Say Anything
Looking At Juice
"You should go," Ricky tells me.
"Where?"
"What do you mean where? Go get in line!"
"But she's-"
Ricky shoves me over. "Go!"
I'm stuck to the bench. This is not the way I imagined it would happen.
"What's good, yo?" Jack says. "Move!"
I get up. I walk toward the line. I've just spent the last five minutes watching that jock clone Adam and his over-inflated ego sit next to Hayleigh. Talking to her. Talking to her friends.
Where the hell did he come from?
I get in line. She's ahead of me. Looking at juice.
I have no idea what to say to her.
The next thing I know, she's bending down to pick something up. Here's my chance. I run to her, almost knocking over the girl in front of me. I see a dime on the floor. I bend down to get it. Our heads smack together. Well, to be more accurate, I smack my head against Hayleigh's like a socially inept moron. Smooth move.
I hold out her dime. She's rubbing her head.
"Sorry!" I say. "Are you okay?"
"Sure," she says. "Thanks."
I can't even remember what I say three seconds after I say it, but apparently it's funny. She laughs.
I said something funny and made Hayleigh laugh.
I rule.
"See ya," she says.
"Okay," is all I can think to say. No wonder she practically runs back to Adam.
I go back to my table. Jack is gone.
"Well?" Ricky says.
I just sit there.
"Dude! What happened?"
"Nothing."
"How can that be possible? This was your chance to make a move."
"I know."
"So?"
"I don't know."
"Man," Ricky says. "That's messed up."
Now Adam's making everyone laugh. Adam just moved here. He shouldn't be allowed to go over there and make everyone laugh. I've known Hayleigh and Laila and Jasmine since third grade. I've watched them grow up. I know their histories. Adam doesn't know anything about them.
"We need strategy is all," Ricky says. "No problemo."
When Laila and Jasmine leave, I panic. What's he saying to her? What's she thinking? Is there a worse form of agony than this?
She smiled at me. But then she was gone. How did life move ahead without me?
"Where?"
"What do you mean where? Go get in line!"
"But she's-"
Ricky shoves me over. "Go!"
I'm stuck to the bench. This is not the way I imagined it would happen.
"What's good, yo?" Jack says. "Move!"
I get up. I walk toward the line. I've just spent the last five minutes watching that jock clone Adam and his over-inflated ego sit next to Hayleigh. Talking to her. Talking to her friends.
Where the hell did he come from?
I get in line. She's ahead of me. Looking at juice.
I have no idea what to say to her.
The next thing I know, she's bending down to pick something up. Here's my chance. I run to her, almost knocking over the girl in front of me. I see a dime on the floor. I bend down to get it. Our heads smack together. Well, to be more accurate, I smack my head against Hayleigh's like a socially inept moron. Smooth move.
I hold out her dime. She's rubbing her head.
"Sorry!" I say. "Are you okay?"
"Sure," she says. "Thanks."
I can't even remember what I say three seconds after I say it, but apparently it's funny. She laughs.
I said something funny and made Hayleigh laugh.
I rule.
"See ya," she says.
"Okay," is all I can think to say. No wonder she practically runs back to Adam.
I go back to my table. Jack is gone.
"Well?" Ricky says.
I just sit there.
"Dude! What happened?"
"Nothing."
"How can that be possible? This was your chance to make a move."
"I know."
"So?"
"I don't know."
"Man," Ricky says. "That's messed up."
Now Adam's making everyone laugh. Adam just moved here. He shouldn't be allowed to go over there and make everyone laugh. I've known Hayleigh and Laila and Jasmine since third grade. I've watched them grow up. I know their histories. Adam doesn't know anything about them.
"We need strategy is all," Ricky says. "No problemo."
When Laila and Jasmine leave, I panic. What's he saying to her? What's she thinking? Is there a worse form of agony than this?
She smiled at me. But then she was gone. How did life move ahead without me?
