Chapter 6

Once again, my computer is malfunctioning. I am simply trying to type up my social studies essay, but of course Word isn't working. Just great. Especially considering the fact that the essay is due tomorrow.

I sigh and press away from my desk in my spinny chair. I lean my head back and look at the ceiling fan.

If this stupid essay isn't finished, I get a zero. If I get a zero, I get an F. If I get an F, my mom will literally kill me. Therefore, if my computer continues to not work, I will not see another day. Oh, the tragedy.

My phone lights up with Rays name on it.

'Hey, what's up?'

'I have a terrible computer.'

'... Explanation?'

'I have this essay due tomorrow. My computer is being its lame self and decided to be lazy and not do what I tell it to.'

'I see. Well, I do happen to have a computer. You may as well come over and use it.'

'Oh gosh thank you so much.'

'Anytime.'

I get up and run out of my room with my phone. I stop in the kitchen, where my mom sits. She looks up from her laptop.

"Hey, I'm going over to Ray's house to finish this essay," I tell her.

"Okay, don't stay too late."

I hurry out the door after putting on my jacket. I get to about the edge of my driveway when I realize something.

I text Ray. 'Uh slight problem: I have no idea where you live.'

'Just a street down from yours. The darker house with a red truck in front.'

At first I am slightly freaked out at the fact that he knows where I live. But then I remember that he walked me home a week ago.

I begin my journey down the road. The wind is blowing hard today and it looks like at some point it's going to rain. I walk faster to get out of the cold.

When I turn into the street next to mine, I immediately see the red truck. I speed up even more. As I get closer, I see something else in front of the house. It isn't so much of a something as to a person.

Ray is standing there, waving at me like a maniac. I smile, but don't release my hand from my warm bundle of crossed arms to wave back.

"Welcome to my home," Ray says.

We walk inside the house and straight up the stairs. I admire all the decorations and pictures on the walls. His mom sits on a couch and wave at us. I smile at her.

"Hello, nice to see you again, Jordan! Glad you could come today. Ray has been very excited to have you over," she says, shaking my hand. I smile at her.

"Haha, thanks mom," Ray shoots her a scowl. He grabs my wrist, and we continue down the hallway before she can continue.

Ray opens the first door on the right and we walk inside. It looks like any other teenage boys room I would expect, except for the fact that it is spotless. Everything is clean and neat and organized. Compared to my mess of a room, this is amazing.

"Whoa," is all I can manage to say, though.

"Smell bad in here?" Ray asks, sniffing his bed.

I laugh. "You are so clean. OCD?"

"Nah, I just want to keep it clean. Especially when people come over," Ray says.

"And how often do people come over?" I ask.

"Plenty. My dog enjoys my room very much, for your information," Ray says matter-of-factly.

"So, the computer is on the desk. You can go ahead and start typing if you want. And if you want any food, I will get you something. Just let me know," Ray says.

"Alright, thanks Ray."

I sit in his chair in front of his desk. The computer is pulled up to Word already and the keyboard smells like disinfectant spray. He must have really prepared for this visit.

I laugh a little to myself and then start typing. But then out of the corner of my eye I see that Ray is still just standing there.

"Just going to stand and stare at me for while?" I ask, suppressing a laugh.

"Hey, why not?" Ray asks.

"That's a little stalkerish."

"What's stalkerish about watching you type on the little keys, memorizing your every movement?" Ray asks innocently.

"Oh, I don't know.... That's sounds a little suspicious to me."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Go ahead and... Make yourself comfortable... In your own house..."

"Maybe I feel like watching you, huh?" Ray says, putting a hand on his hip dramatically.

"Really. You're being a creep," I say. Though that might be a normal trait for him.

***********************************

"I'm done!" I exclaim, slamming my hands down on the desk.

"Good for you," Ray says. He is now laying on his bed looking at his phone. He gave up on staring at me about three minutes in. "Now we can do something."

"Do something?" I ask.

"Yeah," Ray says, sitting up.

"What time is it?" I ask, recalling my mom telling me not to stay too late.

"I suppose you could figure that out yourself. You know, there is a clock on the wall. A computer in front of you. A phone in your pocket..." Ray says, getting nearer.

I groan and pull out my phone to reveal that it is now 7:30.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" I ask.

"I don't know. Do you want to go to the park?" Ray asks.

He sets his hand on my chair, but his fingers brush the back of my neck. It sends shocks down my spine. I take a moment to find my breath again, after it was suddenly stolen.

"Sure," I reply suddenly shaky.

So we walk to the park together.

I hop on a swing and Ray gets on the one next to me. We start out peacefully falling back and forth. That is, until Ray starts going higher. I kick harder and get above him. He laughs and gets higher than I am. I stick my leg out and kick him away, so now he is going back and forth instead of up and down.

I start laughing like a maniac.

"Not cool. Not cool," Ray says, jumping off the swing. "I give up. I don't exactly feel like getting severe brain damage from a concussion today."

I follow, jumping off. I run up onto the little playground by the swings and take a victory slide down the twisty slide. I start laughing and dancing just because.

"Oh, now you're just being cocky," Ray says, folding his arms.

***********************************

Ray and I end up laying side by side in the grass. It's about 9:30 and after a night of playing around like idiots, we've both settled down.

I turn my head to look at Ray. He has his hands resting behind his head and his eyes relaxed closed. This person laying next to me is something incredible. He doesn't care if I'm a freak and a serious weirdo. He doesn't care that I'm not normal. He doesn't care that I'm not like all the other girls, taking selfies and wearing short little dresses. He knows that I'm strange and he fully understands.

That is mostly because he isn't normal either. And I love that about him. He doesn't care what anyone think about him.

Ray snaps his eyes open, catching me staring at him.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks.

I contemplate my answer. But I end up just being honest.

"You're really weird," I reply.

"Yeah, I realize. But what are you thinking about?"

"Exactly that," I reply.

"That's nice."

I stare into his beautiful brown eyes and find myself getting lost in them, the way you always read about in books. I never understood exactly what that meant until now. And I feel like I'm drowning in them. I stare so long, I see deep into his soul.

I start laughing at my own cheesiness. What an abnormal child I am. What's wrong with me?

Oh, and now I'm having conversations inside my head. See, the reasons I am not quite considered normal.

"What's so funny?" Ray asks.

That just makes me laugh harder, thinking about the response I was about to give. But I give it anyways.

"I just said something quite amazing to myself in my head."

"Really? I thought I was the only one who did that!" Ray says, smiling a huge, crooked smile.

I start laughing so hard that I'm convinced that I will have a six pack by the morning.

***********************************

After handing my newly typed essay to my teacher, I start to walk to my science class. I have a study guide to finish, so I have to hurry. I decide to take the short route, the outside staircase that nobody uses because this one time a hobo tried to come into the school selling ponchos on it.

But hey, I don't have anything against hobos or ponchos.

I turn the corner and stop when I hear voices. Only, it's not just any voice. I hear Ray.

"I have to go to science, okay, Martha?" Ray asks.

Martha? Why is he talking to Martha?

I peer around the corner and see Ray standing right in front of Martha, smiling brightly. I feel a pang of jealously go through me.

"Alright. I will see you later I guess," Martha says, flipping her long blonde hair off her shoulder.

And then I see something unexpected happen. Martha leans in and hugs Ray tightly. Yes, Ray could have let go. But no, he holds on just as tight as her. I can't help but feel my insides deflate and a huge pain forms inside of me.

The 'one minute' bell rings, and I have to get to science. I take in a deep breath and walk forward, about to enter the door to get back into the hallway from outside. Ray breaks apart from Martha and I make eye contact with him. I look at him for the shortest second, fighting back worthless tears in my eyes and hurrying past him.

Why am I so upset by this? I never claimed Ray. For all I know, he could just think of me as some girl he met and hangs out with. Nothing was real.

I hurry faster when I hear footsteps, taking a deep breath and wiping the single tear that dropped onto my cheek. Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic. I'm turning into a sappy jealous idiot. I pull myself together and walk into my science class.