"Lisa!" I turned. A familiar face framed by bangs...Ryan. What did he want to do with me? He ran to catch up with me.

"Where are you going?" He asked, panting.

"H-home. Why?"

"Just wondering. May I walk with you? I am going in that direction that way anyway."

I blinked. "You know where I live?"

He grinned, flashing his teeth. It lit up his face. Suddenly, I knew I wanted to see that smile all the time. I managed to hear what he said. "Sure I do. Ben tells me every time we pass by your house. Now come on, he's not going to wait forever for me to come and help out with his project."

He started walking, and all I could do was follow him.

"So you walk home every day?"

"Yeah. There's no bus service."

"I see."

I looked up at him. "Why are you being so...nice?" 

My question was the only thing I could think of. He had brushed off me ever since I first met him, sometimes to the point of ignoring me. I had taken the hint and stayed away from him as far as possible.

He shrugged. "I realized I was wrong, ignoring you like that. I'm trying to start anew and be nice to everyone." He looked at me. "Will you forgive me?"

"Yes." My response surprised me. Shouldn't I hold a grudge? But grudges were tiring. I could feel my face relax into a smile.

"So what are you doing this weekend?"

"Not much. Homework. Maybe shopping at the grocery store with my parents. You?"

"Oh, nothing really. Maybe we could hang out together."

"That would be nice."

"Could I see your schedule?"

"Sure, wait." I fumbled with my bag, then pulled out the piece of paper I was looking for.

Ryan looked at it. "Hey, you have Mrs. Martin too?"

I laughed, the tension in my head dissolving. "Yeah, can you believe she assigned the essay for only three days? As if we have time."

"I know, we call her the Martian."

"Martian, huh."

"You know how she looks up at the ceiling when she speaks? It's like she talking to outerspace."

Giggles escaped my mouth. "It's so true!"

"I know." He grinned. "I pride in myself in coming up with that name."

I nudged him. "Ooh, look, it's Mr. Modest."

"Oh you know it's true. When you look up modest, my picture comes up as the definition."

I started to laugh as an image of a picture of him in the dictionary flashed in my mind.

Ryan continued. "In fact, I pride myself on having the smallest ego in the world."

"Riiiiight." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey look, we're at your house." He stopped and stood there.

I turned to him with a smile. "Thanks for walking with me.  Maybe I'll see you around."

He smiled. "See ya then, Lisa."

"Bye Ryan."

That night, when I went to sleep, there was a face that put a smile on my lips and let me dream.