Childhood Sweethearts

CHAPTER 1

Hey readers, this is the first proper book I have ever written, so please don't give any rude comments, but please do say if there is a mistake or something and please vote so I know if it's good or not.

Thanks! Enjoy!

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"You have five minutes to finish your poems. When those five minutes are up we'll read some out to the class." Ms Woods, Clayton's English teacher, announced.

Clayton looked at his sheet of paper that held the words of the love poem he had just completed. He planned to read it to Vanessa, the girl of his dreams. He looked at it in admiration; he decided to title it 'The Beauty of You'.

Suddenly, a paper aeroplane landed on his desk, and he looked up to seek the owner of the plane. His eyes rested on Edward, his best friend, who looked at him with expectance. Clayton unfolded the plane and read: Have you finished? I'm nowhere near and I think I'm gonna get a detention. He looked at his friend and with a look of sympathy nodded his head in affirmation to his finishing the poem. Edward looked disappointed by the fact that he may be the only one serving detention and went back to staring at his almost blank sheet of paper with such intensity, that Clayton was sure that it was going to burst into flames.

The five minutes dragged on and Clayton found himself thinking about what could happen when he read his poem out to the class, but most importantly, to Vanessa. He imagined her swooning over her desk, falling more and more deeply in love with him with every word he said. After he finished, she would come up to him and hug him, saying, "I love it so much! Thank you." The rest of the class would be madly applauding him on his hard work.

His thoughts were interrupted by a second aeroplane landing in front of him. He looked at his friend for confirmation that it was from him, which it was. This time it read, it's not another love poem is it? Please don't read it to Vanessa! Remember how badly it ended last time? Not good. Clayton's reply was a scowl, he didn't care how badly it went last time, this time it was different. He was different. He didn't wear braces any more, and he had contacts rather than glasses. Plus, he had grown taller and he had become more muscular.

A third plane made its way onto his desk and he tore it open in frustration, not needing confirmation that it was from Edward, and looked at his friends scruffy handwriting for a third time. It doesn't matter that you've changed; girls don't like soppy, poem writing, and emotional guys. Especially not the ones that cry over Up in school. It was like he knew what Clayton had been thinking, but Clayton didn't care. Besides, there was no need to bring the Up incident up! It was a one off. And sure, he writes poems, but surely all girls like to be wooed with a poem now and again. Right?

Clayton scribbled a defiant note on a piece of paper, Well Vanessa is going to be listening to my poem whether you like it or not. And she will love it and fall in love with me. You're just jealous that you can't write poems like I can, and he folded it into a replica of Edward's and aimed for his friend's desk.

He glared at the front of the classroom until Ms Woods called the class to her attention. "You should have finished your poems by now, you have had almost twenty minutes for this, so if you haven't finished it, you can do so at the end of the day in my room for an hour." Edward had been right, he was going to get a detention, and Clayton felt a surge of triumph at his friend's detention. Serves you right, he thought, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy, his friend really couldn't write a poem to save his life, never mind in twenty minutes for English.

"Who would like to volunteer to come to the front of the class and read their poem to the class?" The teacher carried on. This is my chance; Clayton's hand shot in the air, and was the only hand in the air. "Clayton. Thank you for putting your hand up. Come on, then." Ms Woods urged.