It's Always Been You

Chapter 1

Sasha

Sitting at the lunch table in the middle of the cafeteria, surrounded by my friends and other students trying to weasel their way into our group, was how every day went. Not to say I didn't like it but who's positive on Mondays anyway?

With only 4 more weeks of softball games, I was excited to be free after school. I turned to Claude, my best friend since first grade, and whispered into his ear. "I'll be back."

With that I stepped away from the table, a couple of eyes following me as I left through the heavy double doors.

The hallway was weirdly empty but I'm not complaining. It felt nice to finally be alone. To take a breath. I turn towards the computer rooms and walk while trailing my fingers on the walls. I know who I'm looking for. I know that she'll be there. Leah Nash. Most people at this school had no idea who she was, but she was impossible not to notice to me.

+++

The first time I saw her was at a basketball last year. I knew that the school had a newspaper and decided to find out who took the photos for it after the game. I wanted to ask if they had any good photos of me that they weren't using for the paper. But during the game I saw her, sitting in front of the bleachers with a camera and intently watching the game. We made eye contact and I swore the world crumbled behind me.

Not only was she extremely beautiful, but her gaze pulled me in. I couldn't help but let my eyes move across her face, inspecting her features. Travelling over the bridge of her nose, connecting the dots of her freckles across her pale skin. I noticed her lips, parted slightly in their plump and pink state. She stared at me, pools of light blue locking with wide eyes. Her dirty blonde hair framed her face perfectly, cascading down her cheekbones in thick waves. I'd never felt like that before. My palms became sweaty and I could feel my heart beating against my ribs.

My bliss didn't last long before a hard leather ball slammed into the back of my head. Within a second my brain switched back on and I continued the game. Maybe it was love at first sight or maybe I just thought she was hot. Whatever it was, I knew I had to see her again.

Immediately after the game, my mind was on her. She'd left as soon as it was over and I was trapped in a swarm of celebration. The game wasn't hard but winning our first game of the season was worth celebrating.

Claude pulled me into a hug as soon as he jumped over the railings. "Dude you're so good!" He exclaimed as he squeezed me between his arms.

"Claude! I can't-" I tried, gasping for air as my crushed my lungs.

"Shit sorry!" He let go, allowing me to take a deep breath.

"Hey, language." My father scolded, narrowing his eyes at Claude.

"Dad!" I ran into his arms.

He chuckled into my hair as he stumbled back slightly. "What's up kiddo? You did real good out there."

"So good!" Claude added on and punched me in the back. I rolled my eyes before pulling back from my dad and looking around. "Where's mom?"

"She had to take Ollie home, but I made sure to record the end for her." He sighed slightly.

My eyebrows furrowed slightly as worry started to build within me. "What happened? Is Ollie okay?"

To say I was overprotective of my little brother would be an understatement. My parents adopted him when I was seven, and I fell in love straight away. He's only eight, but after being diagnosed with vitiligo, he became very self-conscious about himself. I try my hardest to make him understand that he's perfectly fine-looking and that I think his white patches look quite cool. The problem comes with other people, thankfully most people are respectful, but every blue moon there'll be some douche who just has to say something. Whether it's pure curiosity or some weirdo who thinks it's cool to make fun of a child, any mention of it makes him really upset.