Unaware

September to June flew by, and the next summer was over in the blink of an eye. Two months into eleventh grade, Tara re-entered my world with a confident stride. No longer was she a quiet glasses girl. Her wardrobe, her posture, her aura — beneath a new coat of paint was the headstrong girl from the night of the football game. The grumbling of her seat’s original occupant fell on deaf ears. After some back-and-forth, he moved to another spot. He, and the rest of our grade, learned that it was pointless to oppose the new Tara Robles. She stayed by my side for the rest of the year, whispering to me in class and trading solutions with me for practice questions. Once she chose a place for herself, there she stayed as she pleased.