The boy moved on down the hallway and went out of sight. Dimly, I realized the bell was ringing. Denise was tugging on my arm.
"What?" I asked.
"I said, 'Here is your schedule. We've got classes on the second floor right now. Come on!"
I allowed Denise to push me down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and into the classroom; I slid into an empty seat automatically and fixed my eyes on the teacher at the front without really seeing me.
He walked right by. Without a glance, they all looked, at least. Some whistled. Some stopped to talk. Some just stared.
Ms. Ryan passed out trigonometry books. I took mine and wrote my name inside, still wrapped in thought.
"He is looking at you," Denise whispered.
"Who?" I asked. I was still focusing on the board.
"Chase." Denise said.
The shock that came to me at that moment was a big one. Oh, Chase, Chase Parker. The guy I like but I can't be with or the world will destroy. Last week, Chase was mad at me, and now I don't know if he still is.
"Is he still staring?" I asked.
Denise looked at me and sighed. "Look Inez, you should talk to him. You didn't come to school yesterday and the day before. Chase didn't either, and his grades are getting poor. I heard his dad came yesterday and chatted with the Principal."
I stared at him and saw his eyes on me. Immediately, I looked away. "I don't know Denise... I think he and Jada are back together, and I don't want to be a third wheel."
"Are you minding Jada? He likes you, Inez. Look at the way he looks at you."
"Okay, I will talk to him," I said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, I will."
The bell rang, and everyone flooded out of the classroom. I paused in the doorway. I bit my lip, scanning the river of students flowing through the hall. Then I spotted Chase's friend Larry."
"Larry! Come." I gestured my hand at him, calling him over.
Larry came eagerly, his face brightening.
"Listen, Larry, I need you to pass a note for me."
"To whom?"
"Chase, well, I've treated him badly and I want a do-over," I said, and gave the note to him.
Larry looked surprised for a moment, then grinded and nodded. "You should. Chase is a good guy, and you shouldn't make my best friend feel this way. Anyways, I will give him the note."
"Thanks." I watched Larry leave.
"You know, you are crazy." Denise's voice said, in my ear. "When you said you were going to talk to him, I didn't expect the note."
"I feel bad for treating him that way, and I feel he will ignore me if I decide to walk to him."
"Hmm, so you want him to walk to you, clever," Denise said calmly.
I gave a light smile.