hovering over his mop of hair. Jacob turns to waves at her as I stare, silently. "Can I sit here?" She puts her plate down as soon as Jacob nods and sits right next to him. What a cute couple! I glance at them together and I swear, I see Emma googly eye Jacob.

"So, about LAC today." She shifts her gaze from me to Jacob as she pulls out the book from her heavy hiker backpack. It must be filled with bricks upon bricks, also know as school textbooks.

"I was just asking Nadia," Jacob smiles, turning to me. A gutty feeling inside tells me Emma is generally a nice person. Maybe. But this time, I won't be so quick to trust her.

Maybe, just maybe, I've finally found a friend.

Or two.