Paper Planes

8.

(Nat)

It had been a few weeks since school had started. By now, I kind of knew my way around, thanks to Liv. To my own surprise, I also found some other friends, or, to be more precise, people to sit with. All of them were new to this school as well and they were pretty okay.

On a rainy wednesday, the geography teacher proclaimed that we had to do a project at home, with a partner of our choice.
My heart sank when I thought of all the judgemental people in this class. I really didn't feel like doing a project with that sweaty guy sitting next to me that had been playing phone games under his table for most of the schoolyear. Or those plastic girls that looked at everyone like they were disgusting trolls.
None of my lunch break friends were in this class, but Liv was. I was low key hoping that we could do this project together, given that I knew nobody else and doing the project with a stranger would end in a socially awkward disaster.

Nervously, I started looking around at the students who immediately teamed up with their respective friends.
Through the faces I spotted Liv, smiling at me from across the classroom, gesturing.
You, me, a team?
I nodded and smiled gratefully. She grinned and gave me a thumbs up before turning back to the front.
Thank goodness.

Later that day, on our way home on the train, I thanked her for saving me from our classmates.
"No problem! I know, a lot of them are... not the nicest people you'll meet", she laughed.
I chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, yeah."
Did she think I was afraid of them? Because I wasn't. I just preferred to not socially embarrass myself in front of those people.
"So when do you have time to do the project?", she asked.
Uhhhhh...
"Uhhhhh... maybe tomorrow after school?", I suggested.
She briefly thought about it, then nodded and grinned.
"Sounds good! Where should we meet?"
"Ummm... I don't mind...", I answered, hesitant.
In fact, I did mind. Deep down, I feared she could start asking questions if she came to my house. It's what I feared most. Questions.
Are your parents divorced? Who is the girl on that photo? I didn't want to imagine how that would end.

Liv's voice pulled me back to reality.
"You can come to my house if you want to," she offered, smiling.
"Um, ok, sure. If that's alright with you.", I answered, not laying my eyes off her.
My hands were fidgeting with the zipper of my backpack.
"Of course! So it's settled then: my house, tomorrow after school!", she said cheerfully, smiling again.
Did she ever not smile?
I forced a smile back and she turned to her phone, reading messages or something.

But I kept on staring at her, absent-minded.
Why was she always being so nice to me?
From the beginning on, she had always just been so... friendly and open and accepting. And I didn't know why. I often thought about it.

Liv looked up from her phone and our eyes met.
Crap, was my staring creepy?
I quickly turned my head and looked out the train window. I just hoped she didn't see me blush. I hated myself for being so awkward.
Instinctively, I pulled down the sleeves of my jacket. Something I always did whenever I was in an uncomfortable situation. It was part of me and my fucked up mind.