A Year Being the Cheerleader

50.

What brings things to life? I think as I crouch and take a picture of a sunflower at what I consider to be the perfect angle as the first rays of sunlight for the day touch the grey-blue sky, chasing the darkness away.

I look down at the digital screen on my camera of the picture I just took. It is breathtaking, but I decide to take another one, the lenses zooming in a little more in case I missed something before.

As soon as my finger press the capture button, a flock of beautiful white birds flies up in the air heading south. On instinct, I take a picture and then stare at my result. It is kind of blurry, but it will have to do. I mean, it is the first time I have ever seen such white birds flock overhead in the early morning and that is saying a lot since I come out practically every morning around three or earlier if I really can't sleep. Nightmares are a curse to mankind, but it does have its rewards. If I didn't have nightmares, I would not have been standing here right now with a goofy smile as I gaze down at the picture. I will never become a professional photographer, but it is quite a nice hobby.

It's the first time in my life that I have such a stagnant feeling. I do know I want to go to college and study in the medical sciences department, but I don't know what I want to become exactly. I want to become a cardiovascular surgeon, but mom wants me to be a model, while dad wants me to be a pathologist. There are a lot of wants in my life, but only a few of them have been my wants. It is very frustrating sometimes to feel so unhappy, but it won't be long. Soon I will be off to college and this will be all be over with when I graduate, find a job and live peacefully. I mindlessly start to look through the pictures I have been taking since I woke up this morning at around one or so.

"Hey," Even though the voice is gentle, I jump in awareness and a squeak leaves my lips. Large hands firmly grips my hips before circling around my waist. "Sorry to shock you, Am. I kind of couldn't stop thinking about so I came over here where I knew you would be."

I nod even though he doesn't ask a question, trying to take some type of control of the situation. His familiarity takes a few moments to make its way through my foggy brain. The kids at school are still saying that Nate and I together which at first I couldn't understand why they get it through their tough skulls that we weren't an item, but now I can see why they think that. We are in a too close proximity most times, especially now. My heart beat picks up and I turn my face to meet his for his large head is now weighing on my poor shoulder. But instead of scowling at him, I smile. He mirrors my smile with one more genuine and sincere as it reaches his eyes and they twinkle.

The first rays of sunlight hits his blonde hair and it shines golden making my breath hitch. We are too close. But we are only friends, right? Yep, nothing else. BFFs for life. Jeez...that sounds girly, I'm glad I didn't say it out loud.

I then clear my throat and looking away from him and back to the camera in my hand. I am not sure if he saw me admiring him, but if he did, he said nothing to me about it.

"So, how come I didn't hear you drive in?" I ask, wondering if it wasn't Nate and was some serial killer instead, how dead would I be. This is serious. I didn't hear a thing. "You did drive, right?"

"Yep," he says before standing up to his full length and gesturing to the brand new black Bugatti Vyron he got for his birthday yesterday, parked across from us shining in its glory morning light.

"It's beautiful." I hear myself referring to the car. I was always a sucker for black vehicles.

"Yeah she is," he says and I feel his hold around my waist tighten.

My head jerks up at his statement and I look at his perfectly chiseled face.

"Huh?" I ask, curious for him to elaborate on this "she" and hope we are on the same page here.

He shrugs and he puts his chin on top of my blonde mess of a hair. I roll my eyes at him even though he can't see it. I hate it when he does this, he makes me feel extra short which I am not.

"I saw that," he tells me in a teasing tone. "You deserve a spanking for that."

Oh really? I want to snap back at him, but I bite my lip for control. That will probably lead to something right now. But instead of telling him to butt off, we have school in a hour, my mouth takes over and I spit out the most dumb and personal question ever. To me, at least. Ramona have asked way worse.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" I ask and my cheeks flame up in embarrassment. Before he can answer my question, I push out of his embrace, pull the camera over my head and head to his car. "Don't answer that. We have school. Let's go."

1999beauty
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