Love Beyond Scars

Chapter 2: Cinderella Lost her Shoe

Chapter 2: Cinderella Lost her Shoe

-Liam-

Darin leaned against the rough bark of the tree, his smug smile contrasting against the clear blue sky. Jaiden and I stood next to him, our eyes scanning the crowds of students who milled about on the campus lawn.

"How about that shorty standing under that tree?" Darin pointed towards a girl who was partially hidden by the shadow of the towering oak. "What do you guys think?"

Jaiden and I answered in unison, "Seven."

"Come on guys, she's at least a nine." Darin chuckled as he checked her out from a distance. "She's got all the right curves in all the right places. Okay, what about the brunette wearing the red heels over there? Man, she's definitely a ten!"

"Eight. She's hot and all, but blonde girls are more my type," Jaiden replied, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The sun beat down on us relentlessly, but we didn't mind. We had no classes that morning, and hanging around campus was as good a way to spend our time as any. And, if we were being honest, rating girls based on how hot they were was a pastime that never failed to entertain us, as horrible as that was.

"Blonde girls, huh?" Darin's grin took on a wicked edge. "You mean girls like Taliyah?"

Jaiden rolled his eyes, "You know, I'm not saying I hate you guys, but I often catch myself fantasizing about you being attacked by skunks in a jungle of lego bricks somewhere near a Justin Bieber concert."

Darin and I burst into laughter at Jaiden's sarcasm. But as the sound died down, my thoughts drifted back to the new girl. It had been a whole day since the incident on the stairs, and she still occupied my mind. I needed something to take my mind off her, and this method was just as effective as any other approach.

As we continued to rate girls, I couldn't help but replay that scene on the stairs over and over again in my head. Each time, my palms got sweaty, and my breaths became heavier. It was as if I had been struck by lightning. My mind was consumed by the image of her delicate face and the sound of her sweet voice. My heart raced at the mere thought of her, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing deep within my soul.

Suddenly, I was pulled back to reality as Jaiden's voice echoed through my mind, jolting me back to the present moment. "Thinking about your Cinderella?" he asked with a mischievous grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Reflexively, I responded without even thinking, "She's not my Cinderella." But the words had barely left my lips before I realized my mistake. Darin and Jaiden's heads snapped around so quickly that I half expected to hear the sound of their necks cracking.

"Not your Cinderella?" Jaiden exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.

"So you were thinking about her!" Darin chimed in, his own surprise evident on his face. "Dude, don't tell me you're whipped already!"

I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment as I tried to play it cool. "Pssh, no one's whipped, dude," I snorted, straightening my posture. "I just want to get to know her, that's all. It's no big deal, guys." I laughed and playfully slapped them both on the back, maybe a bit harder than I had intended to.

As we were in the middle of our bickering, I didn't notice the approach of two young women until it was too late. "What's no big deal?" a high-pitched voice asked from behind me.

Turning around, I was greeted by the sight of Taliyah and her friend Kaitlyn walking towards who immediately ran over to me, placing a kiss on my cheek. "Hi, Kaitlyn," I acknowledged her presence with a small nod as I took a step back.