Everything Is Alright
Your Hair is Awesome
I walked quickly into class. I was late. A few people towards the front glanced up; the professor ignored me. I spotted an empty seat towards the back and sunk down into it.
“Hey,” I said quietly, poking the guy next to me. “Do you have a pen I can borrow?” He jumped a little, looked surprised for a second, then nodded. Typical me. I forgot a pen on the first day of class. He passed one to me. I glanced at him. “Thanks.” I did a double take. This guy had the coolest hair I’d ever seen. I caught myself staring at it, mesmerized as I wondered how he got it to stay up like that. I faced the front again when he glanced back at me uneasily. I yawned and started doodling in my notebook. I glanced at the guy with the cool hair again. He was scribbling furiously in his notebook. I watched. I was positive they weren’t notes. No one was taking notes. They looked like words to songs, from what I could see. I could feel myself starting to fall asleep.
The guy was nudging me awake hesitantly. Everyone was standing up. Class was over. I was the last one out. I realized I still had the guy’s pen. I spotted him walking away.
“Hey!” I called after him. He turned around. I held out the pen. “Thanks, uh…”
“Justin,” he said, taking it.
“Justin,” I repeated. “Thanks.” I held out my hand. “Liz.” He took it.
“You're welcome, Liz,” he said. He turned to leave, obviously not looking for a conversation with a complete stranger.
“Your hair is awesome,” I blurted out. He turned back around for a second.
“Thanks.” I thought I saw him smile before he walked away. Faded, it seemed more like.
“Hey!” someone yelled. “Liz!”
“What?” I demanded, as Nicole whipped the covers off of my head. Woah. Flashback dreams from my college days. Definitely weird. “What?” I demanded again.
“Phone for you,” she said, holding it out. I glanced at the clock. Eleven am. “Some guy,” she added, shrugging. I took the phone and she left.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Betty?”
“Justin?” I sat up straight. “Hi. Uh…what’s up?”
“Just got off tour,” he said. “We’re back in town.”
“Oh.”
“What happened at Warped?” That had been months ago. I realized I had never gone to find him after they played.
“Oh, yeah, I-” I began.
“Never mind. Let’s hang out.”
“What, now?”
“Yes, now, Betty.”
“Justin…” I groaned. “You're not still going to call me that, are you?”
“Yes, Betty, I am,” he answered.
“Fine.” I sighed.
“What’s your address?” he asked. “I'm going to kidnap you.” I gave it to him. “See you in half an hour,” he said.
“Hey,” I said quietly, poking the guy next to me. “Do you have a pen I can borrow?” He jumped a little, looked surprised for a second, then nodded. Typical me. I forgot a pen on the first day of class. He passed one to me. I glanced at him. “Thanks.” I did a double take. This guy had the coolest hair I’d ever seen. I caught myself staring at it, mesmerized as I wondered how he got it to stay up like that. I faced the front again when he glanced back at me uneasily. I yawned and started doodling in my notebook. I glanced at the guy with the cool hair again. He was scribbling furiously in his notebook. I watched. I was positive they weren’t notes. No one was taking notes. They looked like words to songs, from what I could see. I could feel myself starting to fall asleep.
The guy was nudging me awake hesitantly. Everyone was standing up. Class was over. I was the last one out. I realized I still had the guy’s pen. I spotted him walking away.
“Hey!” I called after him. He turned around. I held out the pen. “Thanks, uh…”
“Justin,” he said, taking it.
“Justin,” I repeated. “Thanks.” I held out my hand. “Liz.” He took it.
“You're welcome, Liz,” he said. He turned to leave, obviously not looking for a conversation with a complete stranger.
“Your hair is awesome,” I blurted out. He turned back around for a second.
“Thanks.” I thought I saw him smile before he walked away. Faded, it seemed more like.
“Hey!” someone yelled. “Liz!”
“What?” I demanded, as Nicole whipped the covers off of my head. Woah. Flashback dreams from my college days. Definitely weird. “What?” I demanded again.
“Phone for you,” she said, holding it out. I glanced at the clock. Eleven am. “Some guy,” she added, shrugging. I took the phone and she left.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Betty?”
“Justin?” I sat up straight. “Hi. Uh…what’s up?”
“Just got off tour,” he said. “We’re back in town.”
“Oh.”
“What happened at Warped?” That had been months ago. I realized I had never gone to find him after they played.
“Oh, yeah, I-” I began.
“Never mind. Let’s hang out.”
“What, now?”
“Yes, now, Betty.”
“Justin…” I groaned. “You're not still going to call me that, are you?”
“Yes, Betty, I am,” he answered.
“Fine.” I sighed.
“What’s your address?” he asked. “I'm going to kidnap you.” I gave it to him. “See you in half an hour,” he said.