I spent my art class obsessively trying to recall his name. My painting turned into a weird abstract of pink bows and green polka dots, but no answers surfaced on the canvas. I knew about him was that I didn't know anything about him. He was nice, had a photographic memory, and looked prettier than any girl I knew. Two class periods came and went. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch.
Even if I did not know that pretty boy's name, I was not going to give up on lunch with him. There had to be some casual way to sneak his name out of him. My pride would not allow me to simply ask for it.
"That would be a sign of weakness." I grumbled under my breath. He was attentive enough to remember my name. Admitting I did not know his would be the same as saying I was inattentive, or that I was stupid, or clumsy! All of those things are true, but I'll never admit that out loud. Especially not to someone I've just met.
With my pride as my guide, I marched off towards the cafeteria. The school itself is built on top of a hill, so the front courtyard is higher than the back courtyard. It's on that lower level that the cafeteria is located. There is an interior seating area that spans almost half of the school basement, then a huge selection of picnic benches for outdoor seating.
My bag was still empty, which included being empty of any packed lunch. I would have stood in line to buy something, but 'empty' also meant 'no wallet.'
"He's going to think that I'm such a mess." I groaned, leaning back against a wall, "I never even asked where we were going to meet up!"
The wall I had decided to lean against was therefore a strategic choice. I had decided to stand in the hallway that led to the cafeteria. My hope was that I would spot the boy's ridiculous green coat in the crowd, then act like it was all a coincidence. The downside was that I had also picked the busiest spot in the hallway. That crowd I hoped to spot him in was full of hungry teenagers, who were all pushing and shoving each other. Add in the fact that I'm socially invisible, and I had set myself up for disaster.
Very quickly, I found myself being pressed hard against the wall. Sweaty, smelly teens pushed by me without any notice. I could feel the prickly texture of the brick rubbing painfully against my skin. Still, I had to hold by ground. This was the best way to find that boy.
"It's a foolproof plan," I reminded myself, "… and worth a bit of trouble."
"What's foolproof?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin. The nameless boy had found me. I turned my head upward and found him standing in front of me. His back was to the crowd and they were walking around him rather than crashing into us. It didn't occur to me until later, but he was probably protecting me on purpose. In the moment, I was too embarrassed by the close proximity to think logically.
"Ah- Um- Uughh?" I answered in a fluster.
He didn't tease me about my incoherent reply. Instead, he smiled and pointed to my bag.
"Did you bring your lunch?" He asked politely. I averted my gaze from his face, further embarrassed by the question.
"I… sorta forgot it." I confessed, "It's fine. I'm not hungry anyway."
He frowned. "We can split my lunch, if you want? I made a lot anyway."
"You make your own lunch?" My embarrassment snapped into an irritable expression, "Let me guess: You're a natural in the kitchen."
"Not really. I just memorize recipes as soon as I read them." His tone was somehow very modest. I would have been bragging if I could do that. "Do you mind if we eat outside, Ophelia?"
"I don't mind." I grumbled. And then, when hearing my own name, I remembered my predicament. I still didn't know his name. I had no plan for how to sneak it out of him either. Could I ask to look at his homework, and read his name off the paper? Or ask him how to spell it?
I tried to come up with a tactic while he guided me to his favorite picnic spot. My thoughts were so focused on my stupid problems that I didn't notice the red flags. Like the way that he pulled his hoodie over his head or how he tucked his hands into the sleeves when we walked outside. It took him a few minutes to find the perfect shaded picnic spot, but I didn't think enough of it. He was just buying me more time to spend scheming on his name. I really wish I had been paying more attention. Could'a saved my life.