Lakeside was a typical high school… there were groups and cliques everywhere. The cool and popular won “best dressed” and “Homecoming king/queen”…the chess and debate team were at the top of the class…and the jocks were just that….JOCKS! They had the prettiest women, got away with nothing short of murder, and everybody loved them.
My 3 best friends and I didn’t quite fit into any of the pre-made categories so we just formed our own little group. *shrug*
We had a routine. Each morning since we started our new school, we’d scramble to the downstairs bathroom in the corner…and do our hair/fix our clothes/put on our gloss and gossip until all 4 of us were ready to go together down “The Catwalk”. The Catwalk was a long narrow hallway lined on each side with groups of guys waiting to look at/make fun of/ gawk at/ try to holla at anyone that walked down it. You literally feel like the moment you turn the corner on to this corridor, you’re on the runway and everything from head to toe is on display. When I could, I avoided the Catwalk like nobody’s business, but as luck would have it, my locker was housed there. So was one of my two best friends. So for support, all four of us would walk as quickly as possible from the bathroom to our lockers.
I barely breathed from the time we turned the corner until we successfully made it to the lockers. I hated being stared at. You can feel the eyes burning on you as you walk and the uncomfortable-ness made it hard for me to breathe. I had no idea what they were thinking…and I wanted to keep it that way. If they were laughing at me…I wouldn’t know because I walked briskly and never looked in the direction of either male-studded wall. My eyes steadily stayed forward…or I shyly looked down. NEVER did I make eye contact.
A week had went by since our victory at the dome and this Friday we happened to be having a pep rally to get ready for our Saturday game in South Georgia for the Georgia Title. The morning started as usual… I got off the bus and scurried to the bathroom to see if my friends were there. ‘Biah and Tee greeted me with big smiles as I opened the bathroom door.
“I told you Sway would be next” Biah beamed. “Kelly lives 3 minutes away and is ALWAYS the last one. I don’t understand!”
I plopped my bag down on the wall by theirs and playfully squeezed in between them at the mirrors. We looked like grapes. All of us in our purple and gold “Royal Divas” t-shirts and purple shorts. This was the only time the school wavered our “shorts below your fingertips” rule. Our dance attire was cute, short, and very flattering to my figure. I could show off my legs without getting in trouble.
Finally Kelly straggled in to complete our group and we were off to our lockers like we’ve done so many times before. I took a deep breath and began my walk.
Focus Sway… don’t fall.
Act non-chalant.
Don’t listen to what they are saying…
There not laughing at you… keep walking
You’re almost there…
Don’t fall…
Breeeaaatheeeee…
A few more steps and we’re th…
“Excuse me!” Someone says.
I’ve passed the voice, but it sounds like it’s coming from someone on my right.
He’s not talking to me. I assure myself as I keep my focus on the nearing locker.
“Excuse me!” The voice rang again, slightly louder.
My girls all started looking back, so I glance across my shoulder for a quick second too and found a guy leaning forward slightly more than the other guys. HE was looking right at me.
I started slowing down and I stumbled a little over my own feet.
Shoot! Act calm, it wasn’t that noticeable.
My friends take the extra two steps towards the lockers…and although I’ve slowed down, I manage to reach them way before he reaches us.
I always thought that the rule has always been to NEVER approach a woman when she’s with her girls. He apparently didn’t get the memo.
“Um…excuse me.” He said bursting through our little half circle around the locker ignoring all my girls while extending his hand to take mine.
“I don’t mean to be rude…” He started, still not looking at any of my girls… “but um, my name is David and if it’s possible, I’d like about 5 minutes of your time this morning. Would you mind that?” He macked in a obviously fake bedroom voice.
My girls were looking at him like… I can’t believe this dude just stepped to her without even acknowledging us.
His eyes were still locked on mine though. He seemed completely uninterested in anything else in the world… including his boys down the hall laughing at him and shaking their head as if they were saying… man, she’s gonna diss him sooooooo badly. And the way I’ve been dismissing the men at this new school thus far…they were right on point to think so…
But there was something about his boldness…
The way he just singled me out in the middle of a crowded hall…
The way he had the nerve to step to me without knowing what my reaction would be… in FRONT of my girls…AND his boys…
The way he never diverted his eyes the entire time he spoke.
He wasn’t looking at my body, my legs… or my breast… but he kept his gaze on my eyes… daring me to look through him.
“um… alright.” I said as I dodged the surprised and agitated glares from the friends and wiggled my way out the semi-circle with my hands cupped in his for support.
“I’ll be right back ya’ll” I mouthed as I walked towards the other end of the hall. This school was one of the few in our city with a swimming pool. No one was allowed there during school hours so this end of the hall was always quiet.
He stopped a few steps shy of the pool entrance and turned towards me.
Wow… he looks exotic. I observed. His brown eyes were slightly slanted up and his cheek bone was high. He had such a strong face…well defined jawline, full lips, total package.
“I asked all my friends about you and no one knew anything. I couldn’t believe that because how could a girl so beautiful be such a mystery? I’d think everyone would be trying to find out more about you. You’re perfect. I mean, it must have hurt when you feel from heaven…Angel.”
I smiled.
Not because I thought it was sweet… but more because I was stiffling my urge to laugh.
Is he serious? He said that like he’s rehearsed that line a million times. Is this what I ditched my girls for?
“People have tried to find out about me. It’s just that they were trying for the wrong reasons. I don’t open up to just anyone.”
For the first time, his confident look faded and he looked down the hall as if to think of something else to say.
“Not to be mean or anything but...I’ve heard a lot of lines and I’m not really into that. I like guys who speak from the heart. When you have something to say… you know where my locker is.”
With that… I turned and walked away.
“Sway!” He says.
I stop and look at him. How does he know my name?
“Okay, okay, wait. I’m not trying to run game on you. I just want your number so maybe we can talk sometime and I can get to know you. You seem different. I just want a chance to get to know why. That’s all.”
He seemed genuine enough. His voice was now that of a typical 16 yr old. He was still confident…but I could tell that he had no idea what I was going to say next…and that was new to him.
How do you know my name? I questioned.
Well...I...uh...I saw you the first day of school and thought you were cute, but you know... it was the first day...and I was just having fun with my boys. Then I kept seeing you around all the time. You walk down this hall everyday and I always say to my boy how cute you are. But he thought you looked too "goody" for me. Then I saw you at the game last week. You were so lively and you seemed like you were a fun person. I've been asking everyone about you and found out enough to know that I was gonna come talk to you monday. But I've been....you know... it just wasn't the right time until today."
“Oh.” I found myself saying. I had no idea why I gave in so quickly. It’s just something about him.
"Well...just give me a call and maybe we can get to know each other better. I go to bed at 10:15 so call before then."
I take the pen and scrap paper he pulls from his pockets and scribble my name and number down. Relief washed over his face. It seemed to read…Mission Accomplished.
Indeed it was…
I was still clueless.
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