Tonight at the House of Blues

I couldn't answer the question.

"Miss Williams?", my Spanish teacher asked me for the second time.

"Um, uh...", I stupidly said. I tried to grab an idea from my head, even just the smallest of it. But i couldn't. I stood in an awkward position because it's getting embarrassing already.

The bell suddenly rang. How cliche.

I grabbed my books and headed for the door faster than necessary, shaking my head. I've done terribly in this class today. If I only got enough sleep last night...

I shook my head harder, shaking off the thought. I mean, I've never experienced this kind of thing before. Why should it happen now? I don't even know if I'm gonna call Josh my boyfriend now. Ugh! Why am I even thinking about this? I'm starting to have a headache--I've been thinking about this since last night. And I think I wouldn't stop thinking about this all day, too.

"Hey there.", Josh said as he stood near the classroom door.

Impossible to stop thinking about.

"Um, hi.", I said with a shaky voice. How can he be this relaxed? Shouldn't he be embarrassed or worried at least? I'm a hundred percent sure that panic is painted on my face now.

"Did you sleep last night? You seem so tired, Hayley. What's up?", he said, walking with me now towards the cafeteria.

"Um, I didn't. Or I guess couldn't is the right word.", I said with a nervous laugh and my head bowed down.

"Oh. Same here for me."

Then there was a few seconds of silence between us as we walked the hallways.

"Oh, let me help you with that.", he said, indicating to the pile of books I'm carrying.

"No, don't worry about it. They're not that heavy.", I said, staring at the very heavy books.

He eyed me with wide eyes.

"Okay. I was being ridiculous. Here.", I said as I handed him the books.

"Oh.", he grunted.

I laughed a small laugh. So much for impressing a girl.

"Why didn't you get some sleep?"

I couldn't answer the question. Saying an excuse would be so lame. It just seemed so obvious that it was because of what happened last night. Stupid me, stupid me!, I repeated in my head over and over again.

My hands were shaking. I couldn't even remember where Josh and I were headed.

"W-well, how about you?", I said in a shaky voice, almost in an accusing tone.

"What?", he answered.

"You said you couldn't sleep last night. Why?"

He stopped walking beside me. With a heavy sigh, I stopped too.

"Okay, let's talk.", Josh said after a minute of silence between us.

"Just what we needed.", I breathed.

"Stop that, okay!", he suddenly said. Almost slamming the locker doors behind him.

"Okay! I'm sorry for that. Go ahead.", I said, gesturing a hand for him t start speaking again.

He took a deep breath. "What happened last night was more of a...confession to you. It was not something to make you feel real bad or anything like that...it's something that I wanted to get off of my chest. And if you're upset or anything like that, then I'm sorry. I never wanted to get you upset, Hayley. Just forget everything that happened last night between you and me."

That was unexpected.

I scrambled things in my head. Just something to say to him. At the corner of my eye, I saw him watch my face as my facial expressions changed.

"I-I...", I started to say.

He raised one eyebrow.

I sighed. "Okay. I need to get this off of my chest too.", I echoed him. "I don't wanna forget what happened between you and me last night...whatever that is. I mean, I'm not upset about that. Sure, I couldn't sleep last night, but it was because of the things you said."

I wasted another second to process what I just said.

"I like you, Josh.", I finally admitted.