The boardwalk was almost desolate except for my friends and a few old people. We were walking home from school and took a detour to the lake.
A chilly breeze blew in the late October and the currents in the water rushed around. I pulled the sleeves of my sweatshirt tighter and was thankful I had worn my jogger sweatpants today.
"Corrine! Catch!" My friends; Toby, Morgan, Jessica, and Leon kept walking, and Morgan threw the volleyball at me. I caught it with quick reflexes and spun it on my finger.
"Fancy volleyball players," Leon teased.
"You play basketball. Isn't spinning a ball on your finger something you do as well?" Jessica said.
I zoned out from their conversation and looked around. I spotted a group of boys messing around and throwing a tennis ball between them. There was four of them. When I looked closer, I realized I knew them.
Well, I knew two of them.
"Andre? Devon?" I asked and walked over.
They turned to face me.
"Hey I know you!" Andre exclaimed, "You sat behind me in Spanish class in middle school and we talked about the clock that slowed time!"
"Spanish class is all you remember me from? I was in your class from second grade to eighth grade. There was fifteen of us, Andre," I said.
"Of course I remember you from all that. Your Corrine," Andre said.
"It's good to see you," I said.
"Yeah, it's been like three years since Devon and I have seen anyone from middle school," Andre nodded.
I forgot it had been that long. Honestly I was surprised he remembered that Spanish class thing. It ticked us off that that clock really did seem to slow time. (I'm sorry but the pun had to be made.)
I turned and looked at my friends who had come to my side. I introduced them and Andre and Devon introduced their friends.
"Well we'll see you round hopefully," I said and we walked away.
That encounter was quite awkward.
When I got home that night I went and tried to find them on Instagram and holy crap Andre had gotten a lot cuter. I hadn't really looked at him earlier, but now that I was paying attention, I noticed so much more. His light Haitian skin glowed and his curly hair made him look almost adorable. He was definitely taller then when we were in eighth grade and not as lanky.
I felt a blush creep to my cheeks.
Ugh gross.
I slapped the blush away, trying to snap myself out of it.
It'll never happen, I had to tell myself, he's so out of your league it's unreal!
I sighed and threw my phone down onto my bed, flopping down beside it. I was being ridiculous. Just forget about him. You haven't seen him in years. I can hardly say I know him anymore.
Just forget him.
I tried.
And I did.
Until my volleyball game against the school he goes to. I guess he came to support his school?
It doesn't matter.
He came.
He was there.
He watched me.
I liked the way when I looked at him after each time I crushed the ball on a spike or I dove for a ball, he looked so impressed with a poker face like nonother.
He came up to me after the game.
"Hey Corrine, nice game," He said.
"Thanks. It's cool you're here. Does your girlfriend play?" I asked.
"Oh, no, I don't have a girlfriend. Just watching a friend. Your team totally crushed our girls by the way," Andre said.
"Yeah. I guess we kind of did. Tell your friend I said sorry but that's sports," I smirked.
"You are just like ever," Andre laughed, "A competitive, sarcastic, funny person."
"Hey that's why my friends like me right?" I joked.
"Not the only reason people like you," Andre smiled. I blushed. Oh stop it self.
"Um, hey, do you want to hang out some time?" Andre asked suddenly. I looked at him, "Uh, sure."
I must've sounded like an idiot.
"Cool. See you around, Corrine," Andre waved and walked away.
"Yup," I sighed. That was even more awkward then our first encounter!
"Ooh, look its lover boy," Jessica and Megan creeped up behind me. I blushed again.
"What? No way. He's a friend," I insisted.
"A very cute one. If you're not going to date him, I certainly will," Megan smirked.
"No you won't. He's not your type," Jessica mocked.
"Oh I totally would, but Corrine has marked him as her chase," Megan said in a coy voice.
"Ew! That's disgusting!" I shrieked. Jessica and Megan laughed at my discomfort.
"Oh please. Grow up," Jessica said.
"Noooo. Boys have cooties and they always will," I told them.
"Not this boy," Megan said.
"Please stop. I'm begging you. And anyway you didn't know him in middle school. He was a total pain in the ass. My mom did not like him," I told the girls.
"That was then. Plus, he totally likes you," Jessica insisted.
"And how, do tell, do you know that?" I asked.
Oh gods Andre likes me? Second grade dream come true!
"Well he said he said that you being funny or whatever wasn't the only reason people liked you, and he totally blushed when he said it," Jessica began.
"Meaning, people-like him- also like you because you're hot and cute simultaneously, nice, and an incredible athlete. He likes you basically," Megan finished.
"Okay as much as I would love for that to be true because he do be hella cute and had a mega glow up since eighth grade, I just don't know," I shrugged.
"So you do admit that he's cute?" Jessica asked.
"And hot?" Megan added.
"Simultaneously," I nodded.
"Oh my gosh I am in love with this new ship! Andrine? Corre? I don't know. We'll have to work on your ship name more when you are cannon," Jessica shrugged.
"That's so weird. And 'when'? How do you know it'll be a when? I haven't seen him in forever and who's to say I'll ever see him again?"
"Uh, anyone with eyes? And a working brain? Plus he literally asked if you wanted to hangout," Megan said.
"Yeah whatever. I gotta go," I waved goodbye and walked quickly to my car. I drove home silently, thinking about Andre.
Stop it self. You're being stupid again.
When I went on Instagram that night, I saw that he had requested to follow me.
Shit.
I confirmed that he could and decided that was a pretty good reason to start following him.
Did I stalk his account?
Maybe.
There were a few pictures further down with a girl. She was gorgeous. I assumed she was an ex.
Why hadn't he deleted the posts then?
Maybe he never got around to it?
Oh gods maybe he still hopes he can date her again.
I huffed in frustration. I got to her account off a tagged post she was in. Ight, who was this bitch. No way was she gonna get back together with Andre. He's mine now.
Not technically. But he basically is.
I saw that he DMed me in the span of time in which I had been stalking his ex-girlfriend. All it said was "Again, good game today. Wanna hang out at the boardwalk tomorrow?"
My fingered hovered over the buttons for a moment.
"Sure. Sounds great." I replied. Oh gods that was awful! He had seen it so it wasn't like I could unsend it now!
"Cool. Is like two-ish cool?"
Aw. He used cool twice.
"Yup."
"Cool. See you then." I watched him reply. We both stayed active for a while. It was like a thing of "no you hang up first". Or that could have been my imagination and now he was just going through posts.
I sighed and closed the app. I texted Jessica and Megan and they both sent text messages that went something like thing: *sqeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!*
I laughed in spite of them.
Okay Andre. See you tomorrow. At two o'clock. It'll be cool.
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