The Weight of You (and Me)

01

THE UNEXPECTED HELLO!

〰・♡・〰

Monday mornings. Always the loneliest.

She wasn't invisible, not exactly. At Agora High School, Keera Mendoza, with her curves and a laugh that could wake the dead, was hard to miss. But invisible when it came to the kind of attention she craved. The hand-holding-in-the-hallway, stolen-glance-across-the-cafeteria kind.

A sigh escaped her lips, fogging up the combination lock. Maybe it was the oversized graphic tee clinging to her stomach, or the floral skirt that whispered "frumpy" instead of "fun." Maybe it was just her. A question mark of a girl in a world obsessed with exclamation points.

"Lost in existential dread again, Mendoza?"

The voice startled her. She whipped around. There stood a boy from her English class, leaning against his locker, a curious look in his eyes.

He wasn't exactly popular, not in the stereotypical way. He wasn't a jock, a cheerleader, or part of any clique. He was quiet, with a worn backpack and a gaze that seemed to hold a hidden world behind it. He was also undeniably handsome, with a shock of unruly hair and eyes that held a kindness Keera couldn't quite define.

She managed a retort, "Just contemplating the mysteries of the universe," trying for nonchalance. He raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes.

They fell into a comfortable silence, a rarity for Keera in these halls. Maybe it was him, the way he didn't seem to flinch at her size, the way her clothes strained against the seams. Maybe it was just the way his presence, unexpected as it was, felt...different.

"You know," he began, pushing himself off the locker, "sometimes the universe throws you curveballs."

His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Before Keera could ask what he meant, the shrill of the first-period bell shattered the quiet.

"Later, Keera," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Maybe the universe will offer some answers in English class."

He walked away, leaving Keera staring after him, a knot of confusion blooming in her stomach. Was he flirting? Was it even possible? Could a boy like him, someone who seemed to exist on a different plane than the rest, ever see past the reflection staring back at her from the dented locker door?

The bell's shrill shriek ripped Keera from her thoughts. 

"Later, Keera," his voice echoed, and she realized she didn't even know his name.

"Wait!" she blurted, the word tumbling out before she could stop it.

He turned, his head tilted like a curious puppy, a single lock of hair falling across his forehead. "Yeah?"

"I, uh," Keera stammered, cheeks burning. "What's your name?"

A slow smile spread across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that made her breath hitch. "Joshua," he said, the name rolling off his tongue like warm honey. "Joshua Parker."

Before she could stammer out a reply, a gaggle of cheerleaders, all perfectly manicured smiles and impossibly short skirts, swarmed him. They shrieked his name, their laughter laced with a saccharine sweetness that made Keera want to gag.

Joshua, for his part, looked faintly uncomfortable, his smile strained at the edges. He managed a mumbled response, his eyes flicking towards Keera before he was swept away by the pink tide.

Keera stood there, feeling even more invisible than before. So, Joshua wasn't some quiet outcast after all. He was on the fringes, sure, but still managed to garner the attention of the most popular girls in school. The knot of confusion in her stomach tightened. Had she imagined the way his eyes had lingered on her? The unexpected comfort in his presence?