I stroll into honors physics just as the bell rings. Like always I see everyone in their seats and the teacher already halfway through the first slide on the powerpoint.  I take my seat at my lab table next to my lab partner, Marissa.
“Hey Mari” I drawl, trying to sound confident but probably failing miserably.
“Nice of you to show up.” She glares at me.
That’s her main expression, or a scowl and sometimes even an exasperated eyeroll. Her long, stick straight hair falls to her waist in a perfect ponytail. No hairs sticking out or bumpy, completely smooth. Her clothes are meticulously straight as if she takes hours to iron out every wrinkle. Her red, shiny flats match her belt exactly, and go perfectly with her deep blue jeans and dove gray sweater. The white collar and sleeves that stick out of the sweater along with the tortoise-shell glasses give her an intellectual look that most people would say counters her bottle blonde hair. Her white-blond hair is completely natural though, I’ve never seen her roots even a shade darker and I’ve been studying her for awhile. I’ve never seen anyone with hair that exact shade so I’m sure it’s natural. Besides she doesn’t care about what people think enough to dye her hair. Her face is refreshingly clear, no makeup. The deep red that taints her cheeks whenever I’m too brass is completely natural.  Light, cornsilk lashes frame her eyes, which are just big enough to almost overtake her pert nose and tight, frowning lips.  Realizing that I’m staring at her I turn away from those daggers of ice she’s shooting at me.
As I listen to the lecture I occasionally shoot her a glance and see her totally consumed with the new information we’re getting. Her ice-blue eyes lose the harshness that they usually possess. When the teacher asks a question she tentatively raises her hand, despite her coldness she’s still nervous around people. But when she says her answer there’s no shakiness, or tremor. When the teacher smiles at her response, she turns her head down towards her notebook again but I can see the wide smile that she tries to hide.  The teacher gives us a lab to do and we get started. Marissa starts immediately rattling off what we need to do while I watch her forehead scrunch in concentration. She gives me some orders and I do my best to do them with her scrutinizing my every move. She doesn’t say anything so I must have done everything right.
Walking into lunch later that day I see my friends sitting in the far corner. When I sit down I hear “Dude just get it together and ask her!” and I understand the topic immediately: Homecoming. They’ve been badgering me about who I’m going to ask for weeks. I said that I didn’t know yet but I had a certain someone in mind.  A certain someone who would never waste her time at something as trivial as homecoming. The object of my thoughts walks into the cafeteria talking to some boy I’ve seen her with before, he’s probably in the genius clique. Most of Marissa’s friends are. Her meticulous eyes glance around the room and my eyes catch hers. Seeing me watching she raises an eyebrow like “Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?”  My friend Brody’s voice breaks into my mind “Brittany was asking me if you had a date yet and I told her that you didn’t.”
“She’s cute.” Ryan adds.
When I don’t respond my other ‘friend’ chimes in.
“Maybe you could ask her?”Carson finally suggests.
While I’m trying to find a way to tell them that I’m not interested in asking anyone but Marissa she walks by. I wiggle my eyebrows at her and she rolls her eye and stalks off.
“There goes the ice queen.” Ryan mutters.
Confused I turn “What do you mean ice queen?”
“Oh you know because she’s such a spoiled brat.”
“Not to mention just weird. All she cares about is her homework.”
“Ugh what a waste of good looks.”
My rage is boiling inside me at my friends cruel words. They don’t know her at all, except for when Ryan asked her out last spring and she turned him down. My hand shakes as I reach for my gatorade. Then when I hear “She’s such a brat and she wonders why noone is into her. No amount of pretty makes up for an ugly personality.” I lose it.
I slam down my gatorade and snarl “She doesn’t have an ugly personality, you guys barely know her.”
I stand up and head straight to the podium in  the middle of the room and grab the microphone from the stand it’s in. I wipe the sweat off my forehead and open my mouth “Marissa? Ummm I’m just gonna be honest here… I’ve liked you for awhile” Seeing her jaw drop I continue “So will you give me the honor of taking you to homecoming?” There’s a silence while everyone in the room turns to look at her. She blushes the perfect shade of red at all the attention while I give her my beast smolder. With a roll of her eyes at my cockiness she mouths across the room at me “Fine.” But I can see the smile she’s trying to hide. With a proud smile I walk back to my table and say “Maybe she just wasn’t into your ugly personality Ryan.” I turn away from their gawking faces and head over to Marissa’s table. She looks surprised when I sit down next to her, but with a stern look she let’s me stay. Maybe I am taking an ice queen to homecoming. But I’m okay with it.