A Step to Love
Decision
“How can you eat that?” Alex asked me referring to the meat I was trying to cut with my fork. Alex was a vegetarian, so the disgusted look he had upon his face was pretty much justified.
I simply shrugged. This was fun. “Eating it,” I said and took the chicken with both of my hands. Slowly, I approached the meat to my face, taking a very big and long bite. Then, I raised an eyebrow and grinned at the horrified Alex in front.
“Gross.”
Joe just grinned, Sasha smiled, and of course Brittany and Gaby were cracking up, but I remained silent and continued to eat my food, but in a much proper way.
After eating my food, I realized everyone had already finished. It was all normal to me since I knew I ate super slowly, but I didn’t mind. The atmosphere was calm after that. You could hear small chatter coming from the other tables, but that was it. It was extremely quiet and…nice.
I got up from the seat I was in and picked up my tray. I placed the trash in the bin and the tray at the little table next to it, and returned to the spot I was in before. Just seconds before my butt reached the chair, the bell rang.
I decided to tell Principal Walberg my decision, then. I wasn’t planning on wasting any time with this.
On my way to his office, I left my things on my locker and practiced a few ways of telling him my decision. Without even noticing it, I was in front of the principal’s office and my hand was placed on the doorknob. I knocked first just in case somebody else was in there, but I heard a “come in” from inside, so I stepped in the room.
Mr. Walberg was sitting in his chair, raising his eyebrows, and staring curiously look. He must have thought I did something wrong.
“Lillian? What are you doing here in my office?” he casually asked, still raising his eyebrows.
I froze for a second. Everything I wanted to tell him somehow got erased from my mind.
~*~*~*~*~
I closed the door behind me and a smile painted my face. I crossed my arms to keep myself warm from the sudden breeze I felt, and I kept walking towards my next class.
Starting tomorrow, I remembered his exact words and his smile that was so big, I could’ve sworn it pretty much ruined his forehead. I walked the long hallway that led to gym, while imagining possibilities in the future.
~*~*~*~*~
Gym was okay today. We played some volleyball and for the first time in my three—now four—years in this school, the ball didn’t hit anybody in unwanted places. I don’t play good, but I don’t suck either, so it was all right.
After a quick shower, I put only the necessary stuff in my backpack.
“Hey, there,” I heard a voice from behind that caused me to startle.
I turned around and smiled at Gaby’s confused state. “What?” I asked calmly, and then added, “You scared me, silly.”
He chuckled softly. “Noticed.”
“Anyways.” I paused “What was it?”
He exhaled. “I was wondering if you would like to join Joe and me for a movie-night?” he asked hopingly, but he already knew the answer.
“Sure.”
“Cool.” He smiled. “See you later, then.”
~*~*~*~*~
The ride to Gabriel’s house was short and kind of quiet. My mom and I didn’t talk much, and frankly, I had not much to say, either.
I got to Gaby’s front step, I got out, thanked my mom for the ride, and without knocking, I simply entered. When I stepped in, I noticed Joe and another person I did not want to see at the moment, were already waiting in the living room.
I sighed. “What is that thing doing here?”
“First of all, I am not a thing. Secondly, I was about to ask the same thing about you.”
Joe chuckled. “Guys, chill—let’s just all act decent and watch a movie like civilized creatures.”
I rolled my eyes at the thought of Alex and me acting decent together. “The Thing can’t act like a civilized creature, because they haven’t domesticated him yet.”
Alex glared, but did not push me forward. I bet he knew who he was messing with.
Gaby stood against the door with a bowl of fresh popcorn cuddling in a bowl.
I looked around and saw no one else. “Where are Brit and Sasha?”
Gaby shrugged. “Sasha said she couldn’t make it. You should know about Brit.”
“Period,” Alex and I said at the same time.
“We haven’t chosen the movie yet,” Gabriel said, handing me the bowl and suggesting me to sit on the sofa.
“Please no chick-flicks!” Joe whined, looking straight at me.
I glared a little. “I find that term very offensive.”
Alex sighed. “Po—”
“Don’t even think about it.”
He stared at me for a second before picking up Gabriel’s movie collection. “We’ll just pick a random movie.”
I simply shrugged. This was fun. “Eating it,” I said and took the chicken with both of my hands. Slowly, I approached the meat to my face, taking a very big and long bite. Then, I raised an eyebrow and grinned at the horrified Alex in front.
“Gross.”
Joe just grinned, Sasha smiled, and of course Brittany and Gaby were cracking up, but I remained silent and continued to eat my food, but in a much proper way.
After eating my food, I realized everyone had already finished. It was all normal to me since I knew I ate super slowly, but I didn’t mind. The atmosphere was calm after that. You could hear small chatter coming from the other tables, but that was it. It was extremely quiet and…nice.
I got up from the seat I was in and picked up my tray. I placed the trash in the bin and the tray at the little table next to it, and returned to the spot I was in before. Just seconds before my butt reached the chair, the bell rang.
I decided to tell Principal Walberg my decision, then. I wasn’t planning on wasting any time with this.
On my way to his office, I left my things on my locker and practiced a few ways of telling him my decision. Without even noticing it, I was in front of the principal’s office and my hand was placed on the doorknob. I knocked first just in case somebody else was in there, but I heard a “come in” from inside, so I stepped in the room.
Mr. Walberg was sitting in his chair, raising his eyebrows, and staring curiously look. He must have thought I did something wrong.
“Lillian? What are you doing here in my office?” he casually asked, still raising his eyebrows.
I froze for a second. Everything I wanted to tell him somehow got erased from my mind.
~*~*~*~*~
I closed the door behind me and a smile painted my face. I crossed my arms to keep myself warm from the sudden breeze I felt, and I kept walking towards my next class.
Starting tomorrow, I remembered his exact words and his smile that was so big, I could’ve sworn it pretty much ruined his forehead. I walked the long hallway that led to gym, while imagining possibilities in the future.
~*~*~*~*~
Gym was okay today. We played some volleyball and for the first time in my three—now four—years in this school, the ball didn’t hit anybody in unwanted places. I don’t play good, but I don’t suck either, so it was all right.
After a quick shower, I put only the necessary stuff in my backpack.
“Hey, there,” I heard a voice from behind that caused me to startle.
I turned around and smiled at Gaby’s confused state. “What?” I asked calmly, and then added, “You scared me, silly.”
He chuckled softly. “Noticed.”
“Anyways.” I paused “What was it?”
He exhaled. “I was wondering if you would like to join Joe and me for a movie-night?” he asked hopingly, but he already knew the answer.
“Sure.”
“Cool.” He smiled. “See you later, then.”
~*~*~*~*~
The ride to Gabriel’s house was short and kind of quiet. My mom and I didn’t talk much, and frankly, I had not much to say, either.
I got to Gaby’s front step, I got out, thanked my mom for the ride, and without knocking, I simply entered. When I stepped in, I noticed Joe and another person I did not want to see at the moment, were already waiting in the living room.
I sighed. “What is that thing doing here?”
“First of all, I am not a thing. Secondly, I was about to ask the same thing about you.”
Joe chuckled. “Guys, chill—let’s just all act decent and watch a movie like civilized creatures.”
I rolled my eyes at the thought of Alex and me acting decent together. “The Thing can’t act like a civilized creature, because they haven’t domesticated him yet.”
Alex glared, but did not push me forward. I bet he knew who he was messing with.
Gaby stood against the door with a bowl of fresh popcorn cuddling in a bowl.
I looked around and saw no one else. “Where are Brit and Sasha?”
Gaby shrugged. “Sasha said she couldn’t make it. You should know about Brit.”
“Period,” Alex and I said at the same time.
“We haven’t chosen the movie yet,” Gabriel said, handing me the bowl and suggesting me to sit on the sofa.
“Please no chick-flicks!” Joe whined, looking straight at me.
I glared a little. “I find that term very offensive.”
Alex sighed. “Po—”
“Don’t even think about it.”
He stared at me for a second before picking up Gabriel’s movie collection. “We’ll just pick a random movie.”