A World of Her Own

Chapter 10

Liora slept restlessly that night and woke up with dark circles under her eyes. She grimaced at her reflection in the mirror as she was getting ready for school. Nothing seemed right about her appearance. Her skin was oily and her face had broken out. Her curls were more unruly than ever. She tried on at least a dozen outfits and dumped them on the bed. Nothing seemed to fit right. Everything pulled or felt uncomfortable. She finally chose her favorite sundress. It was unusually warm for almost October and the dress was made of a soft Jersey material that felt comforting against her skin. She tamed her unruly curls with leave-in conditioner and applied some concealer to her face. She was presentable at least. This was definitely not her best day, beauty-wise, but she looked okay.

Liora fought the nerves in her stomach. She was anxious about seeing Jason. One moment, she wished the day would drag on forever so she wouldn't have to see him. The next moment, she wished that she could see him immediately and just get everything over with. She was tired of waiting and wondering. She was too anxious to concentrate on any of her classes. She tried to focus but thoughts kept intruding into her mind. What did Jason want to talk to her about? Had Christina said anything? Why did he want to be alone with her at the beach?  Maybe he realized she had a crush on him and wanted to let her down easy. Or maybe he did like her. The last thought was unimaginable to Liora and she crushed the faint spark of hope that lit up inside her. There was no way Jason liked her. 

Christina saw her in the hall right before lunch but was more subdued than usual. She came up to her and smiled but there was a hint of concern in her eyes. "Hi, Liora. How are you doing?" "I'm okay," Liora said, hiding her anxiety. Was Jason going to be at lunch? What would he say? She got knots in her stomach just thinking about it. "Are you coming over tonight?" asked Christina. "Yes, I will be there. I thought your brother told you," replied Liora. Liora's mom had only been too happy to let her go. "Jason asked me to go to the beach with him. Did he tell you?"

"No," replied Christina, with a hint of surprise. "He didn't mention it. Is there a group of people going?" "No, just the two of us. He said he wanted to talk to me. He didn't tell me why. I'm surprised he didn't say anything to you." Liora glanced at Christina. "Did you say anything about...?" The two girls had tucked themselves into the corner of the hall, watching the students swirl around them as they made their way to their classes. They kept their voices down but stood close to one another so they could hear each other.

Christina shook her head vigorously. "No, of course not. I promised you I wouldn't say anything and I'm not going to. I'm surprised he didn't say anything to me." "He asked me to the beach right after I texted him yesterday. You had just left with your mom so I didn't think you had said anything....but I wanted to be sure," responded Liora. "Do you think Tasha.....?" her voice trailed off. 

"Definitely not," Christina's voice was emphatic. "She wouldn't do that. I've known Tasha for a long time. She's trustworthy and would never do anything to hurt anyone's feelings. You can trust her." Liora sighed, partly with relief and partly with frustration.  "I just don't know what he wants and it's making me nervous." She looked around. The hall was empty. "We'd better get to lunch."

They made their way to the courtyard. Jason was already seated at the table. When he saw them, he motioned for them to sit next to him. Christina took the outside seat, ensuring that Liora would need to sit between her and Jason. The rest of the table was full. It was clear that Jason had been saving the spots next to him. He smiled as Liora sat down, taking in her dress. "Hi, Liora. You look nice," he said warmly.

"Thank you," said Liora and flushed slightly. Would Jason think that she had dressed up for him? She had but she didn't want him to think that. She wanted to ask Jason what he wanted to talk to her about but she remembered Christina telling her that Jason was actually more private than he seemed. She didn't want to embarrass him. She also didn't want everyone at the table to know that they were going to the beach together. People might start wondering or, worse yet, someone might decide to invite themselves along. And then Jason wouldn't get a chance to talk privately with her. Neither of them mentioned the beach. Instead, they joined in the general discussion around the table. Liora was getting more comfortable with the other kids. They were always nice to her and she felt included.