Just Another One of Those Love Stories

Chapter 2

The morning is soothing yet alert at the same time. The sunlight shimmers on the morning dew sprawled upon each blade of grass. The sun is just beginning to rise into the sky as birds begin to chirp. The beautiful sight is followed by teenagers laughing and having fun at the bus stop just minutes ahead. Cars are driving along, mostly older teenagers showing off their privilege to drive wherever they want. All around the neighborhood, parents are dragging their half-asleep children to their minivans.

As I get to the bus stop, I look around, noticing a few glimpses from people. Some even pausing in the middle of their sentences just to get a glance of my image. I take my phone out of my bag and unlock it. One new text message. Opening the app, I realize it was an old friend back from Maryland when my parents were still in love. His name was Thomas Gilbert.

Thomas: hey how's New Jersey?

Me: Not too shabby. It would be a lot better
if you were here though :)
Read

*Thomas is typing...*
Thomas: I think I would prefer Maryland, but
thanks for the offer =D

Giggling from Thomas's reply, I look up and realize the bus is coming towards the stop. I quickly throw my phone into my bag and get in line. The loud, yellow contraption of a machine comes to a stop and the two doors squeak as they open.

Everyone quickly hops on and the back seats are taken first. I end up in a seat in the middle of the bus. A hole on the backrest of my seat is duct taped shut and there are drawings and scribbles on the wall. Looking to the floor, I see dust and a few overly-sized wads of gum along with a couple wrappers here and there. To complete the picture, there is a huge barn spider dangling from the window on its silky thread of web.

Everyone is talking at full volume, even if they are talking to the person in the same seat. I look towards the bus driver, but he doesn't even look up at his mirror. I pop my earbuds into my ears and hum along to a couple of Shinedown songs.

It isn't long until the bus pulls into the school parking lot. We get dropped off right in front of the school doors. As the bus pulls away, I take a quick glance around the schoolyard. There were a few groups of girls here and there and a few jocks showing off their brand new cars that their parents handed over to them for their birthdays without any payments or any previous work.

Swinging my bag to one shoulder, I take out the schedule that includes my locker number and a labeled map. Locker 357 awaits me on the second floor. My next step is to find the stairs in the chaotic school full of energetic students rushing to talk to their friends.

Squeezing through the people, I try to avoid any physical contact. Just as I turn the corner, I run into something. Someone tall and quite muscular. I look up and my gaze meets with light blue, beautiful eyes.

This unfamiliar guy smiles, "Sorry. Didn't see you down there."
Reminding me of my height of only 5'3 in a school with the average height of 6 foot, I smile, "No, no, it was my fault. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

We both sit in silence smiling at each other until I realize how cheesy I must look, "Uh, my name is Emilee. Emilee Barts."

"Emilee is a beautiful name. Just like your eyes. I'm Damon Sylvester. You must be new because I haven't seen you around. And believe me, I know everyone around this god forsaken place."

I giggle, although, I wasn't sure if Damon intended for me to laugh, "I just moved here a couple months ago, so I'm sure nobody has seen me around."

Damon's eyes look me up and down, "Need help finding your locker? Let's see," he gently takes the paper out from my hands and unfolds it like he owns it, "357? You have to be kidding me"

Confused I look at the paper from the side, "Is that a bad locker?"
Damon chuckles, "No, Emilee, my locker is 359. We are right next to each other. How am I so lucky to end up next to a girl I bumped into the morning of?"

I smile to be polite while I wonder what he had meant by lucky. "Well, if you would be so kind, could you show me the way?"

"I would be happy to!" Damon grasps my hand and pulls me in the direction of the stairs. With quite a grip, my dainty hand felt as if he would pull it right off. Once we had gotten to our lockers, Damon kept his grip until he realized.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Damon smiles as he releases my hand.

I tell him that it was okay as I unzip my bag and fill my locker with text books and writing utensils. I look at the paper once more to see my first class in which I mumble to myself, "Medical terminology.."

Damon lets out a sigh, "Looks like we don't have too many classes together."

"I guess not. But I'm sure the classes we do have with each other will be fun." I smile while I wait for his reaction, for I want to flirt but I don't want to rush anything considering we just met. Luckily, Damon smiles and grabs his books and winks, "I'll see you in Geometry." I watch as he walks away into the mob of students. I shut my locker and head off to my class, hoping I wouldn't be called out in front of the class.