Him & I

22

I found out Tyler and I have alot in common.

Well, okay, maybe that's a stride too far but we both stayed in New York before -which, alright, I knew already - and we both have Hispanic descents. Which, again, I knew. Years of stalking has it's benefits, yet I still acted surprised when he said it.

But there were things that were genuinely new to me, like while my native descent is from both parts, his is only maternal. He says his grandmother only speaks Spanish too, can't understand a thing in English. And that should cause friction between them but it doesn't. They communicate more with facial expressions and body language. Whenever he said something she couldn't understand, she'd smile. And when she said something he couldn't understand, he'd smile too. I wondered if the smile would be the same kind he showed off around me, or if he had the kind reserved for family alone, the people he really loved. But of course I didn't ask.

"Are you gonna keep standing there?"

It's Victoria Tywo, finally acknowledging my presence. I'd walked up to her table maybe a minute ago but she looked so busy reading from a note and writing in another, that I thought it was best to wait for her to ask what I wanted first. Or in this case, if I was just gonna keep standing.

"You could sit. You know." I follow her eyes to the empty desk in front of her, and when I sit, turn back around to meet her 'cause she's why I came. "Are you gonna just sit now?"

I laugh a little till I meet her unamused expression and restructure. "Sorry. Uh, yeah, I was thinking. The other day. Think two days ago when my sister came back- 'cause she's got a job now. She says It's this company near our home where she- Anyway. So, yeah, I talked to her about the one-sided arrangement of our project and she suggested I asked you if we could start over with it." I pause to understand her expression, then quickly add. "That's if it's okay with you, anyway, I know you must've gone far."

"Okay."

"Okay?" She nods. "Okay what?"

"We could start over."

"We could?" I move in my seat, but still try to devoid my face of any surprise. Of any surprise I truly feel. "We could start over. And you don't mind having a joint work this time." I keep everything coming out as a statement, though I know i'm hoping for an answer, a re-assurance.

"If it's okay with you, it is with me."

I laugh, amused. "Of course it's fine with me, that's why I asked in the first place." She does a half-hearted shrug and well, i'm guessing my time here is done. I do a tap beat on the table and show off a small smile. "Alright, then."

"So, where do we meet?" She asks as I'm about standing up so I sit back down. Funny enough I hadn't really thought this far. "The library?"

"The library?" I look to her, nearly laughing till I see she's serious. "Have you met the librarian?" She shows no pointed emotion so I take it she hasn't. Is she new? "Are you new?"

"We've shared classrooms since grade five." She replies simply. And with so little care that I'm thrown.
Shouldn't it weird her out that we've taken classes together for years yet I just asked if she's new?

I'm weirded out at how she seems to have known me my whole life. Though, maybe that's again, a stride too far. "The library isn't so bad a choice, there's an inner room for doing things like projects."

"I.. I think my house would be better. If you don't mind."

Mr Stephen walks in, late and disorganized as always having Victoria and I distracted for a second. We share a look before she goes back to reading and writing. Dropping numerous copies of papers on his desk, not really caring that we've all stopped what we were doing to stare at him, he starts pointing between the door and his desk thoughtfully. And it makes sense when he excuses himself. "I'll go get the red stack from outside."