The first month at my new school pass without any drama, and after public school, it is all very mundane. It seems as if nothing exciting ever happens-no fights after school, no rude behaviour, any swearing or cussing.
Johnathan sits next to me most breaks, and as ridiculous as it sounds, this makes my heart jump wildly in my chest. Every night I lie in bed and contemplate starting a conversation with him, but come daylight and lunch break when he is sitting next to me, I am unable to put my well thought-out plan into action. Sometimes he will lean into me, his head close to mine, and then ask me softly, "How are you doing, Chrissie Taylor?"
" I am fine, thank you, Johnathan," I would reply shyly, and then berate myself for the rest of the day for being so inhibited, and not being able to speak my mind when I am in his presence. I persuade myself he is very forward and I am just not used to being on the receiving end of special attention from boys, and this is most probably the reason for my nervousness.
Foolishly, I find myself looking for him during the day, every day and secretly I do enjoy the interest he seems to have in me, but I also notice every other girl in the school is in love with him as well. I observe the way they near-collapse whenever he walks by and how he enjoys this, how he uses his charm and charisma to exploit this.
He is academically the best student in school, achieving top, top marks and all the Ivy League Colleges are head-hunting him vigorously-a situation he just takes in his stride. He has a joy for life and I fear all that talent is going to go to waste because he is probably hoping to cruise along on the wealth of his parents.
No one has made the effort to get to know me better or asked me where I live or what my parents, or more so, my father does for a living. They all just assume, because I am white and am able to attend the same school as them that I too live in a world of abundance.
There is no need for me to follow Anne around anymore, but still she waits for me after each class and we walk together to our next class. I would not say we have become friends in this short space of time, but she can be pleasant at times and I find myself strangely enjoying her company - sometimes-because every now and again, she can be very snide towards me.