This week's prompt: That despairing feeling when the bus pulls away from the stop when you’re a street away.
This week's bonus prompt: Disillusionment
Title: "Seven Minutes in Heaven"
I knit my hands together as he opens his locker next to me. Third period will start in exactly seven minutes. He'll be going to Pre-Calculus, which is in the same hallway as our lockers. That gives him plenty of time.
Sweat begins to spot my back and beneath my arms. This always happens when I'm nervous. It's one of the many things that I hate about myself. My gigantic butt, fat legs, flat chest, unmanageably frizzy hair, and pudge-nose are at the top of the list, but 'nervous sweater' has rightfully earned its place.
"Hey, Tyler."
Tyler looks up from his locker and makes eye contact with me. I divert my eyes and pretend like I didn't notice, like I couldn't care less that this gorgeous boy was looking at me. As I remove my Chemistry book from my locker, I can feel myself sweating harder.
"Oh, hey Penny."
I want to tell him that I love him, that he's the most beautiful and genuine boy I have ever met, but of course I don't. I never have, and something inside me tells me that I'm a big chicken and I never will. You won't have to, I tell myself in response. Today he's going to ask you to the prom.
"So... um... what's new?" I ask him.
"Not much," he replies. "Are you ready for the big project due in English III next week?"
Why hasn't he asked me yet? Third period starts in four minutes. "Not yet. I still need to read the last act in Hamlet, and then I have to work on my rewrite of the first act to include the characters from Blood Princess."
Stupid stupid stupid! He doesn't want to hear about your anime re-enactment of Shakespeare! Ask him if he's got a date for the prom yet!
As badly as I want to, I can't force myself to ask him that. If he has a date and he didn't even considered asking me, I know that there's no way I can deal with the rejection in the middle of the hallway. If I ask him, it will have to be at the end of the school day on Friday so I can have the entire weekend to cry and console myself.
But if I ask him and he doesn't have a date, I'll look like a desperate, love-sick idiot.
There are rumors going around that he's already going with Jennifer Whitaker, the prettiest girl in our Honors American History II class. Even thinking her name makes me want to throw up, both from envy and sadness. But it's okay. They're only rumors.
He says something else about our projects for English III, but I'm not listening. As the seconds tick away, I feel my chances of going to the prom with Tyler Robinson slipping away.
Finally he closes his locker and takes one step toward his class. "Well, I'll see you in fifth period, Penny!"
Wait! I plead for him in my head as the depression starts to set in. You still have one minute! But Tyler is already halfway down the hall. Jennifer Whitaker steps away from her locker and the two of them walk into Pre-Calculus, laughing like they're the happiest people in the world.
He said he'll see you in fifth period, I console myself. That's a good sign. Maybe he's going to ask you then.
I put on a strong face, even though I don't feel very strong. "Yeah. Maybe."
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