The Promise - Chapter 3
Are you talking to me? The next afternoon in the noisy bustling cafeteria affectionately named, the Kill Zone because of the numerous road kills on the local streets, I sat playing with my tray of goulash. It smelled foul to me and I’d rather eat a raw cow. Flipping my long since dead hamburger patty over, I glanced up and across the cafeteria as I started to get up from my seat. I spotted my mystery brunette: B. My eyes must have been a dead give away as she caught my stare as she began to stand also. Realizing I must seem like some sort of stalker freak, I gradually returned to my seat as she did the same.
Our staring contest had begun but was quickly interrupted when I saw her flinch as some students walked by her table. My pupils followed her line of sight and saw two of the boys I had run into yesterday. Pierce’s face embarrassingly displayed a large white bandage that covered a majority of his face but focused around his badly broken nose. Next to him was the larger jock who was now sporting a dark blue cast on his right hand. I swallowed hard ashamed of my actions rather than proud.
‘They were just being stupid jocks. Isn’t that what the do?’ My mind questioned. To my surprise, the battered boys started for B’s table when they followed her line of sight back to me. I tried to position my feet to make a fast get away as I slowly rose off my chair. They quickly did a double take between B and myself before Pierce smacked the other boy in the stomach and motioned for them to leave. I didn’t break my gaze from the jocks until they disappeared into the many lunch lines.
Releasing a deep sigh I gently lowered myself back to my chair, and glanced over to B’s table. I thought for sure she would have bolted by now. Practically alone at her table, she curiously returned my gaze. I wondered what she had been thinking. Praying she didn’t think I was a threat. Hopefully she knew or at least had some clue that I was actually trying to help her yesterday. If a picture could tell a thousand words, I wonder what hers would say? I must have looked pretty stupid staring across the cafeteria at a girl I didn’t even know. A girl who’s name I didn’t know.
‘You do know, it’s B – something. - Oh shut up!’ I argued with myself
‘I’m not in the mood for you right now.’ Without absolutely no emotion on her face, she stared back at me. I was starting to feel hollow inside when another girl sat down on the table blocking our view of each other. I couldn’t see the girl that sat down as her back was towards me. Normally, I wouldn’t pay her much attention, except now she was rudely blocking my view. The two girls quickly got up and left as if they had a mission. My eyes followed the two hoping B would at least turn around.
‘Turn around, just turn around. Just once.’ She never did and they strolled out of the chaotic cafeteria with new purpose.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
After a few days I started to feel the ridiculousness of stalking this girl around campus because of something
I thought I had smelled. I really started to wonder about my sanity. Every time I thought about the mystery smell I had experienced at the school, it reminded me of the smells from back home making me a little homesick. My brain was quick to offer advice.
‘Oh I think you’ve really lost it now. Yeah we all do. – Quiet down up there. I’m trying to sulk! - Geez don’t be so touchy!’ A meeker voice came from behind me as I looked down to see B standing only a few meters away from me. She spoke. She spoke to me.
“Why are you trying to sulk?” She asked. Confused as to whether she had just read my mind or had I actually said it out loud, I answered, “Oh nothing.” Running my hand nervously through my hair I tried to look disinterested. “You know, same shit different day. Just waiting to get the hell out of here.”
‘Great that was an original line. – SHUT UP HEAD!’ She gripped her books so tight to her chest I could see her knuckles turn white. She leaned over to kick a rock from under her boot and exclaimed, “I know exactly what you mean.” As she looked back at me my hands weirdly started to sweat, so I shoved them deep into my pants pockets. “Me and my sister are just dying to get out of this shit hole of a place. We’ve been plan…” I interrupted her with my most polite southern apology, “I’m sorry. May I please ask your name?” She chuckled at my proper question like I had a horn sticking out of my head. “You’re not from around here are you?” She eyed my wardrobe up and down briefly and added, “In fact, you aren’t even from this God forsaken state are you?”
‘I told you not to wear the blue shirt today. OMG! Please be quiet!’ Before I stupidly realized I had bowed my head slightly and answered, “No ma’am I’m not. I’m from Georgia. Savannah Georgia to be exact.”
‘Smooth real smooth. Why don’t you throw a curtsy in there while you are at it?’ I’m not sure but I think my politeness bothered her. She began shifting her lithe weight between her two feet before she blurted, “I need to go.” The words stung at me. What had I done to lose her interest so quickly? I just wanted to talk. I just wanted to know more about her. She was almost out of ear shot when I yelled out. “You didn’t even tell me your name?” Over her shoulder she said, “Brigitte.” I replied, “I thought it was B?” As if someone had walked over her grave she stopped and turned around and looked at me with a stern gaze. “Only my family is allowed to call me that.” She spat at me like I needed reminding of the fact, “And you’re not my family.” Before I could finish exhaling she had turned around and was gone.
‘Why do I feel like the biggest idiot on the planet? All I asked was her stupid name. Ugh, this school sucks! Well at least it can’t get any worse.’ As if God himself were listening it began to down poor on the cold ground around me.
‘Well? – don’t say it!’ Pulling my backpack off my shoulder I quickly unzipped it looking for my umbrella as I shuttered under the cold. Remembering a piece of valuable advice. “Keep an umbrella with you at all times. It rains a lot in Washington.” My head shot up to the sky allowing the rain to pelt angrily at my face. “I forgot the damn umbrella on my bed this morning.” Feeling like a complete fool, I sat on the bleachers freezing and now soaking wet as I entertained myself watching my breath freeze with each exhale. My brain drifted off to my failed communication attempt with Brigitte.
‘Well that didn’t go very well. – No it didn’t. You know, you never were very good at talking to girls. – Yeah I know. I guess that’s why you preferred the company of guys most of your life. – I guess so.’ When I could no longer feel a single a dry spot inside my boots, I decided it was time to go and I started the long dredge home.
