Break

Chapter Fourteen

As I step off the bus on Monday, I am surrounded by a flood of blue. Alice's hair covers my face and cascades around my shoulders. She hugs me so hard, I almost fall backwards.

"Woah! Are you trying to kill me?"

"Sorry," she giggles, "I'm just really excited to see you."

Her fingers brush against my hand and she tangles them with mine. the contact between our hands sends a shock through my body. Her skin is soft and warm and our hands fit together like puzzle pieces. I glide my thumb over hers. Alice's face breaks into a warm smile.

She pulls me  over to a picnic table in a corner of two walls of the school. She sits down and pulls me onto her lap. This surprises me. HE was never into PDA. Or anything really, except for hand-holding. Even in the privacy of our own homes, we never even made it as far as making out. I only ever got that out of him in my dreams. But Alice is different. She is open about her feelings, even though we've only just started out relationship.

My surprise must be showing, because she asks if it's okay. I tell her it is and toss my arm around her neck to show that to her. She wraps one arm around my waist and places her other hand on the inside of my thigh closest to her. Her hand is higher than I would have thought it would be this early on, but I don't stop her. Her fingertips are just above the hem of my dress as she circles her thumb over my skin. 

I wore the dress just for her. I wanted to look nice when I got to see her today, and it's my favorite. It's pink with little purple hearts dotting the fabric. There is a heart-shaped cut-out on the back and the dress ends in the middle of my thighs. 

"You know something, Claire?"

"What's that?"

"You're really beautiful."

I can feel heat in my cheeks and I look down at my lap. 

"I'm serious. You are absolutely gorgeous. And your dress shows off your beauty really well."

"Thanks." I smile, still looking at my legs, "You're really beautiful, too." 

Alice grins and traces the heart cut-out on my back with her fingertips, which sends shivers down my spine.

She laughs. "Did you like that?"

"Yes, very much." I blush and giggle.

Her hand moves higher up on my thigh and I bite my lip. Her hand is getting dangerously close to being too high, for school at least. But, she stops and lets her hand rest close to the top of my leg. Her hand makes me nervous and excited, and my heart starts pounding. She squeezes my thigh and slowly moves her hand back to my knee.

The bell interrupts our moment and we are forced to get up. We walk to class together, hand-in-hand. My heart is soaring high above the clouds as we make our way through the halls. 

I can't think of anything but Alice as I sit through class after class. Words blur and the writing on boards seems distant. Thank goodness no one calls on me in any of my classes; I don't think I could answer a thing.