the lake

[latin]

Margaret---

Ella was driving to her school while she hummed her favorite song: Something's Missing by Sheppard. She was driving into school right on time like usual. Parking into he normal space, she spotted her friends waiting on the bench near the entrance of her school, like always. Ella walked out of her car, pulling her bookbag over her shoulder and locked the car. As usual, she was stylishly dressed, and soon stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a particular boy.

[latin]

Stephen---

Stephen, as usual, was walking with his football buddies to class. He couldn't wait til afternoon practice because it was going to be the last practice before tomorrow, which was the ultimate football tournament in the county. He looked up to see a relatively pretty girl with pink hair, looking at him. He saw her face flush a bit and looked away. Why did she look so familiar, yet strange and different? He quickly shook the thought off and just thought it was a misunderstanding, or she liked him.

[latin]

Margaret---

Ella quickly looked away when she saw the boy look back at her. "Who is he?" She curiously peered at her friends, then looked at him in the corner of her eye. "Oh that's Stephen... He's like captain of the football team, but you know... Don't bother with him. Apparently he's from another school, and everyone thinks that he thinks that all the girls here aren't good enough for him," Lexi rolled her eyes, then she looked at me. "Oh I know that look. Do you like him or something?" She frowned, then shook her head and smiled again. "Look, let's head off to class."

[latin]

Stephen---

His first few classes were pretty disturbing, since he'd forgotten about Margaret, the mysterious girl who was staring at him. He tried his best to pay attention, but was disturbed by her constant glances. His lunch period came very soon. As he was walking with his books tucked under his arm, he saw the pink haired female who was talking with a policeman. "Please, tell me who it is..." He heard her plea. He suddenly stopped and stalled, pretending that he may have dropped something. "I'm sorry miss, but that is all I can tell you." With that, the cop rose and left, leaving the girl standing alone in the hallway.

[latin]

Margaret---

I could just about feel my eyes burning as the first tear rolled down my cheek. I missed him so much - more than the happy old folk I always used to see on their porches on Saturdays; more than the deceased cat my mom talked about having when she was younger; more than my siblings who were at college. I heard frantic footsteps and turned around to find Stephen. He stopped jogging and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. I quickly dabbed away my tears and confronted him. "Yea?" I mumbled, looking up to him.

[latin]

Stephen---

Seeing a tear roll down her cheek as she dabbed it away really hurt his heart. He stood there awkwardly, contemplating whatw as going on as of now. "Heey..." Stephen dragged on a bit. She started at him with a blank expression and then she spoke. "You're Stephen right?" He nodded and held out his hand. "I just heard you crying so I was wondering what was up." She didn't return his handshake but just nodded. He awkwardly stuffed his hands into his pocket and nervously walked away. "Oi, what was that?" Ben asked, one of his friends. "You look like you just saw a ghost," Stephen mumbled and walked into the cafeteria. As usual, they were the center of attention... They always were.

[latin]

Margaret---

It was an awkward encounter. Everyone knew that Stephen, the captain of the football team, was probably the most gorgeous guy, but Ella felt something different when she was talking with him. He had a familiar warming aura that she rarely ever felt with a stranger like him. She quickly shrugged it off and went to the restroom to freshen up.

When she came out, she hurriedly went to the lunchroom. While eating, her mind wandered elsewhere and she kept peering back at his table. "El, are you okay?" Luna, one of her friends, asked. "You seem to be off today." Lexi nodded on the other side of the table. "It's nothing. Just a lot's on my mind." She kept chewing on her food and eventually, lunch ended.

[latin]

Stephen---

--next day--
Like the day before, Stephen was distracted. As he drove into the school parking lot and parked in his usual spot, he heard a lot of talk about a thing called the "Junior Jazz". He got up to meet with his friends and immediately asked, "What's the Junior Jazz?" He asked the group as they started walking. "It's like the Freshmen Fair and the Sandy Sophomore Beach Party, yet you still ask this question every year," Ben shook his head and Stephen chuckled. "Except... I heard we have to volunteer at the Freshmen Fair... They're randomly distributing everyone at booths. Great. Hopefully I don't get stuck with someone I hate..." He went on and Stephen automatically stopped. "Wait, we have to volunteer?" "Yea, all after school activities are paused. The Freshmen Fair is tomorrow after school. Your first period will announce who will volunteer and you have to attend." Stephen heavily breathed in and out. "I know, that's a lot to take in," His friend, Bryan chimed in.

[latin]

Margaret---

Ella went around posting posters for the Junior Jazz. Being the Junior Student Council President was tiring. She barely had time for her own life. She also had to volunteer for the upcoming Freshmen Fair and the Junior Jazz was two days after. The bell rang for first period and she hurriedly put away the posters and the tape, then ran to first.

"So, of course, Miss Student Council President for the Junior year will be participating in the volunteering of the Freshmen Fair. The other participants will be..." She said the names and the said students groaned. Ella caught the name, "Stephen Strickland" and recalled the day before. She needed to ask about it, so hopefully them two were partners in running the same stall.