you should know what you're falling for

twelve

Our entire grade sits in the audience of the auditorium, staring. More like scowling. We've certainly put an interesting twist to this meteorology presentation.

I feel my face flush and my legs act before my brain does. In three seconds flat, I'm up off the bench and bolting out the auditorium door. I hear Josh's voice behind me, but I don't stop. I keep running as fast as I can.

Being the jock he is, he catches up with me. To my surprise, he doesn't tell me to stop. Instead, he spins me to the left, changing my route, and we head down towards to chorus room, which is empty during the assembly, obviously. When I start to freak out, Josh hushes me and hoists me up on the piano.

It's weird to have someone lift me.

I haven't been lifted since Dad.

It feels good.

I giggle slightly, letting the little girl inside me who's been trapping within for years out, finally, after all this time. 

"Who cares what they think?" asks Josh, and I exclaim back,

"Not me!" and lean in for another kiss, feeling about ten years old again.
I listen to the sound of Josh's heavy breathing in my ears. That's the only sound that fills my ears.

A small whimper escapes my mouth and I can't help but smiling amidst the scene playing out right now. Finally, here is someone who actually sees the good in me. That almost-gone-and-practically-invisible good.

After a good ten minutes, I pull away from the make-out and glance around, tucking my hair behind my ears. 

"I think we should just tell people." Josh announces bravely. My hair is still a mess, probably from Josh's fingers tugging at it for the last few minutes. I plop down from my seat on the piano and grab Josh's hand.

He doesn't move from where he's been standing all along. 

"Um, you know we can't do that." I reply cautiously, pacing over to him slowly, 

"I can't deal with that pressure, the dirty looks."

An unreadable look passes over his face, but I decide to ignore it. 

"Oh, yeah, I, uh, forgot. We'll tell people it was a one time thing." stutters Josh. "What even happened back there?"

I make a face and drop his hand to the ground, "Your psychotic-ex is a little jealous."
Josh shakes his head, 

"No.. Sierra would never so that..."

I snort, "Trust me. I know what type of girl Sierra is. She pulled open those curtains."