Life is a Killer Grade

Chapter 11: Unknown Love

I climb onto the ladder that the Rescue Team was using. I'm still very sore from all my markings on my body. The person on the ladder with me didn't notice it yet, but when we get in better lighting, they'll be like Oh my! Those scars look really bad!

I climb the ladder for what felt like half an hour. I can barely climb from my marks, so I slip off a few bars once in a while. I'm so clumsy that one time, I hit my face on the bar. I was laughing at myself because I'm so clumsy.

The Rescue worker says from above me, "We're almost there, Crystal. Just about 20 more feet up and we'll be at the surface."

"Okay, sir," I answer back, smiling to myself.

I'm actually really happy that I'm almost on ground level again. I'll be back in the atmosphere. In the abyss, the air seemed different. It's like I could barely breathe right. Probably because I'm deeper into the Earth and there's somewhat a weird amount of oxygen. But that doesn't matter. I'm almost at the surface!

Finally, after all the climbing that I did for forever, I reach the top of the ladder. I was so happy! I smiled really big to myself. That was until I realized that I wasn't all the way up. The worker that was above me is now several feet higher from where I'm standing. He's climbing up another ladder set there. My really big smile turns into a really straight dead-face. "Dangit!"

I start to climb the second ladder in front of me. I mumble under my breath. I'm tired of climbing. My feet are aching so much. I got hit in the face with the ladder so many times.

After about 10 minutes, I'm finally at the surface. The actual surface. Yes! Finally! I say in my head. I fall to the ground on my stomach in relief. An officer kneels down next to me.

"Are you okay, Crystal?"

I slowly answer back, in so much pain. "Yes... I'm fine... Thank you..."

He slowly and gently picks me up off the ground. My eyes are half-shut closed because of the lighting. The room looks so much brighter than it was when I was here before I fell.

My eyes finally flutter open. I can see nothing but the Rescue worker in front of me. Although, I can barely see his face from the hat covering it, it looks strongly familiar...

The Rescue worker is the same height as me, 5 foot 6. He has the same exact skin color as I do. He's skinny, just as I am. He looks too young to be a professional worker... He looks my age. I swear I've seen him somewhere before!

He exclaims in surprise as he looks at my body, "Oh my! Those scars look really bad!" I told you he'd say that...

I look down at myself. "Yea, it was quite a fall. I'm pretty sore from it."

"I'll get you bandages for them, Crystal." I must know me if he knows me. I nod in agreement.

"Thank you, sir," I say in relief.

He looks at me and smiles. All I can see are his lips. "No need to call me that, Crys." He then turns around and leaves the room, leaving my in suspense. Who could that worker be?

**

I think about who that Rescue worker could be for 15 minutes. I know I've seen him before. I ponder even more about it and sit down on a table. Then, after a few minutes, he comes back in the room with wrapping bandages, vaseline, and a pack of ice. He hands the pack of ice to me.

"Thank you," I say, generously and smile at him.

He smiles back. "No problem."

Wow, he's a really nice guy. I think to myself. I'd love to spend my time with him. He's seems perfect. I still wonder who in the world this amazing person is. Maybe sooner or later, hopefully sooner, I'll find out who he is. I would try to remove his hat out of the way to see who he is, but he'd probably yell at me and be like Who do ya think you are?!

He places his hand on my arm for comfort. I see a smile spread on his face. Or, at least the part of the face I can actually see. "You know," he starts, "when Alex let you slip like that, I told him off and fought him for not gripping you the right way, right before he went after you."

He knows Alex? He must go to our school! There's no other way he'd know him.

His hand resting on my arm slowly lowers to my forearm. He seems a little nervous. "I never would have let you fall. I'd hold onto you tightly so you wouldn't be hurt. You mean so much to me, Crystal... I've had the deepest thing for you ever since 7th grade..."

Ding ding ding! There you have it! He's known me since 7th grade! But the big question still remains. Who is he?

I reply back, "You have?"

His hand slowly slides more down my forearm and he's now at my wrist. "Yes... I've wanted to tell you that ever since we met, but I had never gotten the chance to..."

"I'm sorry I never gave you the chance," I say, sympathetically. I feel bad now... I have known him for a long time and I treated him like that... "But can I ask you something?" I say looking up at his half face with big, flirtatious eyes. Oh, how I wanna rip his hat off! It's bothering me so much! I wanna know who he is!

Finally, after all the hand sliding, he reaches my hand and slowly smoothes it. I look down at our hands with a warm spark of love. We then interlock our hands and fingers together. I feel a burst of warmth right there and I can tell he's not faking it. He really does have a thing for me. And as soon as I find out who the freaking heck he is, I will love him back the same because I may have had a thing for him, too, when I figure out who he is.

"Sure, you can ask me anything," he says, passionately with a smile.

I ask, "Who are you?" A stupid smile comes in my face. Gosh, I'm such a moron when it comes to things like things.

He starts with a smile. "Well, Crys, I'm-"

Just then, the door in the room bursts open. It's his Rescue Team partner. "Come on, T-Dubs. More things need help." T-Dubs...? Is that actually his name...?

He quickly turns around and back towards me again. "Sorry, that's my partner. He really knows when to interrupt me." he says turning towards his partner, frustrated. He turns back to me. "And that's not my name, by the way. But, I have to go now..."

I sadly look at him. "Oh, okay."

He becomes sad, too. "I promise we'll see each other again."

"Okay. I'll see you whenever the time comes."

He responds, "Goodbye..."

"Goodbye..."

As he slowly moves away, we both sadly look as our lovely interlocked hands break apart. He then heads out the door with his partner.

I feel empty now. I never found out who he was. Hopefully, I'll see him again really soon. I really have fallen in love. I sit in the room, by myself, with nothing to do but think about my new crush. Or should I say the crush-I-had-for-forever-without-fully-realizing? I have nothing else to say, but this: Who is this undefined love of mine?

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