Next morning Clari wakes up 15 minutes early than usual, she put on dress naturally her hair is wavy but today she curl it sightly. She picks her lip gloss carefully not to much just enough.
At breakfast her mother fusses at her," you look beautiful as usual sweetheart". Clari barely hears, grabs breakfast, her heart is already at school at second row third seat and back row by the window.
By the time she gets to her first period her pulse is fluttering in her throat. She tells herself, "Today I will say Hi just hi" that won't be hard for Clari who can charm anyone but for Jamie it feels impossible.(Sadly)
When the teacher call for the group work Clari's stomach flips, this is her chance. She turns in seat hoping Jamie might look up. She wants Jamie to look at her just a glance she wish to get paired up together. Maybe she will get lucky. "Clari partner up with me?" her best friend Lila, slides the seat next to her before she can answer. Clari smiles, of course Lila and she try not to have a glance over Jamie but she does anyway he is working alone, headphone on, moving pencil and sketching on his notebook.
Clari wonders why Jamie do not talk to others ? What is he drawing? Does he even know my name?
When the bell rings, Clari moves faster than usual, slipping away from her friends before they can corner her with weekend plans. She catches sight of Jamie ahead in the hallway. He is walking slow, sketchbook tucked under his arm, on earbud and dangling.
She takes breath, step one after another she was close enough to the Jamie just tap a shoulder and say hi (inner voice). But before she can someone call her name loud enough to echo off the lockers. Clari, wait up its Josh Carter basketball captain, resident flirt, the boy half of the girls wish would look at them the way he looks at Clari.
Jamie glance back for a second their eyes meet, she freezes. Jamie turn away, he is gone before she can move. Josh catches up to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder like he owns the space. "So, Friday night, my party. You are coming right?" Clari forces her brightest smile, the one everyone loves inside her heart sinks. She watches the hallway where Jamie disappeared.
Yeah (sweetly) she says, of course I will.
That night she writes I almost say 'Hi' today, maybe tomorrow maybe.