She walks the same route everyday. I walk twenty paces behind her.
She's always getting bumped in the hallways. I'm probably the only one who notices her.
When Mr. Peterson tells us to pair up with someone for Chemistry Labs, we're always the last two.
She pushes up her glasses every once in a while. I'm pouring too much liquid into our flask.
During our oral presentations, her voice is quiet and it almost sounds like she's muttering. I feel like I'm the only one in the room with her.
We always exchange the same greetings in the hallway.
"Hi Joe." She says in her little voice when she sees me.
"H-hi Jane." I reply with my nervous one. I can never speak normally around her.
She smiles a little, and we part ways.
Her locker is four lockers away from mine.
She swiftly turns her combinations and grabs the necessary books she needs for the next two periods. I linger at mine, watching her, until the guy next to me pushes me over to get to his locker.
She prepares the same lunch everyday. I have my lunch taken away.
She always gives me a home-made cookie. I keep it for later.
When she drops her books, I'm always the one who picks them up for her. When I can't find my glasses, she's always the one who picks it up for me.
But on this fateful day, I decide to do something different.
It's after school, and the halls are almost empty. I wait by my locker, waiting for her. Since it's Wednesday, I know that she stays an hour more to help those who are having trouble with Chemistry, her best subject.
She walks towards her locker, and as she sees me, waves a little. I stand up and wave back.
She continues to organize her belongings and get her necessary books. I take a deep breath and walk towards her.
When she's done, she carefully closes the locker and then smiles at me.
"Hi Joe. Is there something you need?" She asks in a cheerful voice. It amazes me how she can always be this happy.
"U-um." I had this practiced for hours. I always reminded myself to think of this as an opening sentence of an oral presentation. I had to sound confident, and sure of myself. The opening of a presentation was always the important part. It was the attention-grabber.
But, obviously, that didn't work.
She waited patiently, watching me, with open ears as to what I had to say. I look at the floor.
She smiles a bit. "You don't have to be afraid around me, Joe."
I look at her. She's looking at her books.
I take a deep breath in. "C-can I walk you home?"
She looks up at me with a bit of surprise. "S-sure." Her eyes are twinkling behind her glasses, and she tucks a bit hair behind her ear.
I smile in relief. "Great."
And we began our walk.
It wasn't exactly the question that I wanted to ask her...
But it was a start.
Bear-Garden Community Member 
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