Paper Boat
Jen settled herself in one of her favorite library seats, which was positioned next to an airy window. She proceeded to empty the contents of her bag onto the desktop, making way for her English essay.

She was sucking on her pen and flicking through a shakespeare plays book when something white and airy floated past her ear and landed gently on top of her paper. Dropping her pen in alarm, she peered at the object which was now quivering lightly in the breeze from the open window. Jennifer stretched out her hand and picked it up; it turned out to be a delicately folded paper crane.

Jen turned it about in her hands, and frowned at the words 'To Jennifer McAllister' scrawled across the paper crane's wings. The handwriting seemed somewhat familiar. She shifted slightly in her seat, stealing a glance around her. Sure enough, several rows behind her, a pair of blue eyes were peering surreptitiously in her direction over a thick encyclopedia. The eyes quickly disappeared behind the book when she darted her glance towards them.

Finding it hard to suppress a smile, Jen reverted her attention to the paper crane in her lap. She unfolded the tiny work of art gingerly, carefully smoothing the piece of paper out. Slowly, her eyes traced the single sentence scribbled on the slightly wrinkled paper. She caught her breath. She read the message again, a mingling sense of surprise and anxiety starting to well up inside her. Her hand went up to her hair instinctively as she tried to puzzle the whole thing out. She picked up her pen to write something back, paused midway with the point of her pen dangling precariously above the paper, and decided against it. She was very much aware of the pair of blue eyes still fixed intently on her back, and she felt her fingers twitch almost uncontrollably as she attempted to refold the paper into a simple boat.

Jen promptly went back to checking up on the shakespeare she was assigned to write about. She was determined to forget about the paper crane, and the message it brought to her, and the queer tingling sensation it seemed to trigger down her spine.

And now, pocketing her work (her essay had exceeded the required length limit by a satisfactory two pages) Jen stretched herself, feeling distinctly happy with her work. She unfolded her homework again, scanning the lines for some last-minute proofreading, when…

'I can't help but admire at the unrivalled efficiency and competency you exhibit with your work, McAllister.'

Jennifer jumped so violently that she upset her open bottle of diet coke, which spilled half its content onto her newly polished essay. Feeling the heat building up in her cheeks at remarkable speed, Jen pulled out a jumper from her bag in a great flurry and dabbed vigorously at the soggy paper in an exasperated attempt to repair the diabolical damage.

'Oh, I'm so sorry to have startled you, Miss McAllister. And I seemed to have ruined your immaculate assignment. How thoughtless of me. Here, let me help you…' The tall, blonde boy, who had seemed to materialize of nowhere behind Jen, bowed and drew out previously typed up homework. His arm brushed past Jen's face as he leant over to place it on the table and she was suddenly too aware of the fact that her ears were threatening to get even redder.

'Oh, no, it was clumsy of me! I mean, uh, it's got nothing to do with you, Alex I'm perfectly sure I can re write it! Its not ruined completely!' Jen spluttered in her great urge to refuse the boy's help, and she gave pulled her pencil case towards her so violently it tore her wet paper in half.

'Watch out, Jen, you might make matters worse if you stubbornly maintain your overexcited state.' Alexander's blue eyes twinkled as he gently took hold of Jen's hand and helped her pick up his assignment. Turning to look at her in the eye, he chuckled softly, 'It's shocking that you need help with accepting someone's help. But I thought that I wouldn't stand the look on your face if you get anything short of an A for once.'

Regaining her cool, Jen snatched her sodden essay from the table and stuffed it into her schoolbag. She was secretly hoping that he hadn't noticed the startling change in her complexion when he walked up behind her all of a sudden. She scratched at her ear absent-mindedly-his warm breath was making it tingle in the oddest of ways.

'Er, well?' Jen demanded in her loftiest, most detached manner. 'What is it you want this time? And stop sneaking up behind people, it's been downright creepy, I nearly had a heart attack!' The adamant line of her jaw was plainly intimating the fact that 'one more try, and you'll have Josh to deal with'.

'I never thought you'd have such vulnerable nerves…' Spotting the now deadly glint in the girl's eyes, Alex dutifully changed the topic. 'Seems as though you have a hand at origami too. Never dreamt of it…'

'Eh? Sorry?'

'That's some pretty amazing boat you have made.' Alex chuckled, (sarcastically, knowing alex) reaching out a hand to pick up the boat from the desktop. 'Means that the message is successfully delivered. So-' He took a deep breath, then pretended to be as casual as he could. 'What do you say?'

'What?' Jen tried to arrange her face into the most innocently ignorant expression she could possibly demonstrate.

'What I mean is, what is your reply to the message I just wrote you?' Alexander turned the paper boat in his palm, his gaze fixed on Jen's
face. 'Yea, or nay?'

'Huh?' Fearing that she might do something stupid if she uttered anything longer than one syllable, Jen persisted with her feat of maintaining a most sweetly ignorant countenance. All the while, she chose to fix her eyes on alexanders collar with immense care, feeling that it might aggravate matters if she dared a look into those intoxicatingly charming blue eyes.

Alex heaved a great sigh, and just a tinge of exasperation figured in his normally cool, measured voice. 'Are you going, or aren't you going to the cinema this weekend with me, Jen?'

Presumably it was the startling note of sincerity in his voice. Or that earnest look in his twinkling blueeyes (which chanced a glance at, naturally). Or presumably it was just the sheer registration of her name coming from his lips. Whatever.

Crash.

And Jennifer succeeded in knocking her bag flying and spilling the contents everywhere.

She was devoutly grateful that mrs fuhrman stormed into sight at exactly that moment, and muttering very incoherently under her breath, Jen shoved everything on the floor into her bag and bolted out of the library as fast as her legs could manage.

Having pacified the scandalized Mrs fuhrman, Alexander Hutchison made his way out of the library to find Jennifer.