The Visitors

Chapter 2

KAYLA-

I rushed out the school, still seething from what just happened. God today could just not get any worse. First this morning when 'Queen Bee' Taylor and her little minions, Jelena and Kristine, shoved up against me when they had passed making my books scatter everywhere in the hallway. Then as if fate just wanted to see me suffer, Caleb had been standing three feet away during the encounter. I wanted to fall through the floor when it happened. The first time he ever noticed me in years and it's during a moment of total embarrassment. And just to top of my perfect day, Kyle completely uses me and blackmails me. Ugh, he can be such a jerk sometimes. Plus now he knows I think about his best friend Caleb, which he's always suspected but never had any real evidence; which is completely humiliating. Caleb Ethan and my brother have been friends since kindergarten, so Caleb's been around my whole life. When we were younger, it was always the three of us. Playing tag out on our conjoining lawns, swimming in Caleb's pool or climbing the big oak tree that separated our two properties. But then it all stopped once we were in the 6th grade. Kyle no longer wanted me to tag along; to tell the truth I didn't mind not hanging around with them any more. I had already developed feelings for Caleb by then and it had started being awkward. Feelings which quickly developed to something more through the last few years. I knew without a doubt that I loved Caleb and he probably hasn't even thought about me since we were 12. I'm so pathetic. I needed to give up on any ideas I have about us, it's just stupid to be holding onto something that's never gonna happen. I shake my head trying to clear it of all thoughts about Caleb. I wasn't exactly paying attention so of course my clumsy self would bump into something. The impact knocked not only my glasses from my face but my books tumble once again to the floor. 'Great.' I crouch down and feel around on the sidewalk for my glasses. My hand brushed against something soft, warm and .....fleshy. It was a hand. I nearly screamed until I heard the person connected to the hand speak. I didn't need my glasses to know who that was; I would've recognized his voice anywhere.

"Hey Kayla," Caleb said amusement clear in his voice.

"Hi...Um..Do you see my glasses anywhere?" I said, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah here," he said while sliding the glasses onto my face, "Still just as blind as a bat I see."

"Yeah I guess. Only now I'm clumsy too, its not really a good combination." I say trying my hardest to lessen my humiliation. I didn't need a mirror to know that my face was as red as a tomato.

"Obviously! This is the second time today I've seen you drop your things. I'm starting to think you need to come with a warning sign or something," he joked laughing that beautiful laugh that sent butterflies swirling in my stomach.I smiled back.

"What would the sign say,'WARNING: Hazardous Person Coming Through. Watch Out for Falling Objects'" I joked back surprised I wasn't choking up in his presence like I normally do. His laugh in response was deep, hearty. It made me feel good that I made him laugh like that.

"Yeah, yeah something like that," his big brownish, greenish eyes stared into mine and for the faintest of seconds I thought about him kissing me. But since fate was just absolutely against me today someone from behind us called out Caleb's name; stealing his attention away from me. He quickly gathered up my books and handed them to me as we both rose to our feet.

"See you later Kay-Kay," he said as he loped over to the person who called him. Hearing him calling me my nickname sent shivers down my spine despite the humid South Carolina air. If he only knew. I sighed then continued down the sidewalk, walking the familiar route to the house I've lived in my whole life. I passed Miss. Winkles house on the way. The little old lady was bent over her small garden under her window. As I passed she looked up and smiled. I smiled back, seeing her was always the best part of my day. She's like a grandma to me.