sehnsucht ✓

chapter 4

We're running late to the game, which kind of sucks, because I was hoping to run into Mark pre-game and wish him luck. The thought was stupid, since I was basing it on chance anyway.

The game wasn't right after school. It started at 6, so Ingrid suggested that we eat out first instead of hanging around with nothing to do. Tagging along with Ingrid, Yasmin, Gia, Jade, and I was Gia's boyfriend Dylan, and Grant, who came as a close friend of Jade.

But as a group predominantly consisting of girls, we dragged on our little excursion with no precursor of being mindful of the time.

Currently, we're in the empty hallway, hearing a faint calling of the multitude of noises coming from inside the school gym.

Grant makes a loud sniffing noise, letting out an enjoyed sigh. "We're already being reminded of the blood, sweat, tears, and pride coming within those hallowed doors."

"Doesn't the saying go 'as we walk through these hallowed halls', Grant?" Jade looks at him halfheartedly, shaking her head.

"Whatever, Jade," he says in a jokingly sassy tone.

"You little bitch," Jade glares back, continuing the charade.

Ingrid pokes me in the shoulder. "Hey. Are you ready to cheer your mans in there?" her wink is suggestive, and while simultaneously cringing at her word choice, I metaphorically feel like dying. This reaction from me shouldn't be a surprise by now.

She's being super weird about it on purpose, swaying her hands and hips as we turn around the corner.

"M-m-m-m-m-mark," she choruses, raising her eyebrows. "She wants you, baby."

"Hold up a minute," we turn our attention to Dylan, who I forgot was walking with us. "Mark Pierce? On the volleyball team?" he snorts, and I quickly face Ingrid, groaning.

"You forgot he doesn't know."

"My bad. I forgot he was in the room," she places a hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

"He's a chill dude. Want to know something? You'd laugh at it," I nod my head.

"What?"

"So his locker is right beside mine. I'm in a little bit of a rush since I got to school that morning a few minutes late for first period," he starts, and we all pause a safe distance away from the gym as we get near, to keep this conversation secret.

"I keep going past my first number by accident, so I'm stuck there struggling to open my lock for a good minute. Sometime during the mess, Mark comes by and opens his locker to grab something. It takes him like two seconds, and I turn. We both have this knowing looks on our faces," he continues. "he raises his hands up and twirls his fingers, then says,"

"It's magic,"

"So then we both burst out laughing."

"Aw. That's so cute," Gia pretends to rub a fake tear off her eye, then takes Dylan's hands with hers and they intertwine. I'd be lying if I didn't saying I was a little jealous. Not of her having him, but having that kind of thing.

I don't have a lot of dating experience, so it might have something to do with why I want to get some. Back in freshman year, I was asked out by a smart kid, Vincent. We went to middle school together.

But, he kept making advances on me that I wasn't comfortable with, and wouldn't listen to my protests. He groped me, and that was the final straw. I ended things with him.

He tried to push me into doing things I wasn't ready with yet, at the time. Probably not even now.

And you'd think with that big brain of his, that he wouldn't be a pushover. My mom found out and had a nasty talk with the principal, given her nature as an opinionated lawyer. The principal immediately acted and suspended Vincent for a week, since he broke the school code of conduct.