sweeter with you

| 1 | Intro |

     I sat on the edge of my bed with my hands cupping my face as one thing went through my mind. Him and only him. I wasn't sure what had happened and was intent on figuring it all out. How could he shut me out like that? I guess time will tell, I thought to myself, letting my body go limp, sprawling backwards onto my fresh sheets. I gripped his sweater, which I had been holding onto for so long. I took in a deep breath, holding his scent for as long as I could. It smelled like mint and aftershave and it made me miss

him all the more. I searched my memory for clues to his motives.

     I held on tightly to my books as I walked into the crowded class. I was new to Park Valley high, where cliques basically dictated your very existence. Moving here in February was a terrible idea and I cursed my mom for bringing this upon me. She had to escape her past, something I wanted no part of.

     Sudden movement caught my eye and my gaze landed on an auburn haired boy with big, brown eyes. He waved me over to the empty seat next to him. I sat down and smiled at the doe eyed boy, trying not to blush as I tucked a runaway curl behind my ear. "Hi, I'm Devon," he said, beaming at me, "We're actually neighbors," he smirked, revealing a deep dimple. Okay, maybe moving here wasn't  that bad. "I'm Nora," I said shyly.

     His smile was radiant. We turned our attention to the presentation on the screen in front of us but I couldn't shake the feeling of him peering over at me. I glanced over and sure enough, he averted his eyes, a light shade of pink spreading over his cheeks.

     I felt a small piece of paper drop into my lap and I stared before realizing what it meant. Opening the note, I tried not to smile as his careless handwriting registered in my brain.

if u ever need any help in this class, im ur man i have a 98 so if u dont understand just stop by

     It was signed with a little smiley face and I wrote back quickly.

i think im good but if you really wanted to hang out with me then you should have just said so

     I retaliated with a winky face and he got the memo, turning a shade of red. He passed the scrap of paper back to me.

sorry wow im not very good at this but yeah we should hang out and do neighborly things and idk im just really making a mess of things

     I couldn't help laughing at the neighbor part and I spoke up. "You're not making a mess of things. It's okay, honestly." He let out a relieved laugh and the tension faded. I had just made a new friend and I'd only been here ten minutes. My life was taking a turn for the better.

**********

     The notes between us continued for the next couple of weeks. Sometime between then, he had managed to give me his number but we preferred the note exchange whenever we were in class. We talked about everything and I grew to know more things about him than I cared to, like that he was afraid of turtles and cats and how he didn't like his food to touch. He was sweet, occassionally slipping in subtle compliments accompanied by awkward timing. He was shy and didn't have many friends yet he seemed so open with me.    

     Sometimes I found myself staring at his full lips, memorizing how they parted at each syllable. His hair curled around his ears and his eyelashes went on for miles. He stood a full foot taller than me and had to bend quite a bit to reach me whenever we hugged goodbye, which became a daily ritual. He walked me to class and we spent our free period together.

     Devon was so smart, it pained me. I'd always been one of the best students around but he made me work for my grades. We often made bets on who could make a better mark on tests or quizzes. He won frequently, his natural aptitude giving him an unfair advantage. Even so, he pushed himself, often too far, to be perfect in every way. He dressed impeccably and always seemed put together. He had impossibly high grades and was involved in several school clubs. Devon was the perfect son. But he had a dark secret and I was about to find out.

ok guys please bear with me that was the first thing I've written in such a long time and I've never published anything but please feel free to give me suggestions and remember to vote and comment!

- milca xx