"Well this year promises to be extremely exhausting," Kaila complains, shutting her eyes close and passing weary fingers through her hair. The three of us walk through the halls of the school, blended in the crowded space.

"Yeah, I know," Natalie sighs. "Have you seen the bags under your eyes?"

"No, of course not!" Kaila sarcastically replies. She lets her arms fall to her side, and her shoulders droop. "Yeah duh, how could people not see them? They're like doing everything they can to be seen. I mean just look at them! They're green! Who's bags even turn green??"

"Yeah yeah, okay you look like shit we get the point, can we wait in front of Nat and I's English classroom?" I cut. Both heads turn to me.

"First of all, thank you for your honesty," Kaila laughs, before becoming serious. "Second of all, why're you all of a sudden urging to go to English class? A class that you normally hate..."

"Yeah something's suspicious about all of this," Natalie enriches. Both of them stop walking and squint their eyes at me. I try holding both of their stares but finally crack.

"Alright, alright," I give in. "You got me... I just wanted to see if Zack was there," I shrugged. Both of them start "oohing" all over me.

"Someone's found a new crush," Natalie teases. The bell rings. I've never been this happy that it rang, but it just saved me from endless seconds of standing their teasing.

"It's all in the eye contact," Kaila explains. "You can make anyone tell you anything just with the power of your staring skills." We three laugh and walk away. We climb up the stairs and I discretely skim the people around me, trying to recognize a particular face. I suddenly spot him standing in the room, talking to a guy next to him I don't know.

"By my calculations," Natalie whispers. "He doesn't look like a very serious student. Classically, he would sit as far away from the teacher as possible. But he doesn't seem that uninterested in this class, so I'd bed he'd sit on the side." I laugh. She pulls me to the right side of the class room and sits down in a chair. I sit down next to her and wait.

Finally the teacher comes in and he decides to sit right behind me with his friend by his side. I look at Natalie.

"What would you do without me?" She shakes her head, raising her eyebrows, unimpressed.

"Lol, that was pure luck," I laugh.

"Yeah I know, but I like to play it cool," she looks away. After an hour of intense concentration, the bell rings. I stay in my seat, wondering how it's possible to love and hate a bell like that at the same time.

"Hey Lyzy," a boy behind me taps on my shoulder. I nervously spin around, waiting to see Zack but recognize Ralph, an old classmate I had last year. I sigh, disappointed.

"Hey Ralph! What's up?" I ask, forcefully cheerful. He hands me a piece of paper and points to Matt, one of his friends. Matt nervously looks at me and hastily walks away out the room. Ralph smiles uncomfortably and walks away as soon as he gives it to me. I unfold the piece of paper secretly and read the sloppy handwriting.

Matt loves you.

Three words are simply written on the paper. My heart beat speeds up, and I breath slowly to take in the surprise. I lift my head up and see everyone staring at me. "Lyzy, come on! Tell us!" Jonathan demands.

"Yeah!" Zack impatiently urges.

Natalie comes to my rescue and pulls me away, into a corner. "What's written on it?" She whispers. I unfold the paper again and give it to her.

"Whoa," she breaths.

"What should I do?" I stressfully ask.

"Do you like him?"

"I don't know! I don't even know him."

"Yeah... I don't think he's really in love with you." She thinks for a while, her eyes losing themselves in the distance.

"What makes you say that?" I curiously ask.

"It's only the second week, and you can't just fall in love with someone all of a sudden, like poof!" She snaps her fingers. "Two weeks isn't enough to really build a real love..." Her voice trails off.

"You're right, I mean, he doesn't even know me that well, and we've never spoken to each other."

"Yeah," she simply answers. I have German class next, and both Kaila and Nat have a free period. They decide to go outside and leave me alone. I go settle myself in under the shadow of a tree. I watch other people laugh and talk to each other. I lose myself in my thoughts and suddenly jump up, at the tap of someone on my shoulder from behind.

"Hey L-Lyzy," Matt starts. He is sweating and awful lot and frantically wipes his forehead. "I wanted to ask you something." I felt sympathy for him and nicely smiled.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you would like to go out with m-me," he stuttered. A sudden relief spread over his stiff body when he finishes talking. He crossed his arms, looking at me, waiting for an answer. I could practically feel the gears spinning in my brain, searching for a nice way to refuse. Seeing me blocked, Matt uncrossed his arms.

"Um, I could let you think about it if you want," he suggested. "Over the weekend?"

I nod profusely. "Yes that'd be cool, thanks," I gratefully say.

"Cool," he nervously smiles. I stop smiling once he gets out of view and sigh, letting my shoulders drop. I rub my face. This school year really started off hard. I close my eyes, knowing this will probably be the main thing I will be thinking about this weekend.

"Woohoo," I breath.

Back at home, I close the front entrance door. "Hey sweetheart!" My mom cheerfully greets. "How was your day?"

"Very... Interesting."

"Can't wait to hear all about it during dinner," she laughs.

After a lively dinner, filled with advices, I head to my bedroom. I sit down on my desk, grab a block note, and a pen. I breath in and out, slowly preparing myself for an intense moment of concentration. Ten minutes after thinking the same sentences of my speech all over and over again, I frustratedly put down my pen. I unlock my phone and ask Nat what to do.

Just tell him directly no, that you don't feel the same for him, that you simply don't know him enough to accept his proposition.

I shut my eyes close and laugh, asking myself why I hadn't just asked her in the first place. This year started off hard and promised to be eventful.