No Such Thing As Perfect Love (A Christian Romance Novel)

Romeo and Juliet

It was Friday morning, and every single teacher was pumped to see whether the Blue Team or the Green Team would win. I could hear the cheers and challenges between different teachers. This was the only day in the school year when teachers became total enemies.
"We're so going to win!" Olivia exclaimed as I passed by her in the hall.
I grinned and strolled into my classroom. Almost as soon as I had crossed over the doorway and out of sight of prying eyes, two arms wrapped around my torso. I leaned back, recognizing the feel of Luke's arms.
"Good morning," I whispered.
"Good morning," he replied, a small chuckle hidden in his voice.
I turned around in his arms and threw my own hands around his neck, staring up at him, though he wasn't a whole lot taller than me. We stayed there for a moment or two, relaxing in one another's proximity. Finally, he leaned in and kissed me. It lasted for only a couple seconds, but it was still pure bliss at its finest.
When we pulled apart, Luke stepped back dramatically and whispered, "We can't be seen together. The two of us...we are on enemy sides. If someone catches us, we will be punished."
"Like Romeo and Juliet," I agreed. "Minus the dying part."
Luke nodded gravely and grabbed my hand.
"I will wait for you," he murmured.
"You have to go now," I warned him.
He glanced at the door as if someone were there now and looked back at me, gently kissing my cheek, and hurrying towards the open door.
"Luke!" I called after him.
He turned around questioningly.
"We are so going to crush you today," I told him, smiling challengingly.
"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "In your dreams, Juliet."
He then turned around and left.

"Look at that!" Olivia exclaimed after first period. "Look at how many children are dressed in blue! We'll win for sure!"
"There still is a lot of green," I observed, comparing the two colors in the hallway.
I looked back at the other seventh grade teachers, who had all gathered in the hall. Each one of them were wearing the color of their team. Some, like Mr. Randall, Luke, and Olivia, went all out. I had on a sky blue dress, the same one I had worn to the high school's musical, and a darker blue necklace with the main bead on it that having been my great-grandmother's. You don't even want to know what Luke, Olivia, and Mr. Randall were wearing. Speaking of my boyfriend, Luke walked over to us and Olivia excused herself with a smirk.
"The counting will take place right before the pep rally, and the results will be shared afterwards," I reminded Luke.
"Hey, Chloe, I just wanted to make sure you know," Luke began seriously, "that when the Green Team crushes you guys, I'll still be your boyfriend."
This again.
"I'm going to let you go on hoping that you will win, even though I know the truth," I replied.
I glanced down the hall suddenly, looking scared.
"I have to now. Remember: we can't be caught together," I whispered.
"Goodbye," he murmured, kissing my cheek.
I slipped into my room, waited a few moments, then walked to my desk as if nothing were unusual in the world. Nothing at all.
All day, the teachers anticipated the results, each hoping to be the winner of a whole year of bragging rights.
After lunch, everyone sat waiting anxiously for the leaders of each team to gather everyone together. When, finally, they announced for everyone to gather in the auditorium, the hallway exploded with chatter as students barged into the hallway. I guided the students along with Olivia at my side. I could feel my best friend's excitement.
"Do you think we'll win?" she whispered.
"I sure hope so," I admitted. "Just imagine the look on Luke's face."
The two of us continued ushering the kids down the hallway. We finally reached the auditorium, and the Blue Team gather everyone into a corner. They were then separated into those who wore blue and those who did not.
"Everyone go to to your homeoom teachers!" The lead teacher yelled.
Olivia broke away from me and started counting, so I proceeded to do the same. After multiple double checks on my counting, I recorded by number and let the students head down to the gym for the pep rally.
"Our total is 80 kids," Olivia informed me.
There were 200 total kids in this grade, half on each team.
"Let's hope the other team less," I said and started down towards the gym. All through the pep rally, the kids in all grades were roudy, whoch was, after all, the point. As it got closer to the end, though, whispers exploded in the seventh grade as friends on different teams challenged each other and friends on the same team assured that they would win.
Finally, every band member, cheerleader, and football player was on their way to the high school, and the principal dismissed everyone but the seventh graders. Crowds of students rushed passed us as Mr. Randall stepped up to the microphone.
"First, I'd like to thank those of you who dressed in your team's color. This was a maority of you."
"Get on with it!" Olivia called, earning giggles from the students and a glare from Mr. Randall.
"Thank you, Ms. Davis," he continued. "Although the results were close, only one team can win. Now, the Green Team has...77 total students!"
I looked at Olivia with wide eyes. We had 80 students...that means...
"And the Blue Team has...80!"
Immediately, every Blue Team student in the crowd stood up and screamed for joy and the other team students protested, but the teachers...oh, the teachers. All of us teachers on the winning team turned to each other and celebrated--especially Olivia and I.
Soon, the students were dismissed, and they carried their riot down the hallway to their lockers. In the midst of the chaos, I was coincidentally pushed towards Luke with Hunter and Tyler coincidentally being the ones pushing me, coincidentally. Giving up, I smirked at Luke and raised my eyebrows. He understood my slight annoyance at the two seventh grade boys and shrugged, gracing me with one of his goofy grins.
"You may have won this year, but just you wait," Lule joked.
"Was that a threat, Mr. Jones?" I asked, but only one thought came to mind: there was no next year. Luke would not be he Green Team English teacher next year because the old teacher would come back from maternity leave. At the end of tthis year, Lule would have to find another job and I would not see him as much. Who knows if he woud even find a job?
Then, right there in front of the dismissing seventh graders, Luke kissed me. Even that one kiss caused the girls to "aww" and the boys to give us questioning looks. Well, most of them anyway.
"I'm so proud," Hunter cried out, fake-sobbing in the corner next to Tyler. "My little boy is all grown up."
"She's so young!" Tyler wailed. "I'll break his face if he breaks her heart."
Luke and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. I was aware of Olivia fan girling in the corner.
Seeing that most of the students here gone, I turned to Tyler and told him that he should probably catch his bus before he misses it. After him saying that his mom wouldn't care if she picked him and me insisting that he should go, he got the hint. Hunter and he left. Then, with each passing minute, more and more teachers left. I looked around for Olivia so I could walk back with her, but she had disappeared. I then turned to Luke.
"Do you think it would be alright if we walked back together, or is it still dangerous with us being on different teams?" I jested, a playful smile on my lips.
"I don't know," he responded slyly. "It all depends on whether or not you want to be dating someone like me."
He hurriedly walked away, and I had to put a hop in my step to catch up.
"What do you mean someone like you?" I called.
He stayed silent until we were in the seventh grade hallway.
"A kidnapper," he muttered and pulled me into his room, closing the door before I had time to protest.
He kissed me, and I looked over his shoulder, relieved to see no students or teachers gone unnoticed.
"Are you really kidnapping me?" I whispered against his lips. "Because I don't think I would mind that."
"But it's not kidnapping if you want to come with me," he whined in a voice so childish that I felt odd to be kissing him.
I wrapped my arms limply around his neck and pulled away.
"You could say you were mad that your team didn't win, and I could scream or something," I suggested seriously. "I can be a fairly good actress if I try."
"Are you honestly considering this?" Luke wondered with a laugh.
"Maybe," I shrugged and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I do have to go, though. It was a wonderful thought while it lasted."
"Maybe I can make up for it," he began.
"Oh?" I questioned.
"Dinner and a movie, my place, tomorrow evening at around 6:00. I'll text you if that changes."
"It's a date!" I said with a charming, dazzling smile on my face and strolled out of his room.