Outer Banks Imagines

Midsummer Dreams (Part One) | Pope Heyward

Word Count: 3.0 K
Pope's POV

She's sitting in the corner, slumped in her desk and eyes frantically scanning the room. I don't know why, but today is worse for her than it usually is. And it makes me want to ask her what's wrong, go sit with her and talk to her.

I glance back at my friends and chew on my lip anxiously. I can't imagine how they would react to me going to go sit with a Kook.

I decide that, fuck it, she looks like she needs a friend, someone to sit with, and I'll be that person for her. No one has ever made an effort to sit with her or talk to her, so I'll do it.

I start packing up my things and gather them into my arms, ignoring the weird looks my friends give me, and walk straight over to her. "Hey." I greet, setting down my bag and sitting, getting all of my things for class out. She glances up at me, wide-eyed and confused.

"What are you doing?" She asks quietly.

"Sitting with you. What does it look like?" I ask teasingly. "I'm Pope, by the way." I introduce myself.

"I know who you are. But why are you sitting with me?" Her voice is so quiet that if I wasn't sitting so close to her, I wouldn't be able to hear her. "None of the Pogues ever talk to me, so why would you?" She glances around the room nervously, chewing aggressively on her bottom lip.

"Because I've wanted to talk to you for a while now, and I decided I was going to do it today." I lower my voice as the class starts, taking notes as I talk to her. "You seem like a nice girl, and I want to get to know you. Is that so bad?" I ask, glancing over at her.

She lays her arms down on her desk, resting her chin on them. "I appreciate the gesture, but it's not necessary. I'm fine on my own."

I shake my head. "Well, Y/N, you're going to have to deal with me." I tell her with a smile, leaning back in my seat and focusing on taking notes.

"You're impossible." I hear her mutter and smile to myself. I may not know her well, but I was honest when I said I want to get to know her.

. . . . .

After class, I silently follow Y/N to her next class, which she also happens to have with me. Fortunately for her, the class is trigonometry and today is a day to work on our worksheets in class, and I don't plan on working today. I plan to learn about the girl I've been wondering about for years now.

I quickly take the seat beside her, and she shoots me a glare. "Can you leave me alone?" I would think she's upset, but her eyes show this vulnerability, this anxiety.

"No can do. I told you, I want to get to know you, and what other time will be more perfect than right now?"

"Pope, please. Talking to other people in general makes me uncomfortable, and talking about myself is unbearable. Please just leave." Her eyes are wide, and she looks like she's about to freak out. "Please." Her eyes are glistening, and her breathing is shallow, and it dawns on me. No wonder.

"Y/N, I—"

She doesn't give me a chance to finish what I was saying, because she grabs her bag and sprints out of the room, almost running into JJ on the way, who looks from her to me confusedly. He quickly walks over as the bell rings and sits in Y/N's now-unoccupied seat.

"What the hell was that?"

"I think she's having an anxiety attack." I admit with a frown. Why didn't she just say that?

She did, dumbass.

JJ's brows furrow in confusion. "I didn't know she had anxiety attacks. Wait—doesn't your dad do the deliveries or whatever for her parents? How did you not know this?"