One of the More Interesting Days of High School

[alicex]

Merry Christmas! 

I tried writing something, feedback and thoughts would be greatly appreciated! probbaly will do a part two 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

On Friday and over the weekend, winter had kicked in, and there had been light snow and colder temperatures. Tuesday morning, I was in my parka and walking to school, the snow crunching under my step. I made my way through the halls to my first period and walked into English, choosing the last back row seat. In the four minutes we had before class began, I quickly did last night’s homework, scribbling bullshitted answers. The bell rang just as I finished. 

“Jonathan Bragg?” the teacher called for attendance.

“Here,” I mumbled. 

I tuned out until I heard Mr. Malez say the words, “Are you new to the school?”

New students are my favorite. For seven or more years, I’ve been going to school with a majority of the kids here. I found who he was talking to—the girl one row up and two seats to the right of me. Her tiny ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded.

“Morgan Veal, is it?" Another shake of her head. Mr. Malez started his lesson slideshow. I was mostly paying attention until the new girl started sniffing every few minutes, each one getting frequenter and wetter than the last. I told myself it was distracting and that I wasn’t the only one that couldn’t focus because of it. The bell rang and going out the door, I turned around briefly to see what the new girl looked like—  short, barely five foot, and pale. I headed off to my locker, slightly intrigued.

 

 

 

She was in my second period too. The teacher started talking and I, two rows behind her, was staring into space at the back of her camouflage sweatshirt. I was zoned out until the teacher told me she would be my lab partner for today. Of all days, my lab partner was absent. Granted, Kenny was always skipping. 

I unnecessarily cleared my throat when she stood up and started walking towards me. “I’m Jonathan,” I said.

Looking into my eyes- she had wide-set, hazel eyes- “Hi, I’m Morgan.” She gave a tiny smile.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Shit.

I broke the silence with, “So, uh, we’re just answering these questions from a lab we did last week.” I pointed at the laptops and added, “And um, don't worry, I can do the questions for us.” 

“We can split them. I’ve done this lab before."

“Oh, okay yeah sure.” Not the smoothest conversation. We started the questions in silence. The rest of the class was talking so it made it less- or maybe more- awkward. The sniffing resumed. I took a side glance at her, and she was rubbing her wide upturned nose from side to side. The tip of her nose was pink and her soft, oval nostrils were glistening. Shifting a little in my seat, I cleared my throat and said, “Where are you- uh- from?”

“I used to live about thirteen hours drive away from here, but we moved to be closer to my grandma.”

“It’s okay here, ya know. It’s kind of small town so it gets…boring sometimes.”

I looked over and realized she wasn’t listening. Her eyes were shut and she was pinching and massaging her damp nostrils. Morgan opened her eyes and kept her fingers clamped around her nose. “Sorry, I think I’m-ihhh! hhoh-god!” She rubbed harshly back and forth, her appendage growing rosier. “Mmmnn no-ohH g-heeehzz. Uuuuh-HNGTCHHH!” Her head launched forward into her lap, pinching her nose tightly. “HIIIINGTCH! HNNCHHTT!”  She lifted her head slowly and dropped her head. “Excuse me, haha.” She nervous laughed, and sniffed deeply.

“Oh, uh, bless you,” I stammered, slightly taken aback.

“I’m getting sick I think, I’ve been trying not to sneeze, but it's already so tickly.”

Oh geez was she actually talking about this?

“Don’t worry, I won’t get you siiih- huhhh…" She rubbed the underside of her nose harder and faster. “Sick. See?” She grinned, and then her facial features changed abruptly- her eyebrows raised, her eyes closed, and her nose scrunched, making her nostrils widen. Her jaw dropped and Morgan’s body tensed up. Her hands raised over her face, and she flew into her lap as she caught and painfully stifled her sneeze. “HHNGGT!” 

We resumed the silence. Every few minutes, her breath would hitch or she’d sniff but the sneezes had, to her relief, gotten under control. We were finishing up the questions in the last five minutes of class when I heard her say under her breath, "Dohh… oh no.. hhiihh..” Eyes fluterring shut, her hands were gripping the desk, and she was twitching and wriggling her nose. "Dihhh.... J-Jonathiihh-hiiiih! TIIHhh...TissuHhh-Huuuhh...hiiiii-" She gasped out heavily and breathily,  "Tissue!" 

I was torn. To risk missing this. I tore myself to quickly turn and lean over to grab the box. I turned back and held it to her, but she was far too occupied to notice. Her hands were still clenching the table, and she was facing down at her lap. She was vocally gasping, her body tensing with each sharp inhale. "HuuuUUOHH....HuuuohHHH....HHUUUIHHH......HHIiiiiiiAAAAAG-TTCHHEEEEEIIIIIIIII!"

The sneeze ripped through her, and she launched forwards, spraying the whole computer screen with a lot more than a light mist. Splatters drenched the screen and the keyboard. She opened her eyes and started fumbling. She was scrambling, trying to grab all her things and leave without another sneeze. 

 

Okay, I was totally hooked on the new girl.

 

 

[Alyssa1146]

Nice!  I can’t wait to see where this goes.  So much potential!  😀

[Jack]

Yes !! Wonderful. Continue please. I want to read more about her great sneezing attacks

[sneeze]

I love this already, and your descriptions of Morgan’s sneezes are nothing short of fantastic. Carry on!

[macrotwentytwo]

this is sweet