My Other Thirds

Chapter One (Grayson)

"See you in socials Keyan." I say over my shoulder as I leave English class. Keyan is my best friend. We live near each other and are always at each other's houses. He's a great friend and we literally know everything about each other, except one secret that he doesn't know. Ever since we went to camp Quadas together two summers ago, I started feeling different about him. I started noticing small details about him: the funny way his lips curl up whe he smiles, the cute sound of his laugh, how he fidgets with his fingers when he's nervous... I feel like being friends with him is just not enough for me. I want to be more- but I could never bring myself to tell him? The one thing I don't ever want to lose is our friendship, and what if he doesn't feel the same way?

I'm still thinking about all this as I turn the corner and walk through the double doors. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone slams into me and textbooks and papers go all over the floor. The guy bends over and starts frantically trying to gather them up- he seems to be in quite a hurry. I place my hand over his. "Let me help you with that," I say gently. I feel bad, he looks really stressed. He lifts his gaze to me and I freeze. His beautiful face is surrounded by soft curls, and his light brown eyes widen as they meet my gaze. My heart starts to beat faster as he stumbles over his words: "I- It- uh... It's okay, I can do it myself." What? I'm the one who wasn't paying attention. He starts to gather up his books and I help him. "It's ok, It was kind of my fault. I shouldn't have been walking so fast." I reassure him as I hand him his papers. Suddenly, the bell rings. He says a quiet 'thank you,' and runs off.
Who was he? I swear I've never seen him before. I make a mental note to check the yearbook when I get home and then I head to French.