Open My Eyes

Nineteen: Converse Shoes

By Friday, news had traveled and now the entire faculty at Hope for Youth knew about Iggy and me. Taylor was one of the first to figure it out, and she told both Matt and Lourdes, who told others, who told others. Eventually, word reached all of the volunteers. If someone was still in the dark, they weren't any longer when they saw Iggy and I enter-hand-in-hand or leave in the same fashion. The buzz increased when we sat together at lunch two days in a row.

          Once again, we were the center of attention. Gossipers of Hope for Youth constantly garbled about us to one another, sharing their encounters with the "lovesick couple". They even tried to convince each other they had seen us kissing in the locker rooms. When the details became far too steamy for me, I stopped listening to whatever came from the rumor mills.

          People often approached me to validate the latest rumor. They'd ask if we were dating, I'd say yes, they'd ask how long, and I'd say since Wednesday. Others would simply remark, "So you and William, huh?" Some, like Taylor, would come up to me and tease me about it. I'd blush and stutter, and they'd laugh then leave.

          Iggy was right: no one was surprised. A few said, "I had seen you two together but I thought you were just friends." The majority, however, exclaimed, "I knew there was something going on between you two!"

          I didn't think too much about it, since I knew this was going to happen. But I began to worry when Edward Manner approached me early Friday morning-apparently, news had already reached even him.

          "Mr. Manner," I greeted in surprise, done tying my hair back in a ponytail. "Did you need something?"

          He flashed his car-dealer smile which probably helped him numerous times in the business world. He smoothed his tie and informed me, "Yes. I've heard some of the latest gossip, and while I normally don't involve myself in these matters, this one intrigued me."

          Immediately, I assumed he was referring to the rumor about Iggy and me. I took a deep breath and prepared for the lecture on interoffice dating.

          "According to the rumor," he started, pinning his blue eyes on me, "you and Mr. William Koehl are seeing each other, romantically."

          Since denying it to my boss was not in my best interest, I nodded and confessed, "Yes, we are, sir. What you heard is true."

          As opposed to receiving a scowl like I had expected, he smiled instead. He rested his hands on the lapels of his jacket and told me, "Good. Putting professionalism aside, I think that man needs someone like you in his life. Anyway, just thought I'd approach the source directly." He turned to leave and called over his shoulder, "Good luck."

          I watched in amazement as his figure disappeared down the hall. It seemed odd for the head of Hope for Youth to condone dating among coworkers. It was even odder for him to tell me so directly. Maybe Iggy meant a lot to Hope for Youth-he had practically been raised here-so everyone must've known his hardships. So I suppose Mr. Manner was just looking out for him. I thought it strange regardless.

          Shaking my head, I turned to make my way to Mrs. Gibbens' classroom, but another visitor was approaching me. This one didn't surprise me to see.

          "Hey, Angie," my boyfriend greeted with a smirk. He held his hands behind his back which made my eyebrow quirk. "Guess what I found. Well, what my mom found."

          Curiosity swept across my features as I stared at him, trying to think what he could possibly be hiding. My lips pursed in thought. Sighing, I guessed, "A new watch? I have no idea."