And indeed it was. I peeky-pooed around to realize that the school had become populated while I'd been sitting there, absentminded. Everyone was in matching t-shirts, some even in matching shorts though the temperature couldn't be over sixty. Mike was coming at me in shorts and a shirt, waving.
"Hey, Mike," I called, waving back, unable to be half-hearted on a morning like this.173
He came and sat by me, the tidy spikes of his hair shining golden in the light, his blue eyes sparkling in the shine reflecting off his hair, and his grin absorbing the light refracting off both, stretching all the way across his big face. He was so delighted to see me, I couldn't help but feel gratified.
"Despite all the time I've spent looking at you," he began, moving closer. "I never noticed before—your hair has red in it," he commented, catching between his fingers a strand that was fluttering in the light breeze.
"You're touching me," I reminded him, my patience growing thin despite how flattered I was that Mike seemed to still love me.
"Great day, isn't it?
"My kind of day," I agreed.
"What did you do yesterday?" His tone was just a bit too proprietary.
"I mostly worked on my essay." I didn't add that I was finished with it—no need to sound smug. "And I browsed the Internets a little bit. I got some really interesting pop-ups."
He hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. "I'd love to come over and browse the Internets with you," he began, obviously missing that I hadn't said anything where I invited him anywhere. "But I have to work on my essay too. That's due Thursday, right?"
"Um, Wednesday I think."
"Wednesday?" He frowned. "What day is it?"
"It's Tuesday," I said.
"I think it's Monday, Bella," Mike said, leaning over to take a look at my watch. "Bella, I'm going to call my dad and ask." There was a pause. "Hey dad? Yeah, hey, I'm fine. Yep, I'm at school, no flat tires or anything. No, no, I didn't forget my lunch... Haha! Yeah!... So I'm calling because I'm sitting here with the beautiful Ms. Bella Duck, the Chief's daughter from Arizona, and she's telling me that today is Tuesday. It's clearly Monday, right dad? ... Yep. Yep, I knew it. Yep, I'm totally gonna make her suck my dick... Yep. See ya later!"
He hung up and turned back to me. "What are you writing your essay on?"
"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic."
173. The sun inspired Bella to tap into her empathy-reserves.