They Could Care Less

21: Pears vs Apples

"You met my sister?" Heather looked up from her phone at Thea.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Thea asked and smiled.

"She just texted me, she told me to invite you to Jackson's party tomorrow," Heather frowned. "Are you going? I have to give her an answer," Heather looked up at Thea, Thea tried to read her face. Did Heather want her to go?

"I can't, I have things to do, sorry," Thea apologized and turned the page to carry on her notes.

"Ms. Smith, Ms. Johnson, are you two done?" Professor Alwahn called on them.

"Not yet..." Heather mumbled distracted by her phone, she was concentrated on texting her sister back. Thea smiled sweetly to professor Alwahn and mouthed the word 'sorry'. Professor Alwahn only shook her head, sighed and carried on as a few quiet giggles occurred all around the room.

"Put your phone down, Heather!" Thea hissed when everyone had stopped paying attention to them.

"Wait... I'm not done yet. Should I put a smiley in the end?" Heather asked without a care.

"What?! No, yes, I don't know! Just send it!" Thea whispered. How is she so cool and calm in this moment?

"There," Heather said and finally put her phone down. Thea let out a big sigh of relief as she picked her pen up again.

"You're gonna be the death of me, Heather Johnson," Thea whispered quietly and shook her head slowly.

"It'll be my pleasure," Heather whispered back and Thea saw her wide grin through the corner of her eye.

Thea walked out of the classroom, full of laughter.

"That's the most terrible pun I've ever heard,"  Thea laughed loudly.

"Then why are you laughing?" Heather asked, she looked seriously confused.

"Because it's terrible," she kept laughing until she bumped into a tall, lean and lanky figure.

"Hey, Smith! How's it going?" Hussein looked down on her.

"I'll see you for lunch," Thea looked back to Heather and gave her a small wave. Heather waved and disappeared into the crowd of students.

"I'm doing good, you?" Thea asked and began to slowly walk away, she had to hurry to her second class which was calculus.

"Splendid," he answered and an old childhood song popped into Thea's head.

"Great! Did you want anything or?" Thea began to point to the exit awkwardly with her hands, trying to give him some sort of sign.

"Yeah, I need your opinion on a pick-up line actually," he said casually and smiled.

"Why do you need my opinion?" Thea asked and stopped with the hand movements.

"I trust your opinion," he shrugged and pulled Thea aside.

"Don't you have anyone else to ask?" Thea asked curiously.

"No, I don't really talk to many girls," he shrugged again. "Okay, here it comes: I think I'm a snowflake, because I just fell for you," Hussein looked up with hopeful eyes.

Thea pressed her lips tightly together. "Uhm... fantastic!" Thea smiled. She wasn't a pick-up line expert!

"You sure? It needs to be good. It's for a special someone," he smiled when he spoke. Wow, he must really like her.

"Hussein, it's great. Really," Thea put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Smith. You need to stop calling me that though, call me Jamal," he began to walk away with the same joyful smile, he radiated happiness Thea realized.