The Fallen by Celia Thomson

eardrums….
    â€œHey! Chloe!”
    She finally looked up and realized that Alyec had been waving to her and calling her name for a few minutes. He ran down the hall to catch up with her.
    â€œSorry.” She shook her head. “Lost in thought.”
    â€œNo problem.” He looked her up and down. Suddenly Chloe was self-conscious about her second-day jeans and her Strokes T-shirt with the bleach hole. Even her undies were the last ones before the wash: nasty, unsexy thongs. “I tried IM-ing you last night, but you weren’t on.”
    Me? You were IM-ing
me,
you hunka hunka icebergy love?
He smiled at her, a little puzzled, a little expec-tandy. Chloe immediately began to come up with some non-ego-shattering lie she could tell him about why she wasn’t around that would keep him calm and interested, that would cut the conversation short and move them on to pleasanter topics.
    Then she noticed how close he was standing, very much in her space, looming over and looking down at her. Kind of obnoxious. like she was the kind of girl who
enjoyed
being loomed over by the sexiest guy in her class in the middle of the hall.
    â€œI had a date,” she answered, shrugging.
    â€œlike, a study date?”
    She almost laughed at his quick assumption. “No, a
date
date.” She turned and began walking to her next class.
    â€œWait, what?” He ran to catch up with her again. “Who?”
    â€œBrian. You don’t know him.”
    â€œDoes he go to Mary Prep?”
    A wicked gleam came into her eye. “No,” she answered casually. “He’s not in high school.”
    â€œKing, you are one hell of a tease.” He sighed.
    â€œTease?” She turned and faced him finally. “Uh, I don’t see anyone else making demands on my time.”
    â€œThat
is definitely teasing,” Alyec called after her when she walked away again. “If I understand English properly.”
    She waved
buh-bye
at him over her shoulder.
    Reflecting on the encounter later, Chloe had to admit she was thrilled with the way Alyec had no inclination to keep their little tête-à-tête silent. He was obviously after her, loudly, in the middle of the hall and didn’t seem to care if anyone—even Keira and her gang—heard him. The whole school now knew that Alyec Ilychovich wanted Chloe King.
    It was a nice feeling and made her feel even cozier with the cold day outside and her inside the thick-wood-and-velvet café, hands wrapped around a hot cider. Shesnuggled back into her seat, pretending to not see the microphone and spodight being set up in a corner.
    â€œHe-e-e-y!” Amy came in, looked around, waved to the people setting up, kiss-kissed them on their cheeks, and told them she would be with them in just a few minutes. Even though it was a little thing, Chloe was pleased that her friend cared enough to put off what was a fairly adoring crowd to spend time with her. Which did not stop Chloe from putting her hand up just in time to prevent Amy from air kissing her, too. There
were
limits.
The pretension ends here.
    â€œSo… what?
What?
What are all these things happening in the life of Chloe King?” Amy turned and screamed, “I’ll get a tea, over here, Earl Grey, with lemon!”
    â€œWell, first things first.” Chloe shifted back and forth uncomfortably. “What kind of tampons do you use?”
    Amy’s jaw dropped. “Oh my
God.
You finally got your
periodi”
    Chloe winced, trying to draw her hair down over her face. She felt the tips of her cheeks, right under her eyes, go hot and pink.
    â€œTell the entire world,” she mumbled.
    â€œOh. Uh, sorry. I’m just … amazed. And glad you’re, like, normal and stuff. No weird tumors or something.” Amy’s eyes went glassy. “You’re a woman! You’ve finally joined us in the cycle of life and—”
    â€œSave the goddess shit for