Fay

A very short love story...again.

Fay

Mr. Baldwynn spoke in a low monotone voice as he sketch a formula for some quantum physics theory that nobody in the classroom understood. Steven Hawkings, maybe, if he were there. Chalk dust floated off the board and ignited like tiny snowflakes in a single beam of light coming from the only window facing the western setting sun.

Matt sat on the back row and center of the room. He wasn't too keen on making himself too visible to Mr. Baldwynn.

A tallish, blonde haired girl with pale blue eyes walked into the classroom.

She walked shyly in Matt's direction. She was wearing a black and white polka-dot dress that stopped about mid thigh. It was a fluffy sort of dress that revealed her legs, which were long and slender.

She wore pale white hosiery that drew Matt's attention.

The blouse section of the dress was anchored with a white collar. The sleeves were short, also outlined with cuffs of white.

She wore the slightest trace of pale blue eye shadow, and light pint lipstick.

The palish color of her skin probably indicated she didn't get out much.

Matt looked up and noticed her right away.

With one quick glance, he gathered as much detail about her as he could before quickly glancing back down at his class notes.

She sat next to him, and in a soft, almost angelic voice, asked.

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

Matt looked up from his notes and replied,

“No, no it's fine.”, then quickly refocused his attention to his desk.

He was shy around girls, especially the pretty ones. He feared stumbling over his own words. He worried about saying stupid things like,

“It's really nice weather we're having.” even though there might be a tornado raging just outside.

Matt was like that. He didn't date a lot because of it. His anxiety held him captive. Because of it he didn't develop any sort of personal relationship with members of the opposite sex.

It wasn't that he didn't like girls, he liked then just fine. It wasn't that he was unattractive, most girls found him adorable.

It's only that, well, he had become fearfully nervous around them.

Likely it was the result of that broken heart suffered last year.

She left him abruptly for someone else. He was truly in love, but, well, what was he to do about her cold heart?

He had wasted three years of his life for this girl, and for what?

So, here he was, entering his senior year, about to turn 22, single, and without any hope of romance in the foreseeable future.

The girl tapped Matt on his left shoulder,

“Do you understand any of this?”

Matt looked up and shook his head, “Only a fraction of it.”

“Hmm,” she said, “good, I thought it was just me. Physics is not one of my strong points.”

Matt smiled then refocused his gaze back to his notes.

She tapped on his shoulder again,

“I'm sorry for bothering you again, but...well, I'm Fay.”

Matt looked back up and nodded,

“Hello Fay.” then returned his gaze again to his desk.

“You don't talk much, do you?” she remarked.

Matt looked back at her again. He could feel the build up of anxiety churning around his gut.

Maybe, and quite painfully, he might be forced to have an actual conversation with some girl he'd didn't know.

Somehow she sensed it too. His uncomfortable mannerisms , the grimace on his face, and all the telltale signs of someone in distress were there, out for all to see.

She looked at him and giggled,

“Don't worry, I don't bite actually...not too much anyway.”

Somehow Matt found a way to smile again.

He replied rather awkwardly, and in a broken manner,

“Well, a bite wouldn't be too bad, I don't suppose, as long as there's no blood, or anything like that.”

Fay smiled and giggled again,

“You know, I've seen you around. You're always alone, except when you're hanging out with your track buddies.”

She leaned back in her desk and crossed her arms,

“But I never see you with a girl.

You're not, you know...”

Matt shook his head vigorously,

“No. no, I'm not...you know, like that.”

Mr. Baldwynn gazed at Matt and Fay with a look of disapproval. Their conversation was interrupting his class.

“Would you two care to share some hidden secret of the universe with our class, or may I continue to explain why molecules react the way they do?”

“By all means Mr. Baldwynn, continue on.” Fay replied somewhat snidely.

She was about to say something else when Matt shushed her to keep quiet.

She leaned over and whispered,

“We'll talk after class, okay?”

Matt nervously nodded in agreement.

Part Two

So, what do we need to know about Fay, that she was a hardened introvert quickly escaping from her shell, that for the past two years she secretly had a crush on Matt, that she accidentally on purpose bumped into him in the library in an attempted accidental meeting, that she hated the snow, but lived in Connecticut, that she owned a lime, green American Motors Gremlin and loved it, that she liked some heavy metal music, but preferred The Carpenters, that she loved surfing, but had never tried it, that her father was a chemist and her mother a high school science teacher, that she had never been drunk, didn't use foul language, and had never smoked?

What else, what else do we need to know?

Lots.

For one, she had never been in love.

Her freshman year she was, for the first time in her life, away from the security of her home and friends. She was alone and lonely.

But as for the last two years she had developed a more outwardly, and slightly more aggressive type A personality. It allowed her to be more outspoken, which led her to Matt, on the back row, and to the center of Mr.Baldwynn's class.

Fay led Matt to the hallway when class was dismissed. She turned and faced him.

She had waited two years for this moment. Time was running short. They would both be graduating this year so it was now or never, she thought.

“So Matt, what's your story?”

He looked at her curiously, “You know my name?”

She put her hand across her mouth and mumbled,

“Yeah, you told me so, remember?”

“No I didn't,” Matt replied.

Fay stumbled over her words,

“You...you didn't? Are you sure? Maybe I just made a lucky guess.”

“Nope, I don't believe you. Nobody gets that lucky on the first try.” Matt answered.

“Hmm,” Fay swayed back and forth nervously. She was like a little child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Well, maybe I heard somebody mention your name somewhere.”

Fay was generally an honest person, so making up these little lies was not easy.

Her face became flushed red.

“Are you okay?” asked Matt, “You look a little odd.”

Matt was surprising himself. He had been speaking to a girl for five minutes and hadn't said anything exceptionally stupid, unless you considered his comment about her looking a bit odd. But that was more in reference to her physical condition rather than something else.

“Okay,” she grimaced, “The truth is, I've been secretly stalking you. I found out your name from some friends of mine.”

“Oh,” Matt replied, “Are you dangerous, like with, knives and axes?”

She looked at him and laughed,

“No, I just wanted to meet you, that's all.”

Matt rubbed his chin,

“Okay. It's beautiful weather out today.”

Fay looked at Matt and laughed again,

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said. “I was just testing to see if you'd run away.”

“Oh,” Fay said as she shuffled from side to side again, “Do you want me to leave. I can if you want.”

“No,” Matt said.

They turned and walked down the hallway,

“So,” Fay asked, “What really is the deal with you and girls? Why don't I ever see you with one?”

“It's a long story,” Matt replied.

“I've got time,” she said.

Matt smiled. He felt almost normal again.

The End

Oh, you ask, what ever happened to Matt and Fay.

Two months after graduation Fay ran off to New York with some lawyer guy.

They never married. Two years later she moved back home to Connecticut and started her own pharmaceutical company. She became a very rich woman. She never married and, sadly, never learned to surf.

Matt founded a Fitness center on the island of Aruba. He established the first senior citizens fitness program to help support and increasingly aging population. Later he formed the first Aruban running club The Shark Runners.

He met and married a local girl and they had five children, three boys and two girls.

Sometimes on weekends he heads to the beach with his surfboard and wonders, “Did she ever learn to surf?”

Really, honestly, this time it is

THE END

And I bet you're glad too.

Author's Note

It's another old boy meets girl thing.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

This is a amazing tale. I fell in love with Fay myself. I liked the meeting and the conversation. I like the epic tales and I enjoyed the story. You create good characters and a excellent story line. Thank you my friend for sharing the outstanding story. I did enjoy.
Coyote