It was August of my second year in high school. The new school year was just about to begin.
I adjusted my collar and tried to fix my crooked tie, but no matter how many times I tried, the stupid thing refused to look right.
As I focused on my ongoing battle with the tie—tuning out the rest of the world—I was suddenly ambushed from the front.
Chop!
"Ow! Why'd you do that?"
"The light's red, you dope."
My next-door neighbor, Carla, was waiting at the crosswalk when she spotted me wandering forward without paying attention to my surroundings.
"Let me help," she said, grabbing hold of my tie.
I felt my cheeks heat up. Having her face so close made me nervous. I tilted my head back slightly so she could see the knot better—and so I could focus on the clouds instead of her eyes.
I cleared my throat. "Aren't you running a bit late?"
"Yeah, Mom took a little longer making breakfast today. What about you?"
"I overslept."
Carla's in our school's tennis club. Her practices usually start early in the morning, and she's never late. This was the first time I'd ever seen her rushing.
"There. Done," she said, flipping the tie so it smacked me in the face.
"Hey!"
She giggled. "You seemed tense. I thought that might snap you out of it."
I gave her a wry smile. "So you noticed."
"Are you that nervous? You're used to this by now."
"That doesn't mean it's ever easy. Look, it turned green."
As we crossed the street, I realized it was the first time we'd walked to school together. We'd never attended the same school until high school; I'd been in an all-boys school since kindergarten. Until last year, our worlds only crossed outside of academics.
When we reached the other side, I noticed Carla looked a little more cheerful than usual.
"Looking forward to the new students coming in today?" I asked.
She tilted her head in thought. "Hmm… something like that. Although recruitment's going to be a hassle."
"Good thing I don't have to worry about clubs."
"You should join one. It'd be fun for you."
"Maybe I'll join the tennis club."
Carla laughed. "I can't picture you holding a racket."
I shrugged. "A guy can try."
"I think you'll be too busy soon. I heard from the grapevine you've caught someone's interest."
I sighed. "I can only imagine who that could be…"
"Hey, be nice to him. He's our upperclassman."
"It's not that. I just don't get why he's so fixated on me."
"Well, isn't it obvious, Mr. Honor Student?" she said with a teasing smile.
"Ah, so you heard."
"Of course. You were top of the class all last year."
"I guess I was…"
The truth is, I'm lucky when it comes to grades. It's not like I study much—I just happen to have a good memory. That alone earned me praise for topping every exam, and apparently, the unwanted attention of a certain troublesome upperclassman.
"What do you think about him?" I asked. "Our upperclassman, I mean."
"Hm... I think you shouldn't shy away from new experiences."
"That's a vague answer."
"Hey, from what I've seen, you've never tried stepping out of your comfort zone. This could be good for you."
"Sure thing, Mom—ow!"
She bumped into me on purpose. "Don't call me that."
As the school gates came into view, I tightened my grip on my tie.
One way or another, I knew a decision would have to be made today.