The Convention
Raven grimaced at the droplets of rain falling from the sky as she scurried into the massive building with a box of tote bags in her hand. The wind played with her hair before she stepped through the door and crossed into the indoor basketball court. She passed many booths as companies set up for the STEM convention. Her Converse shoes squeaked against the polished wooden floorboards as she moved through the aisles and aisles of booths. The hall smelled of old body odor, cleaning products, and the odd fleck of floral perfume. She stopped in her tracks with a frown, realizing she had gotten lost in the massive labyrinth. The rumble of voices, chairs scraping against the floor, and the rustling of people setting up booths was a thrum in her ears. She turned around as she looked for her club’s booth. As she scanned the area, she finally found it and heaved a sigh of relief. “Hey, Mom,” Raven said as she placed the tote bags on the table.
“Hey, sweetie!” her mom said, hanging up the last corner of the banner. “You are a big help! I’m just glad I don’t have to do this event alone this time.”
Raven looked down at her watch and pursed her lips, “When will your new co-worker be here? We practically set up the entire booth ourselves.” Exhaustion swept through her like the storm outside, moving across the sky as she rolled her taut shoulders.
“She should be here soon,” she said, stepping down from the trembling, precarious stool. She wiped the sweat from her brow and let out a long breath, “Oh,” she said, looking across the room, “There she is.”
A woman with dirty blonde hair, glasses, and a pencil skirt walked over. She was carrying a huge box of supplies. “Hi,” she said, smiling and putting the box down. “I’m so sorry I’m late. Took a little extra time getting my son out of the house today.” Her cheeks were splotched with pink like an artist’s palette, and her brows knit together as if she had been racing around.
Raven’s mom smiled, “Don’t worry. I know how that is.” She stepped over to Raven and said, “This is my daughter, Raven, by the way.” She said, looking at her daughter lovingly as she brushed her hair off her shoulder, “We all call her Rae.”
“Hi, Raven,” the woman said tentatively, “It’s so nice to meet you! Your mom talks about you all the time!”
“Good things, I hope,” Raven said, cracking a smile.
The woman laughed, “Of course! Nothing but the best.”
“Oh,” Raven’s mom said, “Her son will also be at the convention this week. It’s their first year here, so I told her you can help show him around.”
Raven smiled on the outside but was annoyed on the inside. She resisted the urge to slouch her shoulders and grumble, schooling her face into a pleasant, fake smile. Coming to the Annual STEM convention was a retreat for her, and now she had to help some guy around?
The woman smiled and said, “That would be great! I’m sure he would love to have a guide.” Looking back, her face lit up, “Here he is now.”
Raven glanced over her shoulder and saw a tall, blonde figure strolling towards them with the grace of a jungle cat. He was carrying a box in one hand, and a backpack was draped over his other shoulder. A letterman jacket hung on his broad frame, and he wore a wide, beaming smile across his face as he walked. His bright, blonde hair was disheveled from the rain, and his blue eyes met Raven’s as she struggled to come up with something to say.
“Hi,” he said with a smile, putting the box down and extending his hand. His smile seemed to come as easily as the waves to the shore. But, like waves, it could knock you off your feet. “I’m Austin. Nice to meet you.”
Raven shook his hand, surprised, recognizing that lazy smile right away, and thought, Not the school’s quarterback! “Hi, nice to meet you too,” she said skeptically, pressing her lips together. Was he playing games with her? Was it just a show in front of their parents to act as if they didn’t know each other?
Raven looked to her mother, “We’ll let you get to it then,” she turned to Austin, “Come on. I’ll show you around,” she explained, putting on a facade. Rain battered the windows as she traipsed towards the door, offering him a too-sweet smile.
As they exited the exhibit hall, Raven turned to Austin and flicked him a wave, noting where the bathrooms were so she could flee quickly. “Adios,” she quickened her pace, hastening for the bathroom.
“What?” Austin said, jogging up to her. “We just met! Aren’t you going to show me around?”
Raven turned back, quirking a brow. “Wait? That wasn’t a game? You seriously don’t recognize me?”
Austin’s jaw dropped, “Have we.....” he raised an eyebrow suggestively, “...you know?”
Raven felt her face get red, “Ugh!” she said, willing the heat to drain from her cheeks. “No! We go to the same school.”
Austin smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, really? To be fair, do you know everyone at our school?”
“We have three classes together,” Raven said through gritted teeth, shouldering past him and stalking down the hall. If only she could make it to her car, maybe she could get away from him.
Austin, of course, followed. His heavy footsteps only irritated her further. “That’s harder to explain,” Austin said, after taking time to think, “I’m a popular guy. I get a lot of attention.”
She rolled her eyes and drew to a stop, whirling around. “Oh, I know. You’re popular with all the girls at school,” she said, annoyed, narrowing her eyes.
Austin bit his lip and shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets, crimson creeping up his neck. “You don’t believe everything you hear? Do you?”
“You dated five different girls last year alone,” Raven replied, her voice feathered with judgment. “You must have little compassion for those girls if you can fly through them like a baboon in mating season. Or perhaps they soon learned your true colors?”
“I’m a teenage boy with raging hormones, and some of the girls at school are…” he paused, searching for the word.
“Easy?” Raven attempted to finish his sentence.
He smirked, licking his lips. “Susceptible.”
She tried to walk away, done with his false charms. The door was only a few feet away, and she’d rather the pattering rain down her face than talk to him any longer. But he pulled her back, “Oh, come on. I’m the quarterback. It comes with the territory.”
“Well, this isn’t your territory,” she pointed to her chest. “I will never step foot anywhere near your territory.”
“Never say never,” he said, stopping to stare and waggling his finger like a schoolteacher.
“Ugh!” Raven exclaimed, pushing him aside. She marched for the door and pushed it open. The winter storm howled in her face like a beast awakened from sleep. Rain fell sideways, thrown around by the wild wind. Dark clouds coated the sky like an angry ocean.
“Wait, Raven, wait!” he said, hastening after her.
She stopped, turning back to look at him and leaning against the door as the elements tugged at her hair. His eyes sparkled with intensity and something else that made her blush. Was it curiosity? Or did her attitude ignite a challenge in him? He took a step toward her, and she felt her heart pound in her chest. His cologne wafted past her nose, and her stomach clenched at the scent. An earthy, citrus smell, “What?” she said, throwing her hands up in resignation.
Austin pouted and tilted his head, clasping his hands together, which were calloused from years of playing football. “Please show me around. I promise to be on my best behavior,” he put his hand on his chest, “Scout’s honor.”
Raven’s eyes darted around the room as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. She clenched her jaw and audibly sighed before clicking her tongue in exasperation. Her brows furrowed under a mop of dark hair as she stared intently at Austin as if her eyes could bore holes through him. She was done with this conversation, and he knew it, but still, she held back. A promise to her mother had been made, and breaking it would come with a hefty explanation. She reluctantly replied, “Alright, fine. But know that I am barely tolerating this.”
“I’ll take what I can get,” Austin said with a grin, loosening his shoulders.
Raven closed the door, dampening the roar of the wind, and pulled out the brochure. “I’m going to the symposium on the road to a waste-free sustainable future in ballroom D2.”
“What’s that about?” Austin asked, blinking in confusion as if she just spoke another language.
“It’s about reducing the amount of waste we produce as a society and finding ways to recycle and reuse materials,” Raven said, handing him the brochure.
He looked at the brochure, raising his brows as if he were staring at a history quiz. “You’re supposed to have fun on winter break.”
“This is fun for me,” Raven said, bristling and sticking her chin out. “If you didn’t want to be here, you should have gone to the beach with the rest of the class,” she snatched the brochure back and stuffed it in her notebook, “Maybe you can do something at your own speed. Oh, I know, the zoo.”
“The zoo?” Austin smiled. “I didn’t realize you were a comedian.”
Raven’s amused grin flickered like a dying lightbulb when she spotted the flash of hurt behind his otherwise glimmering eyes.
Little did she know he skipped the beach trip for a reason. He didn’t enjoy himself last year. Drinking, dancing, sex, repeat. His life so far had been a vicious cycle of pretending to be someone else. Things had to change. His counselor advised him to surround himself with people with the same goals.
Goals. That wasn’t a concept he had thought about for most of his youth. He had gone home from the session with the counselor with slumped, tight shoulders. Could he steer himself in the right direction?
How else would a 4.0 student with his sights on entering college on the prestigious STEM scholarship continue on this trajectory without the proper support? But with popularity comes the snap judgment and unwanted attention. From a regular guy to stardom just by being the quarterback, fame was a slippery slope, and he had fallen before he could climb back. He didn’t know how to tell his friends that he was done coasting through life and wanted more himself. Instead, he hid behind a persona, the life of the party. It was easier that way. His mask was his comfort place. There was no room for vulnerability in high school.
He had faked an illness with his friends so he could be at the STEM convention. He didn’t feel like having girls fawn over him. The potent smell of vomit after drinking booze did make his stomach churn. Nor did he feel like enduring the judgment of the strange girl standing before him. Did she really think he was nothing but a two-dimensional cutout of a person? That could only mean others saw him through the same lens. The realization made his stomach clench.
