Claudia, Part 4

The next Monday, I went to the bus stop, still seeing her face. Imagine my surprise when I turned around and actually saw her face. There she was, standing and smiling. “Good morning, friend. What a lovely day for swimming!” I half-smiled, burdened by knowledge of her real heart. “Yes, it is. However, I find the water is less than cooperative, what, being frozen and all.” I replied. Her smile broadened and a twinkle lit her eye. She didn’t know how to respond to someone talking in the same goofy way she did. She stood silent, beaming with joy until the bus pulled up.
Through the day, I would periodically see her in the hall, and each time, she would smile at me, stare as we passed, and continue down the hallway. At lunch, she stopped me in the line and said “Don’t eat the pudding. It’s been giving me the stink eye all day.” I nodded and replied “It’s obviously in league with the Nilla Wafers.” She laughed (oh, the sound of angel’s laughter!) and sat down at an unoccupied table.
I sat across from her and we ate in silence, never saying a word. A glance here, a chuckle there, until finally, I reached for my soda. She slapped the back of my hand and kept eating her sandwich. I reached again, another slap. I tried one more time, but I had a plan. She slapped and I was quicker. Her hand hit the table and I held it there. I looked up to gloat over my victory. “Ha!” I said, “I’m faster than…” I never finished my sentence. I caught her eyes and the redness on her cheek. I realized the situation: I was holding her hand to the table. I was holding her hand. I WAS HOLDING HER HAND. We froze, unsure of proper procedure.
Her smile (oh, her beautiful smile) was all it took to snap me back to reality. I quickly recalled my hand to my side, and kept my eyes cast downward. It seemed like an eternity before either of us moved, and of course, she moved first. She calmly stood up, walked to my side of the table, sat beside me, and put her head on my shoulder.
The rest of that day is a blur.


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