Dancing Around // peter parker

18

Judy placed her arm around me as her head looked over to my computer. "Those are some nice-looking pictures of trees," she told me. I rolled my eyes at her, concentrating on moving my mouse with the most precision in photoshop, scared to mess up the tree's leaves.

I was trying to change the colors of the leaves to something neon. It was going to be the picture used for a story someone submitted. Judy removed her arm only for her to make me move over in my chair. With one of my butt checks out, she sat in the same chair.

She rested her head on her hand as she looked at me. I didn't meet her eyes only looking at the computer screen. "You got real talent, kid," she told me.

"Wow, my mom will be so proud."

"I'm serious! I can see you becoming a famous photographer. One of those that go around the world and you find their pictures in fancy travel magazines."

"Darn, I was really hoping of being like those other photographers that take pictures of clothing for store catalogs, constantly complaining about how they're wasting their talent on something that's not true art."

She forced a laugh. "So, listen, you know how you totally saved my ass by going to Washington D.C with the decathlon team? Thank you so much for that, by the way. Did I ever thank you? I don't think I did. Thank you. It was the biggest story of the week. Who could have guessed such a boring academic activity would have the biggest story of this year? I certainly didn't. And to think, we almost missed it."

I finally looked at her after successfully turning the leaves into a neon blue. "What is it that you want me to do?"

She smiled at me. "What do you mean?"

"You want me to cover something, right? That's why you're doing this? Fill in for someone or do something no one else wants to do? What is it?"

She lowered her head, unable to meet my eyes. "No one wants to cover homecoming. I know you probably already made plans, but it would be so amazing if-"

"I don't have plans."

She lifted her head, the tips of her bangs getting close to touching her eyes. I had to look away. "Really?"

I nodded my head. The only boy who showed any kind of interest in me was Albert, and now I didn't even look at him during class. He didn't seem to be heartbroken, though. All those high-fives he kept getting as congratulations from guys seemed to keep him pleased. It turned out he got exactly what he wanted and I got exactly nothing. In fact, I had lost the only possibility of friends I had...except maybe Cindy, but that road also seemed to be close to its end.

Homecoming. I wasn't going to go. I was going to drink the leftover iced tea and maybe even do some laundry since the floor in my room was growing a close relationship with my dirty clothing. I had to break those crazy kids up before it was too late, and my room started to stink of their bond.

I guess that could wait though.

"I'll do it," I told her.

She clapped weirdly, her palms touching as she only moved the top of her fingers. "You're the best." I turned to the computer again.

Going to homecoming by myself wasn't very appealing. Maybe Judy could go with me. Maybe we could even become friends. I never really thought of her as one, since she was a senior and we only talked about things related to the school newspaper.

She clapped weirdly and was a bit overly touchy with people, but I wasn't exactly a catch either. Especially not when everyone already seemed to have made up their minds about me. I should ask her. "Hey, Judy, what are you doing-" I turned my head to my right to see she was gone. How did I not feel her leave? I looked around the room, sitting fully on the chair again. I found her colored hair across the room at her desk where she was talking to a few people. They laughed loudly at something as I turned back to look at my computer.