Kat saw Billy leaning against his locker as she made her way to class Monday morning. His eyes lit up when he saw her coming. He beamed and waved. Kat felt her heart patter in her chest. Inside she bristled with excitement, but on the outside she restrained herself, and kept a calm exterior. She smiled and gave what she hoped was a laid-back wave, and then continued on to her Biology class.
Kat happily took her seat in the back row, setting her stack of books and notebooks down in front of her. As she was digging in her purse for her pen, with a confident smile, she caught a snippet of conversation from two girls in the front row.
"Why does Billy even like her?" one asked.
"I know!" her friend replied. "What is her name, Kat?"
"I think so."
"What does he see in her? Isn't her family like poor or something?"
"They have to be. Do you know where they live? Garden City."
Kat sank into her chair. They were right. What would Billy see in her. But she was pretty and cool. She was embarrassed that other people were talking about her being poor. What if Billy heard girls talk like that about her. She cringed. Would he buckle to the peer pressure of these girls? What if all his friends felt this way. She was never going to get a boyfriend like him. Why did they have to be so mean. Kat twisted in her seat, catching the eye of her girlfriend in the next row over.
"I guess that's me they're talking about?" she asked.
Her friend nodded.
"Yeah, they're not happy with you."
"Why are they mad at me?" Kat asked. Her friend gave a devilish grin.
"Because Billy McCray likes you!" she gushed.
"What's the big deal if he likes me?" Kat shrugged.
"The big deal is he's gorgeous, rich, and popular. And he likes you!"
Kat couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto her face. She had to admit to herself, she really liked Billy too. He had a gorgeous smile and eyes that pulled her right in. He'd been so fun to talk to. She liked his energy, his confidence, but not in a way that came across as arrogant.
She liked him and she was glad to hear that the feeling was mutual, but she doubted that a relationship between the two of them would ever work out.
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