Sixteenth

A/N: Again, I'm sorry. And to the readers, I hope you find your own Shane or Anna.


         Shifting in her makeshift seat on the carpeted steps, she glanced around, noting the many faces around her as half of them looked simply enthralled in their surroundings, while the other half seemed to merely relish the comfort of their chairs before the tour moved along. She looked at the person holding the mike for now, and sighed inwardly as the bumbling man tripped over his words in his explanations. Holding on to the belief that she made the right decision, she took one last look around the small hall, and promptly stopped as her eyes landed on something familiar.

She looked away, feeling flustered when she remembered staring was inappropriate behaviour, but she was desperate enough to sneak a couple more looks at him. At last, he caught her just as she was about to turn away, and smiled tentatively as recognition took place in his eyes and he waved back at her.

Maybe things would look up after all, she mused, and turned to acknowledge the mousy girl beside her as she, giggling, pointed out the rather obvious stammer in the man’s voice, only half-listening as her thoughts dredged up old memories from yesteryears.

****
         He was there again.

Slouching slightly in his seat, and looking clueless as the loud, eccentric man who was to teach them for the next six months spouted random literary devices and terms that merely caused nearly the whole class to imitate his lost expression. She willed herself not to turn around and concentrate, on the lecturer’s rants and she almost succeeded. Almost.

At the end of the lesson, she hung back, content to let all these strangers walk pass her, set in their little cliques and wishing she had her own as well. She watched him as he headed out of the door as well, and her heart clenched slightly at the sight.

****
“Hey! You came!” His welcoming grin was bright and took up about half of his face, causing her to laugh a little as she attempted to smile back. She took one sweeping glance of the other members of the club, noting that not one save him and a few others looked vaguely familiar and swallowed the ball of nerves that had lodged itself in her throat. The president, a slim, brash and outspoken girl welcomed her as well, and she felt the anxiety fade away gradually, allowing herself to smile a little more sincerely.

The band that held her hair up loosened little by little, and she huffed, reaching up to retie her hair, cursing the defected scrunchie quietly. Suddenly her head tilted back as she felt a tug on her ponytail and turned around to find him looking curiously at her.

“I’ve always wondered why girls do that to their hair,” he explained, miming her previous actions. “As if they’re splitting their hair in half…”

A laugh bubbled out of her mouth and she shook her head in amusement. “It’s to tighten my ponytail,” she replied, demonstrating for him. A satisfied look crossed his face and she turned away to hide the small smile still evident on her lips.

****

“I’ve got something to tell you,” he began, as they calmed down from the laughing fit they had just endured. The place was slightly deserted, and it was near evening already as both of them waited for their respective rides home. “But not now.”

She raised one eyebrow. “Why can’t you just tell me now?”

He ran a hand through his hair, looking self-conscious and uncharacteristically shy. “It’s late, and I-well, I don’t think I can do it.” He bit his lip.

On the other hand, she had resorted to whining and pleading, but quickly realized the boy wouldn’t budge at all and settled for deep sighs instead, irritation and disappointment clear on her face. Finally, he sat up and said, “Go listen to When We Say; maybe you’ll get it. It’s-“ He paused, and exhaled. “It’s sort of what I want to say to you.”

****

Anna1215:          I still don’t get the song.

Shane13:          Really?! But… But it’s all right there…

Anna1215:          Uh, not really.. I mean, the girl has a boyfriend, and the other guy likes her, so… Won’t you just tell me what is it that you wanted to say??

Shane13:          Can’t I tell you tomorrow? :(

Anna1215:          No! Pleaseeeee?

Shane13:          Sigh… Fine.

                   I like you.

                   Hello?

Anna1215:          Really? :)

Shane13:          Yeah….

Anna1215:          I like you too. :)

****

Tears streamed down her face as she gulped back sobs, grateful it was dark and nobody could hear her quiet sniffles. She hated it when this happened; she briefly wondered if she was masochistic for allowing the pain to linger and fester, but dismissed the thought when she realized she shuddered at even the slightest amount of physical pain. But the aching she felt was nowhere near to what she had ever imagined when her companions talk of fights with their partners, and she chastised herself for ever looking down on them.

Forcing herself to shut her eyes, she replayed the night’s events, and focused on pinpointing when exactly it had all gone downhill and led to her sobbing into her blanket. She gave up, frustrated with herself at acting so pathetically and cursed silently, her thoughts leading her into a troubled sleep.

****

“I still love you, even when you don’t seem to need me as much anymore.”

How could she tell him that there were times when she didn’t feel like talking, simply because she just needed him to be there with her, and not to have to say anything at all?

Instead, she merely answered despondently, “I love you too.” She hoped he realized the truth behind her words, and that for their sakes, he would believe it too.