As much as I hated studies and school, I was actually looking forward to the next day. Meeting CC was that small light of hope in all that dark gloominess I had going on around me.
I have had crushes in the past, but none quite like this. I was just so mesmerized by her mismatched eyes. No matter what it was that she could be talking about, I could just get lost in that gaze.
There was so much about her that I wanted to know, I just didn't know how to ask.
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The sunlight barely slipping through the windows was the only source of lighting in class as the teacher was going over todays lecture with such a monotone voice. He sounded like an old broken radio. It was a surprise I managed to stay awake through it all.
At least it wasn't as hot as yesterday.
Everyone had already started the assignment and I still had my head in the clouds. I looked over and observed how easily CC was going through the equations with such ease and focus. My eyes tried to follow the work she was doing and compared it to what was on my paper.
Holy crap! She's just flying through these. I have nothing.
Even going back and reading the formulas in the textbook and looking over the notes from the teacher, it still looked like some Alien language I was trying to decipher. I was going nowhere fast.
What am I doing wrong?
I needed some help, but the teacher looked occupied at the moment. I hated bothering teachers.
"Psst." I whispered over to CC.
She was so focused on her own work that my attempt of getting her attention failed. The desperation led me to swing my foot to the side and kick her leg.
"Tsk!" CC quickly snapped to scold me, but immediately changed her response once she could tell I was beyond lost. "Don't you get it?"
I shook my head and shrugged.
She looked over at the teacher who was casually reading some book and not paying attention to the class. "Ugh. Seriously?" She growled under her breath. Something about a teacher being there but not taking the time to help a student in need annoyed her.
Please help me?
I just stared at her with begging eyes.
*Sigh* "OK, let's see where you're at." CC scooted her chair over and hummed while looking over what I have done so far. "See that number right here." She tapped on the my paper. "Multiply it by this number there."
I followed her instructions closely. The more she was walking me through these problems, the more I started to understand the assignment. "Oh!" It had finally clicked. "Shit. These are a lot easier this way."
What she was doing was nothing like what the teacher explained or in the text book. How did she know a different way of figuring these kind of problems out? CC had already finished her assignment and was doodling along the edges of her paper.
Is this girl a genius or something?
I fidgeted and twirled my pencil between my fingers. "Ummm... You clearly know this stuff. Why exactly are you in summer school?"
"I wanted to get ahead so I could graduate early." She said proudly.
"Wait! Seriously? That's a thing?" This was something I wasn't expecting to hear. It was one of those truths that hit you at the molecular level.
"You mean you didn't know?"She returned the same puzzled look that I was giving her.
"No." I was completely dumbfounded. "I always thought summer school was just for slackers and those that failed classes."
"Well, yeah. For the most part." She said extending out the yeah. "But you can also take them for extra credit. Besides, summer classes are shorter and a lot easier."
I leaned back and relaxed on my chair questioning everything. She was just dropping all kinds of secret knowledge. Any more of these revelations and my brain might implode. "Damn. I Wish I knew that."
"Well. Now you know." She winked and continued to work on her doodles.
I don't know why, but I said the first thing that popped into my head.
"And...knowing....is half the battle."
CC paused and looked up at me. Without a moment of hesitation, we sang out loud in unison—
"G.I JOE!"
We were giggling uncontrolably like a couple of elementry school children.
The teacher cleared his throat with a thunderous sound that echoed throughout the class.
CC and I quit giggling and looked over at the teacher whose eyes were intensly focused on us. We composed ourselves and returned to doodling and looking over our work.
Once he saw that we were doing classwork after he scolded us with that glare, he returned to reading his book.
The moment I knew he wasn't looking, I made a very lewd hand gesture about him that made CC snort out loud.
He peeked up from his book and we quickly composed ourselves as if we were working on the assignment the whole time.
It was at that moment it felt like we were on the same brain wave and just knew each other's thoughts. A hivemind. We would randomly peer over at each other at the same time and snicker like we just told a joke telepathically.
"Stop." CC whispered with a hint of laughter under her breath. "Do your work."
Wow! I haven't had this kind of fun and laughter in a long time. Are we kindred spirits?
Being around CC made class become easier and enjoyable. You know what they say, "Time flies when you are having fun." This saying couldn't be any more true, the days did seem to go by faster.
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Day after day, that's all we would do...just have fun in class. Of course, after we did our assignments.
We would do all kind of stuff to pass the time. From passing notes with jokes written on them, to collaborate random drawings. I would draw a bunch of faces and expressions and she would draw the head and body. This had us laughing hysterically with all the wacky combinations our imaginations brewed up.
Nothing was sacred. We mocked teachers, celebrities, and other cartoon characters doing this.
As I promised CC in the beggining of summer school, I started bringing my Gameboy and we would play the VS mode of Tetris using the link cable during break times. While it was fun, I could not keep up with her. She was just too good at that damn game. I didn't even know there was an ending to Tetris until she showed me.
We would even trade games to play. Thanks to her, I was able to play and beat Kirby's Dreamland 2.
The teacher didn't find us amusing at all because of how distracting we could be at times. He really couldn't say much either. We were actually participating and doing our assignments. He even noticed improvements in the assignments I actually turned in. I went from barely passing to a B-. That was a huge improvement for me.
Math was always the bane of my existence, but if it weren't for CC, I would still been struggling. She was able to help me understand the assignments using her methods instead of whatever madness the teacher was spitting out. That is strange for me to say.
CC learned quickly that I never liked asking for help from the teachers as I felt like I would slow down lectures, or become a burden for not understanding. She would notice immediately and would give me a hand.
My feelings for her started to grow. She was bringing me hope. I don't know if she feels the same, but I was just too shy to ask and find out.
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One Monday, CC seemed particularly cheerful than usual. When she sat down, I couldn't help but notice she was blushing through her cherubic cheeks. "I take it you had a good weekend?"
"I did." CC sighed and nodded. "I wish it didn't end."
I was getting curious by the way she was hugging her purse tightly in her arms, I had to push for more information. "How so? What did you end up doing?".
She opened up her lunchbox purse and pulled out a strip of photos to show me. They were from those photobooths you'd see all over at the mall.
"I pretty much spent all weekend hanging out with my boyfriend Kenny..."She had a lovestruck look in her eyes and giggled lazily.
Boyfriend?!
Kenny?!
I looked at the cute pictures and immediately the boy in those pictures.
Oh my god! That Kenny!Wooooow!
"So that's where Kenny ran off to." I joked.
"Wait! You know Kenny?!" CC was a bit surprised.
"Oh yeah. I've known him since 7th grade. He's a good guy." I nodded.
I know Kenny. I know him really well.
Kenny was truly one of the nicest people I've known. Back in middle school, Me, Kenny, Adrian, and some kid we called Gilligan were a group of friends. We all had plenty of classes together, sat together at lunch and hung out during recess. During our freshman year, Kenny used to hang out with me and the island of misfits until he slowly vanished from the group without notice, but I would still see him around,
Now it makes perfect sense on where he went. He was dating CC.
"How long have you been with Kenny?" I asked. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous and heartbroken at the same time.
"This weekend was our 10-month anniversary. Look what he got me?" She excitedly reached out her hand that had a new silver ring adorned. It was a Claddagh, an Irish promise ring.
Whoa!
I was holding my jaw from dropping and trying my best to hide the mixed emotions from coming out at once. "10...months!?"
"Yeah." She replied.
"Wow." I nodded accepting this small defeat. "You... 2 must be getting serious."
"Mhmm. I really think he might be the one." She said in a dreamy manner. "He just knows exactly what to say, how to make me feel special. He's just...perfect."
CC hummed and started spacing out into her own thoughts.
Kenny really has her floating on cloud 9, doesn't he.
Looking again at the picture strip, I could see just how happy they were together. The silly faces they were making, the warm smiles and the starry look in each of their eyes.
*Sigh*
I guess all I could do was be happy for them.
------
Even after the revelation of her romantic relationship with Kenny, I continued to enjoy her company throughout the rest of the course. We were just two friends with a similar sense of childish humor. She had become a friend and a tutor. If it wasn't for her, I would have failed the summer course as well.
Kenny was already a friend as well. He just happens to be the boyfriend of a girl I developed a crush on.
What's a guy to do after that but to move on. There's no need to be intrusive like some desperate scavenger.
It was only a crush...and that's probably all it will ever be.
*Sigh*
Maybe I really wasn't meant to experience love and affection yet...or probably ever.
This Summer played a cruel trick on me and mess with my emotions.
I don't know exactly how things will go during the regular school year, but one thing is for certain—CC did give me hope. Before meeting her, I was giving up and closing myself off and scared of relationships. Now I know it's not too late for me and I can still develop a crush. There's probably someone out there I haven't met yet.