It’s a new day.  No one seems to remember what happened yesterday morning.  Everyone is just having a casual conversation before school starts.  The bell rings, and everyone scurries off to class. Tomika spots Connor but isn’t able to get a hold of him.  Now her only chance is at lunch.

        After what felt like years to Tomika, lunch does come around.  While mostly everyone eats in the cafeteria, some people sit in the hallways and chill and listen to music.  Connor is currently listening to his favorite band, Seven Avengeford, as he reads a book in the hallway. Nick normally joins him, but today he decided to hang out with his other friends, which, in Connor’s opinion, was a good move.

        Tomika casually walks down the hallway and spots Connor.  Luckily, he didn’t spot her yet. So, she awkwardly sits next to him.  Connor notices and gets up to leave.

        “I’m sorry!” Tomika blurts out.

        Connor stops and sits back down.  “Sorry for what?”

        “For pushing you.  I really didn’t mean to, but these girls were making fun of me in the bathroom and I got upset and started crying and I couldn’t see where I was going because—”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

        “Yeah, yeah, whatever.  I get it. I’m sorry for snapping at you.  You happy, now?”

        Tomika makes a face, “Am I happy?  I don’t think I should really be concerned with my happiness.”

        “Just be blunt, nerd.”

        “I have a name, for your information.”

        “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss ‘I’m So Insecure, Woe to Me, Woe to Me’.”

        Tomika makes no comment on that other than, “It’s Tomika.”

        “I think I’ll keep calling you a nerd.”

        Tomika shrugs.  “So, what’s your name?”

        “Whatsisface.”

        Tomika giggles, “Really.  So, can I be—”

        “No.”

        “Why not?”

        “I don’t call anyone ‘Whatsername’ or “Whoseit’ or whatever.  Whatisface is just my name and you’ll have to deal with it.”

        The bell rings before Tomika can try to learn Connor’s real name.  Still, she feels like she did a good job at actually apologizing to him.  But she still wants to get to know him. Though he obviously isn’t making that any easier than it already isn’t.  But Tomika is good at getting people to talk, even if it’s something negative. She just has to persevere. Maybe this could be her ticket to popularity.  Befriending the quiet kid and forming a dynamic duo would surely get the attention of others. It’s better than becoming like those girls, anyway.