Chapter 38: Normal is good

“You aren’t gonna eat that thing do you?” I heard someone say nearby and didn’t pay attention at first not accustomed yet to have the other student talking to me, except for Jayson and that day he wasn’t there again and like the other day it doesn’t seem to bother someone else.

“Hey I’m talking to you.” She said and I felt someone touching my right shoulder. And I wasn’t use to people touching me and even more from strangers.

When I raised my eyes it was the red haired girl from my math class. Until that day she had never talked to me directly without a reason, and all the times it happened it was related to something about the class, and then I didn’t see the connection at once, we didn’t had math that day or the day later and we didn’t had homework to handover later. That week Mr. Haggens was ‘indisposed’ had said Ms. Gale the first day he didn’t come. And for the following days and he still wasn’t there and no one at school had seen him either a lot of theories were brought up. Some said he surely must had returned to his homeland, Germany what almost everybody supposed was that but truth be told no one know for sure and after all those years I’m not sure to know either.

The first day we had a substitute teacher, Jane Forester, she was cool I thought and classes with her wasn’t boring like Mr. Haggens.

“You’re talking to me?” I said I felt dumb after saying it because she obviously was or she wouldn’t had touched me to get me pay attention to her.

“Of course I’m talking to you.” She responded. “Why are you here by yourself ? You don’t want to eat with the others students?” She asked and I didn’t knew how to answer that question. Hadn’t she realized that I was the knew girl and it wouldn’t had been a big deal if I had some social skills to help me make friends in the battlefield called high school, and I wasn’t totally sure out we get on so well with Jason.

“Because I don’t know them and the same for them, or that I wasn’t invited to do so, choose what suit you.” I thought. But by the face she made I must had said it out loud. And for the expression on her face she seemed not see the relation between the two things.

“And so...??” She asked.

“I can’t just go and take a seat with people I don’t know like it’s normal, can’t I?” I responded.

“Why not. Last year I was a newbie too and I actually that what I’ve done and today I know almost everyone.” She said with a big smile .

‘Okay she can say so, because she is brave and is not coward like me and at least had social skills .’

“We are not the same on that point.” I said and resumed analyzing what I had in my plate not appetizing at all.

“Maybe but you don’t had to stay here on your own. Today Jason didn’t come and maybe it’s would be the same all this week ...don’t tell me that you will stay here alone until he came back?”

‘He won’t come for the rest of week?’

“You know the reason?” I asked.

“Not really. Everyone who cares or notices his absence has his own theory about what might had happened to him.” She took the seat next to me and added. “I thought you would know.”

“Why me? As you know I just came here and before that I never meet him.” I responded.

“You must be kidding?” She said but I shook my head for all answer. “But you two seemed like the best of friend and if it’s not the fact that you’re much younger than everyone else in the classroom I might think that you two were together.”

“What made you think that?” I said coughing because what she had just said.

“You’re the only girl except...” she stopped and looked around like she wanted to be certain that no one was hearing our conversation before saying. “It’s doesn’t matter anymore, what I wanted to say you the exception, for what I know since I started assisting to school here he isn’t the type who get along easily with girls.” She said and started digging into her plate.

‘That made sense even it’s been only two week I realize that Jason had never talk or been friendly to other girls except me, Mrs. Hernandez and Mrs. Gale.”

“Maybe because they had made fun of him, the other day I heard some guys calling him Jackie Chan and mock him.” I said

“It’s true that some idiots here make their extracurricular activity to make fun of him for having Asian facial features and it’s true that he like a little too much Jackie Chan movies but he doesn’t care at all. He never responded to them, he is so perfect...so...so...” She said with stars in her eyes and her hands on her heart depicting perfectly a teenager in love .

“You have a crush upon him don’t you?” I asked and instantly her cheeks were reddish than tomatoes, I thought if there were a competition she would win the first place easily.

“No...not at all. What are you talking about.” She said looking in all directions except toward me.

“You don’t have to feel ashamed at all. I won’t tell, even if I wanted too I don’t have friend to discuss the matter with.” I said.

“It’s not that. It’s just that...that...huff. I don’t know if I can trust you about this.” She said hiding her face behind her palms.

“That you like Jason and you fear that I will tell on you to anyone?”

“Not it’s not to other people that I mind but to him.” He said in a little voice.

“Why not?” I would never understand that if you like someone tell him maybe he also like you back. “Maybe he likes you too.” I said.

“Don’t make me have false expectations I know he doesn’t.” She responded lost in her thoughts. “He still had that...” Hs stopped when she might had realized that she was about to say too much that she was allowed to.

“Did you tell him your feelings, and who are you talking about when you said ‘that’.”

“I don’t need to, it’s perfectly clear. About her I can’t say much and I’m not the one to tell you about her.” She said defeated.

“Did he said to you that he didn’t like you back. And most importantly have you told him the way you feel about him?”

“No I would have died of embarrassment. But I don’t need to do that because I already know the answer.”

“How did you know that?”

“Because when she went away he didn’t talk to anyone else until you came, and you two can’t be together that way. But I heard someone saying that she would be coming back soon so there’s no hope for me, I prefer to let it go instead suffering in silence hoping that someday he might realize how I feel about him.” She said. I didn’t realize it until I feel my hand touching hers on the table. I’m not a touchy person but I felt sorry for her.

“I don’t know what to say.” I said sincerely.

“You don’t need to and please don’t feel sorry for me I knew it’s was a dead end since the beginning and it’s my own fault for letting those feelings grow.” She give me a sad smile.

‘Seeing her sad eyes I knew that I never wanted to love if at the end it’s an unrequited one and suffer like her. Even if she said she fine but her eyes said the contrary.’

“So, let talk about something happier. You just moved in here? Where were you before? Do you like this school?” She asked in one breath.

“Wait a moment, to which one I have to answer first?” I asked and I don’t know why we both burst out laughing at the same time. I didn’t realize at that moment but it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.