Unearthing Secrets

╪ BONUS ╪

"And I told you all my dreams and fears
And you looked at me and your eyes filled with tears
And you said those three words I'd been waiting for
You became a part of me, yeah."
-You're Mine by Lea Michele

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Leslie's Dramatic Plan

(The night before Literature Day)

When I'm in darkness and solitude
I need him for he's my king;
When I'm visualizing and imagining
I wish of him to be entirely mine;
When he's hurt and needs my hand
I wipe his tears to prove my cares;
When he's afraid and dismaying fears
I embrace him to show I'm real
And I love him more than anybody else.

I sighed after I finished writing another poem in the notebook that was full of my written poems. I'd styled it with glitter and different lively colors.

They say that love happens because it's part of nature's untamed forces. It's as free as freedom and as unstoppable as time.

And I agree with that statement.

I sighed once again, then stared at Jesse's face on the painting that he'd given to me as a gift last year.

I, Leslie Sophia Burke, had been in love with my best friend, Jesse Oliver Aarons Jr., ever since the first time I saw him at Lark Creek Elementary School five years ago. It'd been love at first sight for me. Maybe you don't believe me because I was just ten years old at the time. But I was really sure with what I'd felt then, and even more so now. I mean, seriously, who wouldn't fall for an almost-perfect guy like him?

Scratch that. Who wouldn't fall for a perfect guy like him?

I even knew that Jesse had been at Pizzalicious last Sunday after I'd seen his gray New Balance running shoes when Nigel had told me the toilet was occupied. I'd given those shoes to Jesse for his fourteenth birthday, even though he'd initially refused to accept them because they were so expensive. Bah. I'd insisted he should take them because he really needed a new pair, since his former shoes were already worn-out looking from running and doing his daily chores. Since I'd bought those shoes, I'd memorized every detail of them, so I was sure they belonged to my king.

Jesse had been hiding inside the stall! I'm sure as he'd been about to get out of the restroom, he'd seen Nigel and me heading to it. That's why he'd been there. There hadn't been any other options available. I wished the lady who'd come out of the restroom as we had entered (if she ever did use the toilet before Jess) had taken longer in there so that we'd have been surprised to see him with panicked eyes while standing in the middle of the restroom.

But where was the fun in that? That's why I'd acted like I didn't know he'd been there at Pizzalicious, and why I hadn't confronted him after I'd woken up that wonderful early morning with him, which I wanted to do again. Sleeping beside my king, I mean.

So either Jesse had spied on me because he loved me and was jealous of Nigel, or, as my best friend, had just been concerned that I was with another guy and was simply looking out for me. But if he'd been "just concerned" about me, why had he lied to me in the first place?

Yeah, I really liked to believe the former.

The song "Every Breath You Take" by The Police suddenly popped into my mind, and I couldn't help giggling to myself.

To really—and finally—knew what my king felt toward me, I'd decided to do something drastic: act that I like Nigel Groban and tell Jesse I'm falling for him to find out what his reaction would be.