Memories For Broken Strings

Explanations

I remember the feel of the cold tile beneath my left hand, as I leaned over to show him where the electrons should have gone on his lewis diagram of water. 

 

The lines he drew were remarkably neat, and I watched the eraser leave small bits of pink where the line used to be, a faint scar, easily brushed away with the back of his hand. 

 

I watched him furrow his brow over his green eyes as he stared at the page, before drawing three more diagrams - answering the problems correctly. 

 

'Ya!' I said, excitedly 'I think you've got it now'. 

'I think so, too.' He smiles, a real smile, where the corners of his eyes crinkle, ever so slightly.

 Suddenly, the stairs we were sitting on shook gently bellow us, and they frolicked past us in their tiny kilts, and their ugg boots. 

 

'Tiff, that is not a cute look anymore, coloured eye liner is so out, dur.' She said, drawing out the 'R' in the last word and laughing. She could even take a silly word like 'Duh' and dumb it down a little. She flicked her long, wavy, blonde hair over her shoulder, and flashed a perfect, lip sticked smile at him. 

 

I saw his face relax and smile back, before glancing down at the page. 

 

I knew what would happen next, he would stand, and brush off his khaki uniform pants before sauntering over them. A smile widening across his face. She would laugh, high pitched and say something ridiculously stupid. He would love it. 

 

I thought of my messy ponytail and my beat up sneakers. My baggy polo shirt, with the school crest embroidered over my heart.  

 

He glanced over at me, and said something along the lines of, 'Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. See you later?'

 

I nodded, and noticed two other boys were now leaning against the lockers, chatting away with the girls in make up. 

 

'Yah, obviously, I'll see you in class,  dur.' I said, with a small giggle, trying my best to be like them. The pretty ones. 

 

He had been about to stand, to walk over to them, but he didn't. Instead he turned and looked at me, his green eyes staring at me, an expression I couldn't recognize. 

 

'Don't say dur.' he said, softly, 'you're not like them, I don't think you should try to be. Your too smart for that.'

 

With that he pushed off from the steps, and walked over to those girls, nodding at the other boys and whispering something to her. Her wavy hair now tucked behind one ear.