The Wind-Knocker

Jonny was a plain boy. He wore trousers like all the other boys. His hair was somewhere between sandy and the color of dirty dishwater. His eyes were a brownish hazel and he had a few freckles, but not enough to stand out. He wasn't the tallest, but he wasn't the shortest. He wasn't the fastest, or the funniest, or the loudest, but he wasn't slow or boorish or quiet. Jonny was just Jonny.

Marie was pure golden sunshine. She had the blondest hair and the greenest eyes. She was the most athletic and had not a single freckle. Her smile was the whitest and her clothes were the cutest. Her curls were the most bouncy and she was as clever as a kitten.

Jonny woke up feeling as he did every other day, walked to school and sat down in his chair that wasn't quite in the front and not really in the back either. 

Marie woke up in splendor and flounced to school to sit in her seat on the very front row. Then "Hello!"

And Jonny wasn't just Jonny anymore, he was the boy Marie spoke to. Jonny donned a halo as the school master marched in and began lessons. 

Jonny felt exceptional all day, and was confident enough to tell a new joke, everyone laughed and Jonny took a step higher. Jonny ran the fastest and aced the exam, he flew home and polished his newfound halo in the mirror, carefully laying it on his bed stand as he drifted off to dream about the girl that had changed his world.

Jonny woke up feeling especially special and skipped to school humming a cheery tune and took his place in the very center of the room. Marie swept in and this time "Hello!"

Jonny watched her eyes sweep past him and onto Sam. Jonny fell crushed as the schoolmaster marched in and began lessons.

A few people laughed at his joke, and Jonny dropped an unnoticeable step. He ran average speed and got a B- on his exam. Jonny walked home and realized he'd lost his precious halo sometime along the journey back. Now Jonny was just Jonny.