Crushed

Chapter 4

About a week after the incident, I was trying to slip through the halls when behind me I hear, "Bella?" I would recognize that silky smooth voice anywhere, it was Alex. I instinctively sped up until I felt a soft, warm hand on my shoulder. I spun around, and my long brown ponytail sailed fluently over his head. He looked me straight in my light blue eyes, which looked awkward for him, being almost a head shorter than me, but he was handsome just the same. "Bella, I just want you to know that I'm not mad, nor am I even upset. I know that you didn't mean to trip me, and I haven't been enjoying the attention either." "Really? I would expect that someone like you-" "No, I don't enjoy having people I don't know come up to me and ask me if I hate you now. Because I don't." He said looking up to me from his crutches. "Bella, you know I don't hate you..." I turned my back on him, and started off to the math room without another word.

During math, I caught Alex looking at me, and we made eye contact. Our eyes were locked for a full minute before I heard in a whisper tone, "Bella" coming from my right. It was Julie of course. My eyes darted away from his, and I could tell that he was trying to catch back my stare. I focused back on the teacher who was droning on and on about adding and subtracting fractions, but I couldn't help but feel that I was betraying him some how. I glanced back up at him, and he caught my eye. It was like fighting a monster of temptation to not stare for hours on end. Why does he have to be so damn fine? I shouldn't, I wouldn't, I didn't. It took all of my courage not to to look, but I did it.

After class he caught up to me in the hall, and we walked together towards our lockers. "Hey" I checked my shoulders. Good, Anne was nowhere to be seen. "Hey" I responded looking at my feet. "What's with you?" He asked "Nothing, why do you ask?" I responded starting to get defencive. "Um well, you haven't really been the same since the basketball thing" "Oh? How so?" I said to him trying to contain my emotion. "You've been... Quieter, if that's even possible." "You think?" I said quietly. We were approaching our lockers when he said, "So I'll talk to you later?" "Right..." I responded as I walked towards my own locker, which was only five to the right of his. My locker was #360, and his, #365.