⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨ during first class ୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
When the bell rang for class, Lizzy had to join the influx of students heading abrasively in their own directions. Entering her classroom was like refuge from the crowd, suddenly there was space in front of her, the light seemed brighter, and she even could have sworn the air was clearer from in here. “Good morning, Lizzy,” A voice from the front desk called across. Her face opened into a bright smile, “Good morning, Mrs. Lewis, did you have a good summer? Is Bella doing better?” She asked, recalling their conversations from the end of junior year. “It was great, thank you. And Bella has had many trips to the vets, and is now back in good health,” She shared with her. “That’s great news!” Lizzy exclaimed as she backed away to her desk.
As more people filtered in, Lizzy made an effort to catch the glimpse of whoever walked past her. She offered quick smiles, called out greetings, asking how they had been. “You kill me,” Lottie’s playful voice said as she appeared amongst the rest of the class, slotting herself in the desk behind Lizzy. “What?” Lizzy asked as she turned her head to face her. “You don’t even like Katie Newman,” Lottie exclaimed, evidently catching Lizzy attempt to make conversation with her as she’d walked in. “Yes I do. She always… tells great jokes,” She responded in a low voice, after panickedly shushing Lottie’s unapologetic volume. “Yeah, and mostly at your expense. Okay, maybe it’s me that doesn’t like her,” She told Lizzy, admittedly.
Before Lizzy could respond, the sound of chaotic rustling and hurried apologies caught the attention of the whole class, including her. For a moment, Lizzy thought to get up and help them, and it seemed even Lottie saw her start to move, as she heard the a small whispered warning of “Don’t,” from behind her. Lizzy didn’t have long to wonder why that had been, as Rudy Maddox straightened up, holding a pile of papers he had just retrieved from the ground. Apologising at his side, Lacey Fields materialised with her own collection of crumpled sheets. Rudy’s familiar lighthearted demeanour, Lacey’s flustered laughter - and Lizzy had a front row seat of it.
As the floor cleared of the scattered papers, and Rudy and Lacey settled into more of a conversation, most of the class resumed to their prior discussion, but Lizzy couldn’t look away. And she probably should have, especially when Rudy reached for Lacey’s hair, gently taking out her headband. Lizzy pulled out her books from her bags as her chest tightened. Lottie was probably saying something from behind her, trying to pull her attention away, but Lizzy’s ears buzzed with white noise, drowning out her attempts. She opened the book in front of her, tapped her pen against the page, but soon enough her eyes drifted back upwards at the scene playing out in front of her.
Rudy slipped Lacey’s headband through his hair, saying something about trying a new look. That’s when he looked for the opinions of the class, spinning around asking for thoughts and catching the gaze of the first person he saw. It was her. Rudy had stopped on Lizzy, and was now looking right at her. She could see the slightest hint of surprise in his eyes, similar to the alarm she was feeling. It was the first time they had looked at each other in months. And now the brief glimpse had become a prolonged moment that demanded a response from her in order to free both of them from this terribly awkward moment.
Lizzy cleared her throat, reverting back to the smile she had been giving everyone that had walked in. “It looks great,” She told him lightheartedly, prompting the world around her to unfreeze, Rudy to return to his conversation with Lacey. Lizzy let out the breath she had been holding, and forced herself to start writing something in her notes.
⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹