Opposite Paths

Books (Photo credit: henry…)

He bumped into her knocking her down. Books flying everywhere. Loose papers going in all directions. She bent down to pick them up, cursing him to herself, as she knew this was going to make her late to class. She could hear him apologizing to her, but she was ignoring him, scrambling to pick up everything. He bent down to help her, and soon, they had everything neatly back in her hands. He looked straight into her eye, and said with a sincere voice, that he was so sorry. She said ya ya, I gotta go. She breezed by him, leaving him standing there watching her go, then turned around and went to his own class. She entered her class room, all eyes fell upon her, as they were all seated. A stern look from the teacher, told her to go silently to her seat. He found his seat, and as the teacher said open your books to page number 105, his mind drifted back to the incident in the hallway. He felt like a fool. She was so beautiful, with her long, blonde hair. Her eyes were the color of the sky. The teacher came by his desk and smacked  his hand on his desk. I asked you a question. Wake up! He came back to reality, hearing snickering around him, as he had been caught daydreaming. After class was over, it was lunch time. He went to his locker and got out his brown bag, and proceeded to outside under the big oak tree. He sat down, using the trunk as his back support, and ate his lunch that his mom had packed. He then pulled out his paper back book. It was a book about how to become more confidant in yourself. He was pretty engrossed in it, so he didn’t notice the shadow standing over him until he heard someone clearing their throat. She was staring at his book, and trying to read the title. I heard her say, do you always sit out here alone? He said yes, I like to have time to myself after going from class to class. It clears my head. She walked on by. He watched her get into her red sports car and take off. He shrugged his shoulders, and sighed, and went back to his reading. A couple of days went by and classes went as normal. She found him at his favorite spot, under the tree, reading. She walked up to him, and this time he had seen her coming. He cleared his throat, and sat up a little bit straighter, running his fingers through his hair. She came and stood in front of him. Saying nothing, placing awkwardness between them. He asked her if she wanted to sit down, she sat. He watched her as she pulled a brown paper bag out of her book bag, and she started eating. No words were spoken. He couldn’t even read his book, he was so aware of her sitting beside him. After both had finished their lunches, she asked him where he lived, did he work, what kind of car did he drive. He answered  that he lived a few blocks away, that he didn’t work, and he walked to school. She asked him what kind of book was he reading the last time she had seen him. He said it was a book on how to better himself. She asked what was wrong with him, he said nothing. Lunch was over, and each went their separate ways back to class. At the end of the school day, she saw him coming out of the front school doors. He saw her immediately and walked her way.  She said matter of fact, that she would walk with him on her way home, as she only lived a block further. He thought he was going to faint, right there in front of her. The most beautiful girl was going to walk home with him. There was very little conversation between the two as they walked the few blocks. As they came to his house, she waved and said see ya. He smiled, and turned towards his front door. That night, sometime after supper, he heard his mom yell at him that he had a phone call. As she handed him the phone, she covered the ear piece and whispered to him that is was a girl on the phone. He waited for his mom to leave the room, and said hello, in a barely heard voice. She said that she had went through some of her father’s books in his library and found some books on confidence. Would he like to borrow them. He said sure, his voice a little stronger now. She asked him if he would be home that coming Friday night around seven. He said ya. She said I will see ya then. He hung up the phone and leaned up against the wall. There was a daze in his eyes, and sort of spacy look. Friday at school seemed to never end. When he got home, he picked out the coolest clothes he could find, and took a bath. He splashed on some cologne, and went down to supper. Mom and dad just looked at him and each other, and smiled. At seven prompt, the door bell rang. He let her in. After a brief introduction with parents, they walked out to the porch swing and both sat down. She handed him the books that she had brought, and together, the boy with no confidence, and the high-class girl, made a connection that would last the rest of their lives.