Love, Me || #TKBMovieContest

Love, Me

   She was across the courtyard, her face scrunched in concentration as she looked at her laptop. As usual, she had a clump of friends around her. I never understood why she hung out with them. She was so nice, caring and thoughtful. And much more beautiful than them, I couldn't help thinking.

   I knew I had to stop staring; someone would notice soon. Each ticking second brought the danger closer, but I couldn't look away. She was mesmerizing. Her uniform was perfect, bringing out the gold specks in her eyes. She was a cheerleader, one of the popular kids. It was in the unwritten rules that cheerleaders were popular and selfish and rude, and they liked boys. She already broke two of the rules. Despite only talking to her once, I knew she was kind, she was the leader of the community service club, so why couldn't she break another rule? But being straight was the most important rule.

   I didn't know why I had taken an interest in her, someone of her status of all people, but the feeling seemed to take control. The feeling, I had recently placed, was love. Love. I didn't know if I had felt it before, but I had never felt it this way. The feeling in my heart, how it hurt but I liked it. How it spread through my body and made me feel like I was on top of the world. How I saw her face every time I closed my eyes. That one strand of brown hair not captured in her ponytail drove me crazy. I was scared to be gay, but I didn't want to block the feeling. I loved it. How it drove me to be the best version of myself.

   Folding the piece of lined paper into a square small enough to fit through locker slats, I stood. I waltzed past the group, pretending I hadn't been watching them for the past ten minutes. She didn't look up when I passed. I doubted that she knew who I was, which I supposed was a good thing. She might have known I was the person who was leaving the notes.

   Cass,

         I know I should stop writing these notes, but I can't. When I'm writing, I believe that there is a chance, even if it's a tiny one, for us.

   Love,

   Me

   I know I'm socially awkward. A mix of unpopular, and well, gay. I never fit in, but the soaring feeling drove me to be daring. Never before did I think I would be slipping truth-filled notes into Cassandra Trainer's locker, but I didn't regret it. Not for a moment.

   The whole group came in just as I finish slipping the note in her locker. Fear shot through me, worried one of them saw. Out of habit I went to hide in the crowd, but she saw me. And something in her eye told me she knew. And she smiled. And I smiled back.