Holding On - lrh

Chapter One

Mrs. Hemmings stood at the front of the room, tapping her foot, waiting for class to calm down. I just stayed in my seat praying the bell would ring soon. What were the odds I would end up in math for the last period of the school year?

"Do any of you think I still want to be here either?" she shouted over everyone talking.

I shook my head, and she smiled at me. She looked absolutely done. Flustered, too.

"Can the bell ring any sooner?" She whispered to me. I half smiled and pulled the sleeves of my sweater over my hands. Sure, it was summer, but summer was a great time to wear sweaters and shorts.

My eyes caught the clock. The hands worked together and brought one another back around. There was a faint tick tick tick as the red hand sped ahead of the long and short black ones. I was so engaged in the clocks motion, I hadn't realized what time it was. Before I knew it the ticking was replaced with the loud bell and people rushing out of the room.

"See you next year, Maggie," Mrs. Hemmings smiled from behind her desk. She had finally sat down and looked much more relaxed now that it was just the two of us in the room.

"You too," I actually smiled this time. "Have a great summer!"

Quickly, I rushed out the door and to my locker. Shay, my best friend, was already waiting there. She waved at me to hurry up, so I speed walked over.

"Are you ready for the party tonight?!" She asked excitedly.

I shrugged. "I don't really know if I want to go," I replied, carefully taking my bag off my shoulder and setting it at the foot of my locker.

Shay faked a gasp. "No, Maggie you're coming. You didn't go last year or the year before that."

I opened my locker and checked to see if anything was still inside. Nothing. Quickly, I closed it and I was face to face with Shay again. "We're seventeen," she said. "Next year we're seniors. We need to do things together before we're off to college." Her face said it all.

"Fine," I sighed. "But I'm not meeting any new people and I'm staying by your side."

She sighed dramatically and loudly, and said "Well, that's better than nothing." She bent down, picking up my bag, and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said and turned around, walking before I knew where I was going. "Oof" there was an impact and my forehead slammed onto someone's shoulder.

"Oh my God," he said, timidly, "are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," I replied looking down at the ground rubbing my head. I felt two soft, hesitant fingers touch the bottom of my chin and lift it up to see two big blue eyes staring back at me.

He used his other hand to brush away my hair, and he rubbed it with his thumb. "Are you sure?" He asked. I nodded swallowing deeply. I'd never seen this boy before - ever. Yet somehow his soft features were distinctly familiar. "Okay," he moved his hands and shoved them into the pockets of his torn black skinny jeans. "I'm so sorry."

Before I replied, Shay took my right arm from behind and pulled me away. He smiled and waved and I smiled back. Thank you, I mouthed.

Shay dragged me all the way out of the school, into the parking lot and back to her car. We both got in, but before she even put the keys in, she turned to me and said "Maggie, what the hell?" A huge smile spread across her face.

"What?" I replied, still confused and holding my head in my hand. I rested my elbow on the ledge of the door and propped my head up.

"Did you even see him?!" She nearly yelled. "He's hot!!"

My cheeks flushed. "Well, I mean - um, he has really pretty eyes."

"Maggie do you know who he is?" She asked, shaking off my comment about his eyes.

"I've never seen him," I said.

"Huh, me either. That's strange."

It was strange. Neither of us knowing who he was, sure it was a big school, but Shay was a social butterfly. She knew everyone. Almost everyone.

We had been friends since second grade, and stuck together, even though we were both parts of different crowds. Shay was friends with everyone, where as I preferred just a small group of friends.

"Do you think he'll be at the bonfire tonight?" I asked softly.

Before I knew it Shay's elbow was pressing against my arm "ooooooooooohh" she taunted "you like him!"

I quickly shook my head. "Shay, I don't even know the boy. I've got no idea what his name is." I didn't say it aloud, but I didn't even know what he looked up. Only his eyes. And his voice.

"He better be there. That's just even more of a reason for you to go, and we're going to make sure you look great." Shay smiled at me, putting the keys into the car and starting it up. She began to drive out of the parking lot. "You are so not wearing just another sweater tonight."