Not-so-Freshmen

Chapter Seven

The rest of the day flies by, without anything too exciting happen. Before I know it, I'm my math teacher's classroom waiting on Parker. I patiently lean against a desk, realizing that it's been over five minutes. I'm starting to get irritated.

He FINALLY walks in the room at 3:17, wearing a sorry smile.

"Sorry," he says. "It's the guys.. You know how they can be.."

I nod, and tell him its okay. "How long do you think this is gonna be?"

He shrugs, walking over to a desk, and pushing it next to the one I'm leaning on. "3:45, maybe."

I nod, and we both sit down in our chairs. Parker takes out his Algebra 1 homework, and motions for me to start on the first problem.

"Can you just walk me through all of these?"

I nod, and take a look at the first problem: 3x+2(4x+1)=24

"Okay, what do you have to do first?"

He looks at the problem, and then says, "Distribute."

"Right," I praise him. "Now, do it."

He leans down and starts the problem.

After a few minutes of him working, me checking, and him erasing his work and trying again, he shows me his final answer. It's correct.

I smile at him, and tell the the first step to the next problem.

This is how the rest of the problems go. I tell him the first step to solving it, he works the problem, I check it. It's an easy cycle. Until we get to the last problem, which involves two fractions AND distributing. He tells me that he doesn't understand what to do first, so I have to LITERALLY walk him through every single step to solve the stupid problem..

I start to explain the first step to solving the problem, and almost get through it. Until I feel something warm at my waist. My eyes slink down to see what is at my waist.

Parker's hand is wrapped snugly around my waist. His palm is perfectly holding me, ever so softly. What is he doing? Has he forgotten who I am? I'm a Dork, he's a Popular. He must be confused or something.

I know that if i do anything about it, he'll think that i'm a bigger dork than he already thinks. So, I try to concentrate on his work on the problem. But my mind is completely on his warm hand, holding my waist so perfectly.. PAISLEY, STOP.

Parker lifts up his paper to show me his answer, and I look over his work. It's perfect. Correct steps, correct answer.

"Right! Good job, Parker," I smile at him. He grins at me, and puts his paper down. Slowly, his smile fades away and he starts to lean in closer to my face. Normally, I'm over-analyzing everything. But right now, my mind is completely blank. I have no idea what he's doing or what his motives are.

Once he gets close enough to my face, he plants a soft, slow kiss on my cheek. Then, he backs away from my face, maybe to see my reaction.

But I have no idea how to react. My cheeks are probably cherry red, and I can't speak. 

He looks away from me, and mumbles an apology. But I still can't talk. So, he says," I guess we can go now."

We both stand up and gather our stuff. And then, we walk out of the classroom together and to the Freshmen entrance to be picked up.

"We both have church on Wednesdays.. So.. Thursday?" he looks at me hopefully, his blonde hair being blown by the small breeze.

I nod at him. "Sounds good."
He looks up the carpool road, and says," That's my ride."
Before I can say anything to him, he stretches his arms out for a hug. So, I wrap my arms around his waist, and lean my head against his chest. He's really tall compared to me.

"Thanks Paisley," he whispers, wrapping his strong arms around my neck. "For everything."
I let go of him, and smile. "You're welcome, and it's no problem, really."
He nods, grins, and then climbs into the front seat of his dad's beat-up truck.

After his car drives away, and I make sure that nobody else is around, I sit on the pavement under me, lay my head in my hands, and scream to nobody in particular, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?"
 

FEEDBAAACK?