For the rest of the day I thought about it. Finally, the last bell rang. Most of the students flocked towards the double doors, but I didn't't. I stood on the sidewalk, my feet on the edge of the grass. The football field stretched before me, and even farther than that were the bleachers. I could just make out a small silhouette sitting on the second bleacher from the top. Swallowing, I thought, it's now or never.
Grass bowed under my feet as I walked farther. Quietly, I waited on the last stretch of greenery.
"Hey!" I shouted to the figure. Assuming it was a guy, I studied him. He wore a gray hoodie and black pants. His head was turned away from me, but he startled when I spoke. The second I saw his face, I gasped and slipped in a hidden patch of mud. I fell on my butt, feeling my face redden. It was Connor Anderson, who was basically the popular counterpart of Monique.
"Hey, you OK?" He asked, standing up.
"Yeah. Fine" I replied, picking myself up and wiping mud and grass stains off my pants. He patted a spot next to him and said,
"Come sit."
"Umm, sure." I stumbled over to him clumsily and sat down.
"Why did you write me a note?" I ventured bravely. Shrugging he said,
"I guess I thought you'd be more likely to come." I looked down at the concrete floor then back up into his hazel eyes. The sun made them appear almost amber. That combined with his perfect blonde hair made butterflies erupt in my stomach. Don't let your guard down, he might be a jerk I thought.
"So what did you want to tell me then?" I asked cautiously.
"I just thought you might be a cool girl to get to know." Raising my eyebrow, I said,
"Really? Do you even know my name?"
"Of course, Cherish. It's a cool name." Mentally, I noted that he used the word 'cool' a lot.
"Why didn't you just walk up to me and say, 'hey' or something?"
"I like to surprise people." That would've been surprise enough.
"Well, I better get going. My parents might worry" he said.
"At least you have parents who worry" I mumbled under my breath.
"What?"
"Nothing." We both stood up and went our separate ways.
The next day, I woke up and carried out my usual morning routine. Meeting Ethan on the street, I said,
"Hey. What's up?"
"Not much. Did you meet this mysterious person on the bleachers?" I had momentarily forgotten about the entire event.
"Oh, yeah. You wont believe it, but it was Connor Anderson." He stopped walking.
"Connor Anderson? Why would he want to talk to you?"
"He just said I'd be a cool girl to get to know." Ethan started wiggling his eyebrows and smirking.
"What? Are you having some kind of facial seizure?"
"He likes you" he nudged me playfully.
"No, I don't think so." But even as I said it, I could feel myself blushing.
At lunch Ethan and I sat alone at a table as usual. We were discussing the topic of our so-called love lives when a voice behind me said,
"Hey, Cherish. Mind if I sit with you?" I spun around and locked gazes with Connor. His eyes were the color of a forest, and his disarming smile distracted me for a second.
"Umm, s-sure" I stuttered. As he plopped down next to me, I saw Ethan suppressing laughter. Connor sat close to me, and I was very aware of him.
"So, who's this?" Connor asked, motioning towards Ethan.
"Oh. Connor, this is Ethan, my best friend."
"Hi" Ethan greeted, his eyes glimmering with amusement. We ate silently for awhile.
"So, how long have you known each other?" Connor asked.
"Since preschool" I replied, squishing my mashed potatoes with a fork.
"Oh, you must be really close." I nodded.
"Well, I should go. I'm behind on some homework" said Ethan, shooting me a knowing look. He got up and left. A member of Connor's usual clan said,
"Hey, CBoy! Why are you sitting with the lame girl?" Connor's eyes turned hard; a solid green color against the white walls.
YOU ARE READING
its complicated
Teen FictionCherish has known Ethan since preschool. He has been there through her roller coaster life, and always supports her. But some things cause chaos in a relationship like this--popularity, lonliness...
