sea of bodies forced itself down the old school corridor. People trying to stand and talk caused compressions, and where others pushed forward peoples feet could almost be seen between the mess of heads and bags. in the lea of a large glass trophy case stood a young boy, slightly out of breath after trying to fight his way through the oncoming tide of humanity, and now just nervously checking the heads as they rushed past. He flicked back his fringe with one hand, then straightened his glasses. People poured slowly from each classroom, some forcing themselves in a certain direction, others just following the flow, and trying to stay upright in the crush. From the small space just behind a glass cabinet stood the boy, alert.

His eyes locked on a face in the crowd and he raised himself on his toes in order to follow the figure, then he darted out. jumping between tiny gaps in the crowd, and pushing though even smaller ones, until he was beside the person he had spied.

She was just taller than him, slightly tanned complexion with dark hair and deep blue eyes. He had found out from a friend that her name was June. "Sam and June. It’s got a ring to it." he thought to himself as he tapped her on the shoulder. "Hi!" he exclaimed in a slightly crushed voice as she turned.
"Oh god, not you again." Came the less than ecstatic reply. A friend walking on the other side of her glanced at Sam and began to giggle. June gave her friend a steel stare that informed her this wasn’t funny.
"I just wandered if you’d like to go out sometime" ventured the boy. half his mind on the girl beside him, the other on trying to stay upright.
"You asked me that yesterday" came tired reply.
"Yes" admitted Sam.
"And the day before."
"Yes."
"What was my answer then?" she enquired icily.
"No." he said slightly crestfallen.
"Exactly. So why ask again?"
"I thought you might have changed your mind"
"NO!" snapped the girl now short on temper as this routine had been going on now for two weeks.
"Oh" whispered the Sam to himself.
"Now go home and leave me alone you little geek" The girl tried to turn her back on him in the crowd. He followed her as the throng whisked them along.
"I think it’s quite cute, him asking so many times" he heard her friend say "You think so?? then YOU go out with him" hissed June
"No way" giggled her friend turning and glancing at the trailing boy.

The artificial lights of the hall way were replaced with the warm rays of the sun as the torrent of bodies burst from the wide wooden doors. Sam let himself fall behind the two girls as he watched them walk out of vision. He knew where they went, he’d already checked. "A prospective boyfriend should know these Things" he had reasoned. He turned at the sound of laughter and saw a friend of his who was now trying desperately, and unsuccessfully, to look like it wasn’t him.
"What’s funny" asked Sam, already aware of the answer.
"Better luck next time" blurted the other turning and walking off in a fit of hysterics.
Sam turned for home, trying to ignore the giggles as they faded behind him. He turned onto a side street and stopped for a second. He took a tissue from his jacket pocket, dabbed his eyes and blew his nose. "Hay fever" he said to a world that didn’t care either way. He jammed the tissue back into his pocket and continued his walk.

His mind wandered back to the conversation. "Geek" he thought bitterly, then a thought struck him. The other day she cam called him a "weasily little geek", and the day before an "annoying little moron." "Geek" was definitely an improvement. Perhaps tomorrow would be different. Perhaps tomorrow she would even say yes. He smiled slightly and wound his way back home.

A few streets away and heading in the opposite direction a dark haired girl turned to her friend and said "If he asks me one more time, I’m going to punch Him."