nerd.

onze

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 Arielle Evans

It has been over fourteen hours since Mason kissed me, and my lips are still tingling. I cannot believe that Mason Richards actually kissed me. I cannot wipe the smile off of my face as I put on a long-sleeve T-shirt and shorts. I decide to leave my hair loose, in its natural waves. It cascades down my back, and I quickly run my hairbrush through it before heading downstairs. My mom smiles at me before giving me a plate of pancakes.

 "What?" I ask. Mom never ever smiles in the morning.

 "Nothing." She smiles to herself.

 "Mom." I chastise, the same way I did to Mason.

 "You just look happy for the first time in a while, that's all." She says. I smile in satisfaction and eat my pancakes quickly. "Now go on, Miss Happy, or you'll miss the bus." She teases. I laugh, hug her goodbye, and run down to the bus stop. For the first time in ages, I am early. I spend the extra time checking my reflection in my compact mirror and fixing my hair. I immediately shove the mirror in my bag when I see the bus approaching. It stops with a squeal, and I jog lightly up the steps. Anne smiles at me, and I return it, causing her to lift an eyebrow in confusion. I sit down quietly, my mood quickly fading when everyone stops talking and looks at me. A pencil is thrown. I suck in a breath and wait for everyone else to join. Surprisingly, the front of the bus continues the chatter, leaving me unbothered. I can feel the heat of the populars' glares burning against my back, so I keep facing forward.

 "Arielle!" An unfamiliar voice screeches. I turn around to see a blonde popular's finger motioning at me to come over. I gulp and obey, leaving my backpack on my seat and walking to the back of the bus. The entire front of the bus falls silent, merely observing. I walk slowly, thoughts of what they could possibly want from me racing in my mind.

 "Hi, Arielle." The blonde sneers.

 "H...Hi." I manage. I tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear and adjust my glasses.

 "So, Arielle." A muscular boy starts. "Seems like you and Mason are getting pretty close, yeah?"

 "Y...Yes." I stutter.

 "And why would that be?" A brunette girl with a purple skater skirt jeers.

 "Uh, um, the reason would be...um, well I'm not exactly sure what that reason would be." I say shakily, fiddling with a piece of my hair.

 "Well, you listen up real well now, yeah?" The muscular boy from before snaps. "You stay away from him. He hasn't been himself since he met you, so just stay out of his way, okay?" His voice is kind, but his words are harsh.

 "Or you'll be sorry." The blonde adds.

 "I'm afraid I can't do that." I mutter.