Invisible

3

LUKE
I've never been necessarily happy. I smile because that must equal happiness, right? I read once that if  you portray an emotion for long enough, you will be that emotion.

I'm crushed with the inevitability that I, and everyone I love, will someday die. What's stopping it from happening? My very own mother died less than several days ago. I was still yet to know any information of her funeral.

My thoughts wander throughout the class period. Every time they lead back to the conversation I had with Ashton. Or the actual fact that I had a conversation with Ashton.

"Nice to meet you," meaning he had never truly recognized me. Now he knows my name. He knows my face. I might be able to talk to him again. Though, that's probably a long shot.

The thought that I was an underclass man to Ashton, yet I have a class with him is astounding. I mean usually they don't mix the different grade levels. But this was music theory-not something you'd expect the most popular boy in school to take-a class any grade could take; one of the few that the school offered.

That class was 9th period. When the bell for 8th period to end came around, I almost choked, because what if he actually sees me in this class. What if he says hi. I don't know if I'd be able to function if I talked to him twice in a day.

I went to walk in and I saw him, trying to keep my calm and not have a panic attack. He was writing something down. With a serious and focused look on his face.

I sat in my usual seat in the back of the class. Bored with anticipation of something that probably wouldn't happen. I didn't even hear the bell ring because I was because stuck in my thoughts.

The teacher rambled on for about 10 minutes and sent everyone off to work on their assignments. We had to write a song. I haven't even started. I don't know what to write about.

About 30 minutes in to class my eyes drift and I start staring at the ruffled, messy, perfect hair of the dirty-blonde boy several rows ahead of me.

Then, something happened that no one could have ever imagined. The boy I had been studying turned around. He looked me in the eyes with a smirk on his face.

It softened. Showing a kinder emotion. Still, a glint of cocky could be seen in his eyes, if you looked hard enough.

"Hey, uh Luke, right?" Ashton says, much to my surprise.

Any emotion showing immediately flushed from my face. I had froze up. I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Y-yeah," I try to casually say despite my stuttering.

"What do you have so far for your song." He's trying to make conversation, I notice.

"Um, not very much so far," everything in my body loosens a bit. I'm okay, I realize. There's nothing holding me back from talking to the person in front of me.

So I decide to do just that-talk to him. I think he seemed okay. Pretty cool actually, not just hot, not scary at all. Before both of us knew it the bell had rang.

"I'll see you around, blondie," he says casually with a smile.

"Yeah," is all I can manage to reply, trying to hide the smile and blush I was wearing. Because I just talked to the boy I've had a crush on since 7th grade.

For the first time in a while I didn't feel like I was faking my smile.