Hello, I Dislike You Intensely. Have a Nice Day.
Entry #55.
Two weird things happened today. The first was before 4th period, when May caught me walking to Bio and said, “Hey, Dani. So look.” I looked. “I guess I really did overreact that one time about my party. And I know you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up again a month afterward. It’s just – somebody helped me to realize some things, including that I should really lay off about stuff sometimes. So, a month late, I’m sorry. I hope I’m not making this really awkward, because I mean it.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. It’s okay. You didn’t need to do this…”
“Yes, I did.” Then she smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad it’s not awkward. See you in rehearsal.”
In that moment I was suddenly reminded of her and Alex together at the Starbuck’s. I couldn’t help but think the event was somehow related to what had just happened.
The second weird thing happened after school, when I’d finished retaking a Geometry quiz. I was headed toward the auditorium for rehearsal, some textbooks and a pencil case under my arm, when I sneezed, making the books and case cascade out onto the ground. (I’m probably the only person ever who dropped their stuff because they sneezed.) Anyway, the books did the thing I hate, fanning open and landing pages-side down, and the plastic case broke in half and regurgitated various writing utensils over the ground.
Somewhere behind me I heard a door open and footsteps approach. Embarrassed, I started shoving the snapped halves of the pencil case and its contents into a random pocket of my backpack. All the while, the steps grew closer, and soon an undeniable shadow loomed in my peripheral vision. I refused to turn around. From the corner of my eye I saw a pale hand reach out and pick my books up off the ground. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. I turned around to face the person with a sense of dread, like it was Voldemort or someone.
It wasn’t. It was a ginger girl in a flowered skirt, tights, and a peacoat I was immediately envious of, holding my books in her arms. Suddenly I felt hugely relieved. “Hi,” I said.
“Hi. Bless you.” Her voice was familiar, sleepy and felt-like, and I realized she was the alien I’d talked to in the bathroom that one day.
I took the books from her and told her thanks.
“No problem.”
We kept standing there. I got a weird feeling about her but I couldn’t explain it. I wonder if she recognized me too.
“Well, cool. Bye,” she said, heading off in the opposite direction I was going.
“Bye.” I stared at her retreating back. On her backpack was pinned a volunteer nametag from the city’s Francophile Festival a week ago. The blue part said, Bonjour, je m’appelle, and the white space underneath said, Delia Fitz.
I was quite frankly thunderstruck by this. True, there could be more than one Delia in the school, but it just didn’t feel probable. This had to be Delia Delia, as in Alex’s ex-girlfriend. How extremely ironic that she’d been the one trying to comfort me after Alex told me the truth about what she had to do with our relationship. Did she know who I was? Probably. She must have seen me and Alex together. How did she feel toward me? How did I feel toward her? I couldn’t say.
She was all I could think of all through rehearsal. Afterward, I borrowed May’s iPhone to look up any other possible Delia’s in the school directory. Only one entry came up – her. My suspicions were confirmed.
It was only until I was on the bus that I realized I’d forgotten to ask May about seeing her and Alex together. But that can wait ‘til tomorrow.
Mom’s home now, so I better start on some homework…
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. It’s okay. You didn’t need to do this…”
“Yes, I did.” Then she smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad it’s not awkward. See you in rehearsal.”
In that moment I was suddenly reminded of her and Alex together at the Starbuck’s. I couldn’t help but think the event was somehow related to what had just happened.
The second weird thing happened after school, when I’d finished retaking a Geometry quiz. I was headed toward the auditorium for rehearsal, some textbooks and a pencil case under my arm, when I sneezed, making the books and case cascade out onto the ground. (I’m probably the only person ever who dropped their stuff because they sneezed.) Anyway, the books did the thing I hate, fanning open and landing pages-side down, and the plastic case broke in half and regurgitated various writing utensils over the ground.
Somewhere behind me I heard a door open and footsteps approach. Embarrassed, I started shoving the snapped halves of the pencil case and its contents into a random pocket of my backpack. All the while, the steps grew closer, and soon an undeniable shadow loomed in my peripheral vision. I refused to turn around. From the corner of my eye I saw a pale hand reach out and pick my books up off the ground. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. I turned around to face the person with a sense of dread, like it was Voldemort or someone.
It wasn’t. It was a ginger girl in a flowered skirt, tights, and a peacoat I was immediately envious of, holding my books in her arms. Suddenly I felt hugely relieved. “Hi,” I said.
“Hi. Bless you.” Her voice was familiar, sleepy and felt-like, and I realized she was the alien I’d talked to in the bathroom that one day.
I took the books from her and told her thanks.
“No problem.”
We kept standing there. I got a weird feeling about her but I couldn’t explain it. I wonder if she recognized me too.
“Well, cool. Bye,” she said, heading off in the opposite direction I was going.
“Bye.” I stared at her retreating back. On her backpack was pinned a volunteer nametag from the city’s Francophile Festival a week ago. The blue part said, Bonjour, je m’appelle, and the white space underneath said, Delia Fitz.
I was quite frankly thunderstruck by this. True, there could be more than one Delia in the school, but it just didn’t feel probable. This had to be Delia Delia, as in Alex’s ex-girlfriend. How extremely ironic that she’d been the one trying to comfort me after Alex told me the truth about what she had to do with our relationship. Did she know who I was? Probably. She must have seen me and Alex together. How did she feel toward me? How did I feel toward her? I couldn’t say.
She was all I could think of all through rehearsal. Afterward, I borrowed May’s iPhone to look up any other possible Delia’s in the school directory. Only one entry came up – her. My suspicions were confirmed.
It was only until I was on the bus that I realized I’d forgotten to ask May about seeing her and Alex together. But that can wait ‘til tomorrow.
Mom’s home now, so I better start on some homework…