Something About Her

chapter 3

For the next half-hour, we sat in complete silence. Mostly, Zulu just stared out the window, trying to avoid my gaze, I guess..But the whole half hour I spent studying her. The way she moved, the way she reacted from things she saw, how at certain times she just couldn't sit still, how much effort it took her to avoid looking at me..I guess you could say I learned a lot.

"Zulu?" 

"What?"

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" She finally looked at Me.

"Close your eyes when you see something uncomfortable?"

"What are you talking about?" Her voice sounded accusatory. 

"Well..so far outside, a pigeon almost got ran over, a police car pulled over someone doing 70 in a 30 lane, almost hitting a little boy at the same time, a biker almost got hit by a taxi and an elderly woman who looked lost started crying..and during each of those events, you closed your eyes for a while..why do you do that?" 

She looked surprised at my response. "Well..I guess because if I'm seeing something potentially harmful, I feel like if I close my eyes whatever harm could happen, won't. Or atleast if I don't see something, then it doesn't happen. I've done it since I was a little kid, to be honest it's a bit of a mystery to Me."

I stared at her for a while, taking all of what she just said in. Her responses never failed to surprise Me. She was unlike any other girl I've ever met.

"Jace?" 

"Yes?" I was surprised she was still talking to Me.

"Why do you look at Me like that?"

I was even more surprised to hear her ask Me this.

"Like what Zulu?"

"Like..I'm some sort of treasure you've just discovered in your attic .. or I'm some exhibit at a famous museum.

"I don't know Zulu, I guess..I don't know. It's just that you're really different from what I'm used to, and..I like that. I don't know." I was blushing, I could feel it.

"Oh.." I could see her smiling out the corner of my eye. 

I checked the time. It was 11:30..we had atleast 2 more hours until school ended.

"We still have 2 more hours left until school ends, what do you want to do?"

"Hm..wanna go get some pizza?"

"Sure, let's go." We left out of Barnes and Noble and Zulu showed me to a pizza parlor not too far from there. It was very small and had no seating, only a counter and a kitchen where the pizza was cooked behind it. We both ordered a slice of cheese pizza and sat down outside near a large fountain when we got our food. We ate in silence. She ate slow, so I waited until she was finished to start talking again.

"Let's play 20 questions." She demanded. Guess I didn't have much of a choice.

"Okay, you start though." 

"Hmm..okay. Favorite color?"

"Green." I responded. "Least favorite animal?"

"Snakes. They scare me." She frowned. "Brunettes or Blondes?"

"Neither. Redheads." I winked.

Zulu blushed and smiled that winning smile of hers.