Falling

Frank

“Will you just talk to her already?” I said, after catching Gerard glancing at her table. She had come to the school a week ago, and started sitting with Am & Fam after her first day. Gerard, every day, would try to sneak a glance at her. He quickly looked away, and tried to pretend I hadn’t just caught him. “Who?” He asked. I narrowed my eyes. “You know very well who!” I said. Ray was whispering something to Bob, which made him snicker. Gerard went red, mumbled a “Shut up…” and went back to eating his lunch. Ray then whispered something in Mikey’s ear. “Godammit, Toro, what are you up to?” I said, seeing Mikey hide his laughter. Ray laughed and said, “You’ll see.”
After lunch, Ray and I headed to our fifth period, gym. Mr. Malloy was a serious pervert, and none of the boys liked changing in the locker room. I slipped off my shirt and jeans, revealing my gym uniform, and Toro did the same. As we walked into the gym, Mr. Malloy pointed me to the left half of the gym. Dodge ball. I ran over, happy it was a game I like. Mr. Malloy had to announce the game, and explain the rules, even though everyone knew how to play since 2nd grade. I looked at Ray, next to me. “Alright spill it.” I whispered. At first he looked confused, and then he smiled. “Mesamia.” He said. I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“That’s her name!” He said, “The girl who sits with Am and Fam. Her name is Mesamia.”
“And..?” I asked, though I was already catching on.
“We’re going to set them up!” He laughed. “Or try to.”
“Sneaky, Toro. Except we know absolutely NOTHING about her. How are we supposed to get them together?”
He thought a moment. “Leave it to me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure, Ray.”

Gerard

I did my best not to look at her after Frank had caught me. I couldn’t sense what she was feeling very well. I could sense how others felt; they all felt kind of numb. She was guarded, and she had an air of mystery around her. I wanted to talk to her. She had English with me, though she didn’t sit near. She sat across from me in art, though.
At the lunch table I sat, attempting to pay attention to the guys’ conversation. Not that it was much of a conversation. Mikey stared at his food, and Frank talked about a time he broke his toes… Ray was playing with his hair and Bob just stared into space. Before I realized it, I was looking at her again. She had bright green eyes, the color of clovers. Her round face was framed by choppy jet-black hair that fell to her shoulders. She talked to Fam, who pointed past our table, at the preps. It was then that she saw me. I turned away quickly; face heating from being caught yet again. I ate the rest of my lunch without looking over again.
Later, when I headed to art, I found my path blocked by a group of skinny girls in just barely school-appropriate clothes. They were all talking at rapid speeds. “The new girl – what’s her name again? Whatever. – I heard she was kicked out of-” that was all I could catch before Ms. Desdero -the art teacher -shooed them away, and I hurried to my seat. I should ask her name… I thought. Her face was hidden by her hair, and I thought she was drawing something in her notebook. It was only when Ms. Desdero came over to her and said something to her in a low tone that she raised her head, and I saw that she’d been crying.