Crooked Smile (WINNER of the MJFA'S 2017)

Chapter 18 - Listen, Baby

On the morning of the next school day, the hallways were buzzing. There was not only the usual, somewhat tired hurrying to classes or bathrooms to touch up some make-up. The sound of hammering overlaid the shuffling of feet. From today on, students were allowed to hang the posters of the candidates for prom king and queen to a wooden strip that ran along the walls close to the ceiling in the hallways throughout the school. Ladders were everywhere as students hurried to occupy the best spots – at the main crossings or near the cafeteria – and where ladders had proved difficult to come by, desks had been carried out of nearby classrooms. That, of course, was forbidden because someone had fallen off years ago and had broken an arm – or a leg or his neck. The details depended on who told the story.

Every campaign tried to stand out, and the result was a colourful sea of posters that changed the atmosphere of the school giving the dreary hallways with their whitewashed walls and grey lockers a certain party feeling, that only schools and other such institution obtain, when the utterly functional concept is suddenly decorated.

In the larger hallways that led to the cafeteria or the guidance office, teams had also started to set up tables to hand out sweets or drinks they had provided for with money made in fundraisers. Marilyn took a detour to see if any team was already offering anything. She wouldn't go to lunch, so if she wanted her share, she had to get it now.

Most tables were still under construction, but of course Josie could be relied on to be ready. She was sharing a table with Thomas, her prom king of what felt like the last century and a half, offering waffles and coffee. Marilyn checked the clock on the wall and calculated that she had enough time to wait in line – indeed, a line had already formed – and make it to her English class in first period before the second bell rang. She was sleepy and a coffee would be a blessing, even if it was served by Thomas.

Drowsily, she looked straight at the back of the student ahead of her – tall, huge shoulders in a bright blue polo shirt – until he suddenly half turned around.
"'Lo, 'Lyn," he said with a smile.
Marilyn blinked suddenly waking up. "Hello, uhm... Nathan."
He gave her another smile, and then turned back facing forward, just like that, and she was once again left staring at his blue back. And now a feeling of being stupid crept over her. As if she had missed something everybody else was aware of.

She hadn't been called Lyn in forever, not since elementary school – which was as long as she knew Nathan. And then again, 'knew' was exaggerating the situation. She knew him from seeing him, from having the odd class with him over the years, and maybe, in a less sleep deprived state, she would have known his last name, too. But that was about it. He had been the chubby kid that didn't sand out for any particular talent and didn't attract attention through bad grades – the perfect extra blurring with the background in the play of school life. The chess club guy minus the brains. And then somewhere beneath all that chubbiness, unnoticed by anybody, Nathan had grown into something else, and when they had entered High School he had entered the football team – the team that was Thomas team, now. Nathan still looked chubby, but somehow the weight was apparently in the right places. He was a self-content happy-go-lucky guy who minded his own business. What had prompted him to suddenly turn around and greet her as if they were back in second grade utterly eluded Marilyn, and it made her feel odd. They probably hadn't spoken a word in years.

Tiredness washed over her again. As she was standing there in the hallway, rocking slightly back and forth on her heels looking at Nathan's back she had the distinct feeling that he had always been wearing that very same blue polo shirt – ever since second grade...

"Josie!" Thomas voice drifted through the surrounding noise.
Something had interrupted the professional flow of students and waffles and coffee. Marilyn craned her neck to look past the voluminous Nathan. Thomas had run out of plastic cups and was on his knees sifting through a box underneath the table.
"Josie, listen, baby, I can't find the cups. Have you seen them?"