{ during first class / hi Lizzy }
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How many times can a person bump into someone in just one day? Wait, no - in less than an hour? Well, for now Rudy bumped into only 2 of his friends. First, in the hallway before first class and then again in the classroom. This is how it went:
It turns out Rudy had to face a great tragedy in the morning, that tragedy being not having his first class with his love, Jesse. Parting ways with him felt like a heartbreak he never felt before, dramatic hand on heart moments, tears there but not yet falling, Titanic music in the background… Standing all alone in the hallway watching Jesse walk away from him, everything else around Rudy fading away. Did it have to be that dramatic? Well, of course, it’s Rudy, isn’t it? Okay, okay… Maybe not, because the performance lasted only a beat. By the time Rudy turned toward science class and another inevitable showdown with Mrs. Lewis, his grin returned, bright and reckless. He also found another victim to keep him company. “Yo, Maddox!” A voice called from the lockers. Owen Rivera, achronic gum chewer and fellow science class survivor, pushed off the wall and fell into step beside him. ”Rivera, my man," Rudy greeted, slapping an overly dramatic handshake that turned into a shoulder bump. ”Ready to face the chemical wasteland again?" “Only if Mrs. Lewis forgets to give us a pop quiz this month,” Owen said, grinning. ”Pfft, she lives for those. But fear not." Rudy swung an arm wide in that showing off way. ”I’ve got enough charisma to distract her for at least a week." Owen laughed. “You mean you’ll talk so much she’ll kick us out.”
”Same thing," Rudy declared, stretching both arms outward as they walked in, in a grand flourish to prove his point. But that flourish ended in disaster. His left elbow sliced through the air and in one reckless pivot he almost knocked down a passing student. A flutter of papers exploded between him and the person. ”Woah-" Rudy’s reflexes kicked in. He grabbed for the flying mess, palms slapping at air. A single page landed against his chest, a black smudge of ink across the margin. He peeled it off and found himself staring at a pair of wide blue eyes. ”Lacey!" He blurted, almost triumphant. She crouched quickly, gathering her fallen pages. A streak of neon pink headband flashed beneath her hair. “Ah, sorry!! I wasn’t looking -” Now if you don’t know who Lacey is, let me introduce you to her:
Lacey - senior. theater devotee, long rumored to harbor a soft spot for Rudy. That’s all you need to know.. Okay, let’s get back to the story
”No, no! This one is on me." Rudy said, already scooping up a stray sheet with an exaggerated flourish. ”Classroom traffic violation is alllll mine. Ticket me." He flashed her that goofy smile of his making her laugh. As usual. Rudy bent low, offering her her papers but then, in a reckless blur, he plucked the headband from her hair before she could react. ”Can I borrow this?" He “asked” holding it up to the lights. “Hey-” Lacey blinked, startled, a quick flush climbing her neck. ”Gotta check the aerodynamics,” Rudy said, sliding the headband onto his own messy hair. His hair sprang rebelliously around it. ”It’s our last year, I was thinking about trying out something new… Thanks for the help." Lacey bit her lip, clearly losing a battle with a grin. “It…kinda works on you.”
”Kinda?” Rudy pressed a hand to his chest like she wounded him. ”This is groundbreaking couture. New York is weeping with envy.” Then, with a mock model’s pivot, Rudy spun toward the rest of the room, arms flung wide. ”Class verdict? Does it work?" His gaze swept the room until it caught on someone he tried to avoid. For the briefest moment, everything slowed… the chatter, the scrape of chairs, even his own easy grin. A quick flicker of surprise crossed his face and he could swore it mirrored in hers. A moment of silence… and the Lizzy summoned the polite smile she offers everyone. “It looks great,” she said lightly, as if the moment meant nothing at all.
The spell broke.
Rudy gave a tiny nod, almost sheepish and turned back to Lacey, adjusting the headband. The class noise swelled again and he couldn’t see what Lizzy did next. ”So, I guess that’s a yes?" Rudy cleared his throat, flashing Lacey his well known smile, trying to push back every emotion he felt just seconds ago. ” Where does the reigning queen of theater like to sit? Allow me, a humble reject, to escort you." Lacey laughed, half protesting but Rudy was already sweeping an exaggerated bow and motioning her forward. He guided her toward an open desk with an easy grin, the kind that slipped on like a favorite jacket. ”Here we are," he said, voice softer now, almost normal. He steadied the chair for her, a quick gentlemanly gesture, then gave a small nod before stepping away. His own desk waited a few rows back. He slid into the seat, the metal legs scraping faintly against the floor. The classroom noise blurred… pages turning, someone laughing too loudly… until it felt distant, muffled. Almost without thinking, he shifted in his chair, angling just enough to catch Lizzy, again.
She was leaning over her notebook, her hand moving in a slow, careful rhythm. A loose strand of hair brushed her cheek, she tucked it behind her ear with that quiet grace. He let his eyes linger for a fraction too long, then snapped them back to the desk in front of him as if burned.
A quick inhale… and then the sharp clatter of a binder hitting the floor jerked him fully into the present. A kid walking right past him dropped it, papers spilling like a miniature storm and everyone’s heads snapped toward the noise, a shared glance across the chaos. Rudy crouched instinctively, gathering the sheets, tossing them back into the binder … partly to help, partly because it gave him a reason to move. His fingers brushed the edges of the papers as he stacked them neatly and then, almost by habit, his gaze drifted upward.
And there she was again.
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