The Dating Game

Chapter Ten

Juliet

Justin was there, waiting by the gates by the threshold to the school property, a russet cardboard box in hand.

He was staring up at the sky and I didn't blame him. Fossil-coloured clouds were gradually moving together and morphing, expanding in size. He frowned slightly, and looked down, clenching his jaw.

"What do you think Justin has in the box?" Michelle asked from beside me.

"School stuff, probably," replied Beth from my other side. "I mean, how else would he keep up his straight A grades? I wouldn't be surprised if he graduated high school with A*'s too by the end of this year. How can someone so popular like him — a king like him — be so smart and clever and not get called a geek or a nerd?"

"High school," I piped up. "It's a wonder to anyone."

Or maybe high school was just a façade. High school makes you sound grown up and you're getting on with life and exploring new territories but in reality, it's just this property where you can get judged and tormented by people you don't even really know and have it deemed as okay but other students and when it comes to the teachers — they do nothing. They talk a good game about tolerance and good behaviour, but they keep the torture hidden behind their words.

Beth and Michelle murmured in simultaneous agreement. We were nearing the gates when they departed from me and went together down the sidewalk in the parallel direction. I bid them a farewell before turning back to Justin who was gazing down at me. He held out the box to me with a smile coiling at his magenta lips.

"So, here's your present," he said, "like I promised."

"Are you sure about it?" I questioned, holding the ends of my knitted jumper down over my fingers. The breeze was picking up and that could only mean one thing: a storm was on the way. With my hair flying across half of my face, obscuring my vision, I had to use my knitted jumper to remove it and tuck the hair behind my ear, hoping no foundation would rub off from my face to my jumper.

"Positively certain," he replied, holding out the box for me.

I took the box off him cautiously, hoping it wouldn't implode in my hands when he retracted his own. A couple of girls marched past us, swanking and presenting their long, tanned legs to everyone — despite it being October still. They sniggered at the sight of us but as soon as Justin glowered at them, they stopped and ceaselessly continued marching in the opposite direction.

"Thank you," I murmured softly.

Justin shook his head, shoving his hands in his black jean's pockets. "You'll open it when you get home, right? Look through them very carefully, too." He paused, his eyes drifting off behind my presence and to another girl who stood next to me. She wore a navy bow in her hair — it was the same colour as Justin's almost. "I'll see you tomorrow, Juliet."

"Bye."

The other girl gave me a pleasant smile and I returned her gesture. I ambled off in front of them to get my head start, Justin and the girl following behind me at a much slower pace. She must be his sister, I mused. Come to think of it, I've seen them entering school and leaving together quite a few times. They must be close, too. I sighed, bowing my head in envy. I wish I had someone like that with me — an older sibling to help me get through things.

I had to keep pulling down my skirt to make sure it wasn't accidentally riding up because of my backpack which resulted in me having to keep switching hands to transport the blasted box. It was on the way home when I began to regret seizing the box off of him because what if it was a joke? I'd be a further humiliation to the school. Shaking my head, I knew I'd made a mistake.