~Phoebe~

I was in a hurry. My tutoring session took far longer than expected and while I was happy to help a fellow student pass their classes with my assistance, I didn't enjoy having to stay late passed my free hour. Whenever this happened, I ran incredibly close to being late for my last class and with my perfect attendance on the line, it always made me antsy to say the least.

That's why when a voice rang out with my name, I was startled and just a little agitated; even if it was Gerald.

"Pheebs" Gerald said while approaching me at a fast pace as if in desperate need to talk with me.

"Hello Gerald, good to see you again," I said rapidly, the words pouring out of me faster than I could manage to think them. "But I'm afraid I am running late to my next class so I'll have to be—"

"Just give me a minute, okay?" His eyes were that of a puppy dog's and I couldn't help but give him at least a spare moment of my time.

I sighed and offered him a smile. "Yes Gerald?"

This sent him into a panic almost; his words rushed as if he might miss me though I was going nowhere. "Sorry, it's just, well, Pheebs," he began before letting out a big breath and starting again. "I owe you an apology, and a pretty big one at that."

I furrowed my brows in confusion as to what he was rambling about. "Apologize to me for what?"

Gerald sighed, his hands shoving deep into his pockets as he talked. "For not being Gerald—for not being the real me. I faked my knowledge about foreign films—" something I already had figured out for myself, "—I really just stayed up all night reading the summaries online and I forced my family to be somebody they're not all in hopes of impressing you." He took a deep breath as I watched him intently, my eyes refusing to leave his.

What made him apologize all of a sudden? Why to me now just before the day was over and not tomorrow in English class when it would be much simpler to do so? Whatever it was he believed he was doing, it was very important and I nodded my head to reassure him I was listening to his every scrambled word.

"It's just that-that," he stuttered before gaining control of himself and pressing onward, "I'm not SMART like you. I'm good at sports and music and that's about it." I opened my mouth to correct him, but he was on a roll and I couldn't get a word in edgewise. "We're two fish from different ponds, but just because we are doesn't mean we can't swim…together."

I watched him attentively as the warning bell alarmed signaling it was time to move on to my final class, however, Gerald's words had me frozen in place. I was smart, yes, but when it came to matters of the heart I was baffled and had no idea how to proceed in such situations.

Unfortunately for me, this was one of those situations.

Finally, after thinking over Gerald's motives for apologizing so suddenly, I spoke. "I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say, Gerald," I managed, though deep inside I was pretty sure I knew just what it was he was asking of me.

Despite it all, he took a deep breath and exhaled before giving it one last try—a big push for someone like Gerald who liked to keep his feelings to himself rather than expose them to people; especially people like me.

His words, however, surprised me.

"Look, I like you Pheebs," He began with a small smile on his face. "I like you a lot and I don't want some class hierarchy to ruin something I think could be great—and that's us." Us? Us as in him and me? Together as a pair or a couple at that? His eyes searched mine as he continued on, his mission nearly complete with the speed at which he was talking. "Who says Arnold and Helga are the only ones who get to be happy like that?" He blurted out and I found myself at a loss for words.

I supposed I'd never considered such a thing before, my own romantic happiness. At least not until recently.

Not until Gerald, that is.

As for Arnold and Helga, it seemed so easy for them. They weren't in many extracurriculars like Gerald and I were, and it wasn't difficult for them to carve out time for one another. Gerald and I on the other hand would have many obstacles and hurdles to get through if we were to pursue a relationship together. There would be many times we simply wouldn't have time for the other and many nights that we would go without speaking, other than in school that is.

However, it could be worth it. As he said previously, we could be great together the two of us. It was just a matter of how great and how worth the sacrifices we would have to make for each other would be.

"I don't know, Gerald," I said but something inside of me told me that I was aware of just what was going on between the two of us in the ever-dwindling hallway. A part of me knew exactly what was happening yet I was blind to it all and feared that I wanted to be blind to it.

Yet, a small part inside of me wanted this chance between the two of us to be real and wanted something out of the relationship we'd built and could continue to build given the right opportunity.

Could this really be the right moment for us? Had things really timed themselves out to the perfect prospect in which we could be together and not regret it for a second?

Gerald spoke then, tearing me from my own thoughts to say, "Just know that those things- " he said while pointing over his shoulder to nobody in particular, "-the cliques and 'way things work around here,' those things don't matter to me, alright? Those things mean absolutely nothing to me." He was trying hard, I could see that. Whatever or whomever had pushed him to do this was strong within him and he wasn't giving up—not this time. "The only thing that means anything to me," he insisted, "is YOU and that you're happy and that's something I really think I could do; if you'd let me that is."

The hallways grew emptier as Gerald awaited my response, though my eyes were wide with skepticism and fear—two feelings that made my head spin where I stood on the tiled ground. I couldn't muster up a response if my life depended on it. Sure, I would love to be with Gerald in a romantic way. He was funny and smart—in his own way, and not afraid of much of anything not to mention he was rather good-looking now that he'd surpassed the awkwardness of puberty, but something about the idea of a relationship frightened me. To be in one, one had to give up so many things; privacy, space, piece of mind in some occasions, but most of all one had to give up their own heart for the other and I wasn't sure how ready for that I was.

I was still focused on school and getting into a good one at that. I wanted to live a fantastical life the way I'd always dreamed—travelling, seeing the world and exploring all of its wonders. Yet, who was I to fight away the option of having someone to come with me on those expeditions? Even the option of having somebody there throughout the rest of school and possibly into that of college was rather appealing. So who was I to push somebody away who truly cared about me and could make me happy in a way I'd never known before?

Because Gerald could make me happy, I was sure of it. And in all honesty, that terrified me too.

I took too long to think however because it was just moments later that Gerald sighed and shook his head. "I just had to get that out there," he said, now self-consciously, "So YOU know."

With his final words said, he pivoted on his foot and turned around to walk away, his steps slow but deliberate. In a burst of spontaneity, I called out for him, my words shaky and unsure.

"Gerald, wh-where are you going?" I asked, him halting where he stood and turning around to face me from a few feet away.

"Class," he responded with a shrug. "I'm skipping it."

"You're skipping last period?" I asked in near shock though he didn't seem too surprised at my question.

I suppose I was a little predictable when it came to the rights and wrongs of the world, including high school.

"Well yeah, why not," he said before giving me a wicked grin. "I'm being, what's the word, impulsive."

Impulsive. That was something I had very little experience in. Most everything in my life was planned or chosen very strategically; not by sheer impulse. However, Helga was always telling me to do something random for once and perhaps this was just the thing to do.

But throw away my entire perfect attendance? For one impromptu 'date?' I couldn't believe I was even considering such a sporadic decision. On the one hand, it would certainly be interesting. I'd never skipped school before. Not to mention this could perhaps be the date that I had been waiting for with Gerald—with the real Gerald Johanssen -the one that made butterflies evoke inside of my stomach since before this year began; since before many things had begun.

Since before cliques and groups and all the other things that would want us far apart, I had had feelings for Gerald. That was something I was sure of. However, once being in middle school and high school, those feelings fell away as I began to focus solely on school—the one thing I was good at. It wasn't until this year when we had English together that those feelings began to emerge yet again and as hard as I might try, including as hard as Gerald may try even if it was unintentional, they weren't going away.

So did I go with him, or did I stay behind and live my life the way I'd always planned it to be? Should I follow that which I was told to do instead of taking chances and living life to its fullest potential?

Gerald remained staring at me from the Hallway as I stared back at him, ideas swarming my head. With the bite of my lip, I whispered out, "I'll come."

"You'll what?" He hollered across the hallway and I giggled at how loud he was.

Impulsively, I hollered back, "I'll come with!"

"You, you will? Really? Cause if you're pulling my leg, this isn't funny, Pheebs," he said with a raised brow and I shook my head opening my locker to deposit my books back for the day.

"No Gerald, I'll come," I said shutting my locker once again before facing him and offering him a grin all my own. "But, on one condition."

"Alright Miss Heyerdahl," he said pleased with where our conversation was headed, "and what would that condition be?"

"You take me out. On a date. A real date, not one that you think will impress me," I said bluntly, my impulsions taking over the best of me and all my good intentions. I was putting Gerald on the spot and waiting for him to deliver.

Which is just what he did.

Without taking any time at all to decide his answer, he said, "Deal. You ready to ditch this popsicle stand?"

I nodded my head and ran after him, the two of us running down the hallway with laughs emitting from our mouths like we never had before. It was almost euphoric to do something I hadn't been told to do. We sprinted down the hallway, hand in hand, rushing away from any hall guards who may be looking for those trying to skip out early. But that didn't matter to me for some odd reason. There was a rush filling my body and with it, I felt as though I were walking on cloud 9 for the first time—a feeling all people looked for in life I suppose.

Now, while I wasn't sure if it would last or not, I knew one thing and it was that Gerald had no intention of giving up on me. And if that were the case, then I knew I couldn't give up on him.

And that was something I had no aim of doing.

Well, that's it folks! thank you for tagging along this story from the beginning and those who came in just recently. means a lot to me for every read and even more for every review. So please, drop me a review and let me know what you have thought of this story and any favorite parts you may have. Please review and let me know!

until next time,

Polka