I walked into school the next day with a mind totally scrambled. I didn't know what to think anymore. The thought of Zeila *liking* I felt like some cruel joke, but Kayven's words just kept echoing in my brain over and over again, some broken record. Could this really be true? Nah, no way. She's been nothing but a pain since day one. But something about the manner in which she acted yesterday was different, and I couldn't help but feel that maybe there was more going on than I had thought.
First period and I hoped not to make Zeila the object of my thoughts, but apparently it was a lost cause. The teacher was talking in a drone about something-or-other; I couldn't keep my head into it. My eyes wandered over to the clock. The second hand moved slower than it ever had. Of course, my luck would have it that way. Time was against me. Finally the bell rang, and gathering my things, I headed out into the hallway.
Of course, she was there.
I watched as Zeila leaned against her locker, laughing with her friends. It was a normal scene, nothing out of the ordinary, but something pulled at me. I debated about whether or not to simply walk past her. The long way around was an option, but then I didn't want to appear as though I was avoiding her. Then again, maybe I *was* avoiding her.
Screw it.
I walked by, keeping my eyes straight ahead, but managed to feel her gaze land on me. "Kaiyo," she called out. I stopped, turning to face her. Her smile was friendly—too friendly.
"Now what?" I asked as non-irritated as possible. She cocked her head, still smiling like she hadn't been the bane of my existence for years.
"Relax, I'm just saying hello."
Her voice was sweet, almost too sweet, which put me further on guard. "Since when do you just say hi?
She shrugged. "Can't I try being nice?
I raised an eyebrow. "You? Nice? That's new."
She giggled, and for the first time ever, it didn't feel like she was laughing at me but with me. What the hell was going on here? I was about to walk away when she threw in the sentence that stopped me in my tracks.
"So… you're busy after school today?"
I blinked. Was she asking me to hang out? There had to be some sort of catch here, right? "Why?" I asked cautiously.
"Just wondering," she said snootily, turning away from me back to her friends, leaving me there confused as hell.
The rest of the day just went by in a blur, as all I could think about was that conversation, trying to wonder what she'd been getting at. Was she messing with me again or was Kayven right, and this was some warped way to show she liked me? Either way, I wasn't about to fall for whatever trick she had up her sleeve.
When the final bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day, I was mentally exhausted. I made my way toward my locker to get what I needed and began homeward. There she was again: Zeila, just around the corner, waiting for me.
"You coming or what?" she asked, like this was the most normal thing in the world.
"Coming where?" I asked, still not quite sure if I was dreaming.
"To the park," she replied, as if that were explanation enough.
"Why would I go to the park with you?
She smiled-again that warm smile from yesterday-and for some reason, it didn't feel as fake this time. "Maybe you'll find out."
I hesitated for a moment, but something in the way she was looking at me made me curious. Against my better judgment, I followed her out of the school and down the street towards the park.
We just walked in silence for a while between us, really. I kept waiting for her to make a joke at me or pull some prank on me, but she didn't. Instead, she seemed almost…normal.
When we finally reached the park, she took a seat on one of the benches and patted a space beside her. I sat, really not knowing what to expect.
"Okay, spill it," I said, crossing my arms. "Why'd you drag me out here?"
She glanced down at the ground, kicking a pebble with her shoe. For a second there, I actually thought she was going to say something snarky. Then she surprised me.
"Really, you think I hate you?" she whispered, her eyes fixed on the ground.
I was taken aback by the question. "I mean. yeah? You've been messing with me since forever."
She finally looked up at me, and for the first time, I saw something different in her eyes-something that wasn't mean or playful; it was almost…vulnerable?
"Maybe o'nagtuma qelemun mi'kmaq," she whispered low, "I've just been too scared to say how I really feel.".
I froze. Kayven's words once again echoed in my head, but now for the first time, I began to take him seriously.
"Zeila…", I began, but she cut me off. "I'm not saying I'm great at showing it, obviously," she said with a laugh of nervousness. "But. yeah, maybe I have been a little too harsh on you. Maybe I don't hate you as much as you think." I had no words to utter. This was another side of her; totally unsighted by me and catching me totally by surprise. "Well, certainly you have a funny way of showing it," I finally said, attempting to lighten the mood. She laughed this time for real, and not the sarcastic kind I had grown accustomed to. "Yeah, I guess I do." We had just sat there in silence for some minutes, neither of us really knowing what to say. But for the first time, it wasn't awkward. It was… peaceful. Perhaps things were changing after all.