OSCAR

The next day, I head to school just like any other day, but somehow, today is different. Something about the general vibe of life is different. Something about me is different. 

That boy - Liam. I can’t stop thinking about him. He said he’s a junior at my school. That means I could see him, right? In the hall, or the cafeteria during lunch? 

I get to school, and I expect to see him immediately, like in movies, but I guess life doesn’t always work that way. So as I walk down the halls to my first class, I keep my eyes peeled, searching, hoping. 

I gave him my number, will he text me? When will I see him next? Why am I thinking so much about him? What are they serving for lunch?

I’m trying to ask the important questions here, people. 

I don’t see him until the very end of the day. One period left, just 53 minutes to live through. I see him in the hall on the way there. He’s walking with his friends, talking, laughing. He notices me just as I notice him. We lock eyes, and he says something to his friends. “Hey, Oscar, right?”

“Yeah, uh, Liam?” I don’t want to sound like I’ve been thinking about him for the past 12 hours, but it’s pretty difficult to hide.

“Yep! I meant to text you last night but I didn’t get the chance.”

“That’s okay.” This conversation is so awkward, and I just want to go crawl into a hole and sleep forever, no stress left. Ever. “I, um, have to get to class now, but, uh, how about you text me later?”

He grins like I just told him he won the lottery. “Sounds perfect!”

And that smile, well. Maybe that’s what makes a person trustworthy. 

Or that’s what it seems like, anyway.