The Beginning of our Kind

Chapter #3 Yes or No??

Liva's POV

Well this was it tonight was graduation! I was taking my sweet little time getting ready. I had curled my hair which was a rarity, put on my dress, my little heels, and had applied the lip gloss I had decided to wear for this special occasion.

"Liva? Are you ready to go?" My mom called up the stairs.

"I'll be down in a minute!!" I slid my gown on and placed my cap on my head.

Before I knew what was happening I was standing in the hall outside the gym waiting for them to tell us to get in line. "You look amazing tonight." I felt my face heat as I looked up to see James standing in front of me.

"Thanks, you clean up pretty well yourself." I casually throw that out there hoping that it didn't sound too stupid.

"Look I have something I need to tell you." His brown eyes were completely serious as he looked into mine. Just before I could nod my head they vice principle called for us to line up. I tried to tell him that I was sorry as he moved towards the front of the line and I moved towards the middle because of our last names.

"Liva Lawson. Our Valedictorian, and future Texas Tech student and Basketball player!." I made my way across the gym floor to get my diploma, took the picture, and walked to my seat. I caught James's eye and he smiled at me with a complimentary wink. It wasn't long before I was called up to give my speech.

"And so, younger classmen, I encourage you to follow your dreams no matter what or who they are. Break out of the barriers that are constantly being placed on you and find the courage to fly!." With the last words of my speech the anxiety that I had been feeling the whole time melted away.

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James's POV

I saw Liva standing next to Joanna. This was the last time that I would get a chance to say what I had to say. I took off into that direction in a brisk sprint. I stopped a few feet short and pulled the bracelet that I had bought her from my pocket. It was a charm bracelet that only held three charms, a basketball, a diploma, and a stack of books.

"Liva, can I talk to you for a moment?" When she turned to face me I felt my courage fail.

"Sure." She turned back to Joanna, "Give me a minute?" Joanna gave her a look that I couldn't decipher and then ran off to talk to Collin one of the football players.

"I just wanted you to have this, " I held out the bracelet. When she looked from it to my face I spilled everything else I wanted to say, "In all truth, I am in love with you. I always have been since I first met you back in seventh grade and I have never told you anything because it always seemed like you never noticed me. Besides you always made it out like you were to busy for boys."

"I always noticed you." She began to laugh, "I always thought that you didn't notice me and the few times that you did was either to tease me or because I had been a klutz and you just happened to be there." Now her face turned 100% serious. "And I was never interested in any of the other boys because they weren't you and you were the only one I was interested in since day one."

"So does this mean that yall are dating now?" I suddenly felt a hand clasp my back and I turned to see her dad standing there. I look to her. What will her answer be?

"Yes" we answer at the same time and she erupts in a cascade of giggles before I pull her into a hug. This time she didn't bolt away before I had time to actually hug her the way I wanted to.