O.J.

by Penny Hawking

  "Look." He said in that low amazing voice of his. "Just leave me alone okay." He said.

  "What?" I whispered in shock. I had not been expecting that, nobody ever told me to leave them alone before.

  He didn't answer just turned back around and walked away.

  "Wait Andy." I said going after him. What the hell was going on here? "Wait I---what---why?" I asked.

  He ignored me.

  "Wait." I said. "You can't just say things like that, you have to---you have to give me an explanation or something." I said keeping up with him. "I mean to be honest, I don't think you have any reason to not want to befriend me. I never gave you any reason to not like me." I said. Shit I was nervous. I was going to start rambling. "I mean seriously Andy; I think that maybe we two have more in common than you think." I said. I didn’t really think that, but I wasn't going to say it. Matter-of-fact, I didn't even know why I kept insisting on this, but I started it and I couldn't damn well just stop without results. "I think that---

  "I have to go to class." Andy said cutting me off.

  I blinked several times and put up my index finger. Okay this boy just cut me off. "I wasn't done. Was I done? No sir, I don't think I was....in fact I have a lot more to say." I said

  Andy wasn't having any of it, as he simply entered a classroom. Ignoring me.

  I put my hands on my hips and looked around in disbelief. I gave a small laugh of shock. No he did not just--- Go after him.

  I smiled and walked into the classroom. Andy was heading to the back of the room. He dropped his bag on the floor and he sat in the chair in the back corner closest to the window.

  I rolled my shoulders back and walked towards him chin up, strolling as if I owned the whole world. Plan A is going into effect. No more Mr. Nice guy. I tried to make this easy for him, but he wasn’t budging. I needed him to do me a favor and it wasn’t going to work if he kept on ignoring me. I marched to his side of the table and stood next to him. He bent down and took out his infamous cow journal out of his beat up-ripped-held-by-safety pins bag. He looked at my legs. Too bad I had on black tights huh? I would like to point out I have nice legs, but he wouldn't be able to see them because he's such a jerk. His gaze slowly went up my body and landed on my face. I smirked. I should have worn something sexier, but hey it was getting cold outside.

  "Is anybody sitting next to you?" I asked nodding at the empty chair next to him at the table.

  He got over his shock of seeing me and turned to look at the chair next to him as though it had randomly appeared out of thin air. I slowly walked behind him and trailed a finger from the back of his left shoulder to his right and smoothly sat in the chair and grinned up at him.

  Andy stared straight ahead. He was twirling his pencil in his left hand rapidly. Oh so he was nervous huh? Well yeah try that. I scooted my chair as close to him as possible without quite sitting on his lap. I propped my elbow on the table and rested the side of my face on my palm as I stared at him. I had to hand it to him; he was pretty good at ignoring people. But he met his match because I was damn good at annoying people. I reached up and gently tugged his hair. He didn't even look in my direction.

  "So what class are we in?" I asked. Nothing, no acknowledgment, nothing to even say that I was sitting next to him and talking to him. Okay, okay that's fine, that's not a problem.

  "Hey Andy." I said softly running my index finger down the side of his neck. He jerked to that movement and moved his head away. I smiled. Oh so he was a man...gets them every time. I leaned my head closer to him. "Andy." I said smiling. God I was so annoying, if I was him I would slap me across the face. He had more patience then me that was for sure. "Andy." I said poking his side gently. "Andy." Poke. "Oh Andy." Poke. "Andy talk to me please." Poke. Poke. "Please, please, just say something." I tugged on his T-shirt. "Can we be friends please, please please." I whispered leaning into him. My lips were close to his ears. I purposely pressed my breasts against his arm. Hey it wasn't a lot to go with, but guys and breasts, I'll never understand.

  For anybody looking at us. It would look as if I was his girlfriend whispering sexual things in his ear, the way I was up against him. He must have been embarrassed because he lowered his head, his bangs falling in front of his face.

  "Stop it." He whispered. He leaned away from me. But I wrapped my arms around his shoulder. Man somebody should shoot me for the way I was acting, but it was fun. I was enjoying myself because it was making him so uncomfortable.

  "Andy baby." I said loudly. Try that.

  He froze as a hush fell in the classroom. There weren't a lot of people because there was still about 10 minutes before class started, but there was enough to cause a commotion. I buried my head in his neck. "You smell so good." I said sexily.

  “Stop it Ornelia.” He whispered trying to pull away. He looked around uncomfortably to see if anybody was watching us, but of course they were. I always drew attention. I could hear some of his classmates whispering to each other in confusion, while eyeing us.

  I grinned. He said my name! And it sounded so sexy, Progress! “But you’re just so cute.” I whined. I squeezed the side of his mouth together. I made sure not to touch his lip ring, in case it hurt him or something. His face was priceless. I don’t think he ever expected me to do anything like that.

  I smiled as I leaned my face closer to him. “Boujoo boujoo boujoo…” I said imitating baby talk. Andy brought his hand up to his mouth and put his hand over mine. He pulled my hand off him. I laughed softly. He really was cute….in a weird way.

  I heard coughing. "Uh...O.J..?" Somebody said uncertainly.

  I turned my head to the person who interrupted my fun. "Oh hey Zeus." I said happily. I kept my other arm around Andy's neck. He tried to move away without making it to obvious, but I wasn't budging. I leaned closer to him, any minute now I would practically be seating on his lap.

  "What are you doing?" He asked glancing at Andy. He turned back to me and gave me a confused look. He looked Andy up and down with a look that resembled pretty intense hatred. That was slightly shocking. Andy was looking down at his desk.

  "Minding my business...care to mind yours?" I said taking my arms off of Andy. I hated the way Zeus kept looking at him. It was unnerving and in a way demeaning. I was kind of surprised, I’d never seen Zeus act like that. I shifted uncomfortably, this wasn’t as fun as I had planned.

  “He’s your friend?” He asked slowly.

  “Yes.” I snapped back.

  Zeus glared.

  “And if you don’t mind you’re interrupting, Andy and I are busy.” I said placing my hand on Andy’s thigh. I wanted Zeus to leave, I know I made Andy uncomfortable but there was a weird tension between Zeus and Andy that just couldn’t be overlooked.

  “Well aren’t you a lucky guy Perth.” Zeus sneered at Andy. Andy didn’t respond. But the way his arms tensed up, I knew he’d heard Zeus. “Busy with O.J. huh?”

  I glared at Zeus. “Don’t you have something to do? Huh? I don’t know go juggle some balls or something.” That came out so wrong, I didn’t think before I said that.

  “Now O.J. we all know you’re the expert balls juggler.” Zeus said grinning finally tearing his attention off Andy.

  My mouth dropped open. No he didn’t just say that. I turned to Andy but he wasn’t looking at either of us. Zeus made me sound like some kind of whore. I reached over and hit his stomach. “You’re not funny.” I said.

  He laughed. “I’m just joking O.J.., chill.” He said flashing his sexy grin. God he was cute.

  I rolled my eyes. “You wish I was juggling your balls.” You see, you see my problem? I don’t know when to stop. I just keep going like a fucking popcorn machine.

  “It looks like me and Perth both.” Zeus said. “Right?” He asked addressing Andy again, the venom returning in his voice. “Hey Perth, I’m talking to you.” Zeus rolled his shoulders back, his arms taut as he stared Andy down.

  “Shut-up Zeus.” I said. This was turning bad. Wh
at the hell was going on? My sweet Italian soccer player was never this aggressive.

  “What?” Zeus asked not turning away from Andy. “I’m trying to have a friendly conversation with Perth.” He growled.

  “He just doesn’t feel like talking to you what the fuck? Back off.” I said angrily.

  Zeus scoffed at Andy, looking at the kid with such malice, I could feel it in my bones.

  “You’re a pussy.” Zeus told Andy blatantly, turning around and acknowledging the chuckles he got from the other students.

  I stood up and rolled my eyes. “Oh come on Zeus, I thought we told you to stop talking about things you’ve never encountered. You know damn well pussy isn’t in your vocabulary, unless you’re using it to describe your twelve cats.” I said.

  “Played!” One of the random football players shouted, which made the classroom burst out laughing.

  Zeus put his hands up. “Touché O.J.…touché.” His smile returning when he turned to me. The same easy going Zeus I knew. So what the fuck was his problem with Andy?

  I heard a chair scraping the floor and looked to find Andy getting up. “Where are you going?” I asked.

  He ignored me and made his way out the classroom amidst the looks and the snickers.

  I turned to Zeus. “You see what you did?” I accused.

  “Trust me, I’m doing you a favor. Perth needs to be locked away, the fucking creep.” Zeus clenched his jaws.

  I groaned and pushed back my chair as I followed Andy.

  “O.J.….O.J.” Zeus called after me, but I ignored him.

  I exited the classroom quickly and looked around. Where had he disappeared to so quickly?

  “Man where have you been? You left your stuff on the couch. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Nico said coming up behind me.

  I turned to him. “Have you seen Andy?” Shit…I fucked up.

  “What? No…O.J.., can you stop stalking that kid.” Nico asked annoyed.

  “I’m not stalking him.” I said defensively. It doesn’t seem like stalking to me.

  “Whatever, let’ just go.” He said taking my hand.

  “But---”

  “No buts O.J.., just drop it.” Nico said squeezing my hand.

  “I was making progress.” I muttered more to myself than to him. I let Nico lead me back to the computer lab where my stuff was. I had the urge to turn my head and I did. Thank God I did because Andy was leaning over the water fountain.

  “Wait I’ll be back.” I said taking my hand out of Nico’s hold.

  “O.J.….”

  “I’ll be back.” I said cutting him off. I jogged to the fountain so he wouldn’t disappear on me. “Are you okay?” I asked him. That experience in the classroom, was really unnerving.

  Andy stood up straight and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. I saw the annoyance in his eyes as soon as he saw me. He sighed. “You know stalking is illegal in all 50 states.” He said.

  I’m not stalking you! “I’m sorry.” I said, ignoring the urge to yell my thought at him. “I really am, back in the classroom, with Zeus I don’t know why he acted like that. He’s not that much of an asshole usually.” I said quickly.

  Andy looked at my silently as though trying to weigh his options. Whatever he was thinking, he just shrugged it off. “I don’t care, nothing I’m not used to.” He said. His gaze went from me to over my shoulder.

  Confused I turned around to follow his gaze to see Nico watching us. He had an expression on his face that I couldn’t explain. His eyes left Andy’s and fell on me. He gave me a warm smile and shrugged. I smiled and turned back to Andy.

  “Look---” I started.

  “I don’t think your boyfriend likes you talking to me, so you should probably---”

  “Boyfriend?” I said laughing as I pointed behind my back. “Nico is not my boyfriend.” I said laughing again. That was funny. Me and Nico…never, we were best friends.

  Andy gave me a skeptical look. “I gotta go to class. You should probably go to yours and leave me alone.”

  “You see the more you tell me to leave you alone…the more I’m not going to.” I said “I can’t.”

  “They put people like you in institutions.” He said softly.

  “I mean I just---I---what?” I said. Institutions? Oh…. “Like mental asylums?” I asked.

  He didn’t answer but I saw just the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. Oh a joke, he made a joke. A subtle and weird one, but it was a joke nonetheless.

  “Yeah…yeah whatever I’m not crazy.” I said folding my arms. It was weird. I had this weird feeling, how did this happen? “Well if wanting to be your friend is crazy then call me crazy.” I said jokingly

  Andy looked me over, his beautiful blue eyes meeting mine for a little longer than normal before he looked back down. “Crazy.” He muttered.

  I let out a gasp. I laughed. Oh so Andy has jokes. Shrugged. “Well it takes one to know one.” I know, I know so childish, so 1997.

  His mouth twitched and I could’ve sworn he was trying to hold back a smile. Wait a minute, what was going on? Were we holding an actual conversation? Were we flirting? It had an underlying of flirting. What was happening? After an awkward silence Andy moved away from the fountain. “I’m late, I gotta go.” He said walking away.

  “Wait, I thought we were connecting.” I said sadly as I turned to watch him walk away.

  He stopped. “What connection?” he asked.

  I have absolutely no idea. He had me stumped, I didn’t know what to say. “Ummm….”

  As if getting the answer he was waiting for, he resumed his walking. I have to stop him, I can’t just let him go like that. We got so far today, think, think, think…connection, connection---connect---

  “English.” I said quickly. I ran up in front of him and touched his shoulder. “English, we both speak English. Well I speak French too but, that’s beside the point. We have English in common.” I said. Man I’m so smart. Stick to the plan, this is probably the only time you’ll ever have again to talk to him, say it just do it. Plan A execute…. “And speaking of English.” I started again ignoring the dumb look he was giving me. “Since you’re really good at it, I was wondering if you could tutor me.” I said quickly.

  I swore Andy chocked back a laugh. I smiled knowing that I was at least entertaining him. I’ll keep going.

  “Well you’re Dr. Mauzzio’s favorite person and I’m like his least favorite person. You know the materials and I don’t. I was just wondering if you would go over them with me, because I have a hard time studying and concentrating, and your sister said you were really patient so…..” Slow down Ornelia, slow down you’re talking too fast. “So….could you tutor me in English 463?” I asked sweetly.

  Andy looked at me in disbelief.

  “I’m serious.” I said quickly. “I mean you’ve seen me in that class, it’s so embarrassing.”

  Andy chuckled and shook his head.

  Wait is he laughing at me?

  “Tutor you?” He asked smirking. “I really thought you were a little more original than that.” He said.

  “Wait what?” I said confused. What was he talking about? And did this boy just smirk at me? His expressions were sexy, did he know that?

  He sighed. “Look if this is your idea of confining me in a small space, so you can get to know me and we randomly, miraculously fall in love…just stop.” Andy said seriously.

  I had to stop my mouth from dropping open. Wha--what?—He---I…love...huh? “What?” I said giving him another confused look. “That never even crossed my mind. Yeah I want to get to know you and be your friend, but falling randomly miraculously in love.” I said biting back my laughter. I couldn’t as I chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that Andy, I’m not in love with you. I don’t fall in love.” I said honestly. Wait a minute---did he---He thought---. “Wait a minute….you thought I was in love with you? Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?” I asked in surprised.

  Hi
s look confirmed my thoughts.

  No way!

  This time I couldn’t hold it in as I burst out laughing. “Wow for somebody so quiet and weird, you’re really fucking cocky.” I said. I touched his arm. I tried to hold back my laugh, I really did, but it was hard.

  “Look Andy, I’ll admit you intrigue me. You have the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen in my life, and the fact that you don’t want to be my friend is what’s pushing me more for this friendship. You’re cool to me.” I said shrugging. “So if you’re my friend and I get help with the devil’s English class then it’s a win-win for me.” I said truthfully.