Is this Love? | ONC 2023

five

The whistle blows. "Jacqueline, we're heading back!" Coach Hendricks is standing a few feet away waving me over. Half of the class is already making the trek back up the hill, the other half is standing and waiting.

I quickly jumped to my feet. "Okay!" I turn to face Dakota, he's standing now too. I stare wide eyed for a moment then dart off.

"Hey!" I hear him call after me, but I hope to gosh he isn't chasing after me. I run the entire way from the field to the doors of the gym, panting hard as I get there. Despite being as skinny as a rail I'm out of shape. I had no stamina. I exhale deeply before grabbing the handle with both hands and pulling it open. "I don't know why this stupid door is so heavy," I complain. I had no muscle either, I guess.

Running across the gym and out, I make my way to the girl's locker room. I take the stairs down and head straight for my locker. It's quiet, so I must be the first one here. Great. I grab the lock, twisting the knob to the right, then left, then back to the right. It clicks open. Taking my phone in hand I plopped down on the bench. "What does having déjà vu mean?" I say aloud as I type into the Google search bar. "The saying comes from French, meaning 'already seen.'"

I scroll down the page finding the 'People also ask' and one search catches my eye: Is déjà vu a warning? My heart falls into my stomach. "A warning about what?" I click the down arrow and skim. Swiping out of Google, I call Justin. It rings three times before he answers.

"Hello?"

"Justin, is déjà vu bad?" My voice sounds panicked. I lick my dry lips. "I'm okay, just curious..." I add, hoping that it cuts the panic in my voice.

"Uh... no? Don't think so. You okay?"

"Yeah, I just... I don't know. Y'know how Google can be sometimes." I slouch, placing my palm on my forehead. "So I'm okay?" I ask, needing reassurance.

"Mhm, you should be. It's just a sense you've done something before. It's like... hmm... I don't know, but are you okay?" He asks again, his concern evident in his voice.

I nod, though he can't see me. "Yeah, thanks." I can hear the other girls rushing down the steps. "Hey, I have to go, but thanks."

"Alright."

I hung up, exhaling through my nose. The noise in the locker room increases exponentially as all the other girls file in. I open my locker again, quickly changing and relocking my locker. Grabbing my backpack I excuse myself, keeping my eyes low as the other girls undress and redress.

It's not long before the bell rings and the school day is over. I ascend the steps and push open the doors to the locker room, holding it open for the girls behind me. "You're welcome," I say even though neither one of them thanked me. I roll my eyes, adjusting my backpack strap and make my way out the building and to the bus line.

"Jacqueline!" I stopped and looked around. "Behind you."

I turned. It was Dakota.

"Hey, uh, I wanted to apologize if I said something wrong. You kind of... ran off on me, literally." He rubs the back of his neck, chuckling softly. "I'm sorry."

I wave my hands and shake my head. "No, no! You didn't do anything, I'm sorry."

He breathes a sigh of relief, smiling. I stare at the dimple on his cheek. "That's good."

"Are you a bus rider?" I ask, nodding my head toward the buses. He shakes his head.

"No, I have my own car."

I nod, my eyebrows pinching together in thought. How'd he know I was a bus rider? I wonder but keep the thought to myself. "Must be nice," I say instead, adjusting my backpack strap.

He hums, rubbing his bottom lip with his hand. Then he chuckles, licking his lip. "If it isn't too forward of me, may I have your number?"

"Uh..." I'm taken aback by his boldness and involuntarily take a step back. He notices.

"Alright, I overstepped." He raises both hands and takes a big step back. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright... I have to go now. Take care." I'm already walking away before he can respond. I quicken my pace, feeling a little uneasy. "That was weird, but maybe he's a little... socially awkward?" I reason out loud as I get on the bus. From the back, Justin waves me over.

"Hey, who was that you were talking to?" He asks as I take my seat next to him. I feel myself beginning to relax in his presence.

"You were watching me?" I laugh. "No one, just some guy in my gym class."

Justin hums, turning back towards the window. "Alright."

***

The microwave chimes. I pull open the door and grab the popcorn, shaking the bag. "Popcorn's done."

"Yum! Bring it over!" Kaeleigh says from the dining room table.

I grab a big bowl from the cabinets and dump the popcorn into the bowl. I shovel a handful into my mouth before bringing it to the table. Kaeleigh grabs a few pieces with her finger and thumb. "So..." she starts.

"So?" I place my textbook and notebook onto the table, then return back to my backpack to find a pen.

"Justin told me you were talking to a boy."

I laugh, shaking my head. "Of course he did." I find the pen and return to my seat upright.

"Mhm, so tell me who he is! Is he in our grade? Older?" She wiggles her brows. I push her shoulder, laughing.

"I don't know actually." She gives me a look like I'm holding out which makes me laugh again. "I'm serious! I never got a chance to ask, but he looks around our age, maybe a little older... I don't know. His name is Dakota and he's kind of attractive, I guess..." I mumbled the last part under my breath, but she heard it.

She squealed, grabbing my arm and shaking me. "Kind of?! Attractive?!" She stops shaking me and stares, eyes wide. "Describe him."

I sigh, knowing she wouldn't drop it unless I did. "He's light skinned, but I don't think he's black. I don't think he's white either, though." She hums, nodding. "He has long, beautiful hair. It falls past his shoulders. Oh, and he has a dimple, just the one. On his right cheek." I point to my cheek.

"Dimples are cute."

I nod in agreement. "They are. He has a little bit of muscle in his arm," I add, remembering back to gym. My ears begin to feel hot, and I look away.

"Ah! I saw that!" Kaeleigh grabs my arm again and shakes me. "Jacqueline!" I laugh, patting her hand.

"Kae, please! Let's finish our homework and we'll talk about this later."

She nods, taking another few pieces of popcorn in her pinch. "Fine, but we absolutely will be continuing this later." She eats the popcorn, then makes the V-sign with two fingers, first pointing at her eyes then to mine.

"Okay," I say through laughter.

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Word count: 1170

Total: 6010