Back to You(6)

In that instant, something in his eyes changed, and she realized he recognized her too.
She was too stunned to say the things she knew she was supposed to be saying, the things Deb had taught her that morning.
She was too stunned to even breathe.
And so she stood there, completely frozen and numb with shock, unable to feel what she expected herself to feel if she ever saw him again: confusion, disbelief, longing.
But most of all, anger.

November 2000
Lauren held her notebook tightly to her chest as she darted through the hallway, weaving in and out of the bodies that still { display: block; text-indent: 0%;ked up after that, lingered there, seemingly unfazed by the bell that had just signaled the one-minute warning.
“Why the hell are you walking so fast?” Jenn asked, slightly winded as she scurried to keep up with her friend. “That was just the warning bell.”
Lauren ignored her, glancing at the doors of the classrooms they were passing. It was the first day of the second quarter, which also meant the first day of new specialty classes. Basic Health was in room 228, and they had only just passed room 210; they were never going to make it in under a minute.
With that realization she broke into a jog, muttering her apologies as she squeezed in between and around other students.
“Lauren!” Jenn whined. “Slow down!” She caught up with her friend and grabbed the back of her shirt, but her pace was unbreakable, and Jenn ended up being towed behind her. “Everyone knows that teachers give freshmen a break for being late,” she said, her voice choppy as she struggled to keep up. “Especially on the first day of new classes.”
As they circumvented a group of students and came up on room 228, Lauren stopped abruptly, causing an oblivious Jenn to collide into her from behind. She flew forward, catapulted by the force, and crashed directly into the teacher who stood waiting outside the door.
“Oh God, sorry. I’m so sorry,” Lauren said, taking a step backward and discreetly elbowing Jenn.
The man regained his balance just as the bell sounded overhead, and he smiled. “Your timing is impeccable. Your method of arrival, however, could use a little work. Go on in and have a seat, ladies.”
“See,” Lauren said over her shoulder as they walked into the room, “we wouldn’t have made it if we didn’t run.”
Jenn rolled her eyes as she gestured toward the four students seated there. “And thank God! It would have been so humiliating if we walked in after the bell with the rest of the entire class.”
Lauren smirked as she put her notebook down on a desk. “Well look on the bright side; now we get first choice in seating.”
“Wonderful,” Jenn deadpanned, placing her books down on the desk next to Lauren’s. “So, will you come with me later?”
“Where?”
“To the drugstore.”
“I guess,” Lauren said. “Why do you need me to come?”
“I want to hold boxes of hair dye up to your head.”
Lauren turned, looking blankly at her friend. “Are you serious?”
“That’s the only way to guarantee it comes out just like yours,” Jenn said, going through her purse and pulling out ChapStick.
“Nothing ever comes out looking like the box. You’re better off just picking a color you like.”
“But I like your color,” she said as she applied the ChapStick. “So pretty but like, sexy at the same time, you know? It’s like…deep auburn. Rich mahogany. Or…mmm, dark chocolate cherry.”
Lauren shook her head as she looked through her bag for a pen. “You sound like you’re auditioning for a commercial.”
Jenn laughed as she capped her ChapStick and tossed it back into her purse. “Just come with me. It will take ten minutes, tops.”
“Fine,” Lauren sighed as she opened her notebook to the first clean page and wrote the d { display: block; text-indent: 0%;bl you toate. “You’re a total weirdo, you know that, right?”
“And you’re my best friend, so what does that say about you?”
Lauren smiled. “Good point.”
“I can’t wait,” Jenn squealed, clapping her hands quickly in front of her. “I am so ready to get rid of this mousy brown mop. You’re so lucky it grows out of your head that way…”
As Jenn expounded on the wonders of changing her hair color, Lauren watched as the rest of the class filed into the room. The seating arrangement was set up in a large U, with the teacher’s desk and the blackboard set in the opening at the top. She had heard through the grapevine that Mr. Mavis was notorious for making his students debate controversial issues, which she could only assume was the reason behind a seating plan that allowed chatty high school students to face one another during class.