A Blue Rose

That Simple Smile

Declana

I went over to Ethan and the other boys. I talked to them about Keith and they said they'll include him. For some strange reason, whenever I talk to boys, they just do what I say, all expect Keith. I just wanted to do something nice for him for once. Even though I sometimes completely hate him! Once I talked some sense into those boys, I came back to where Paige and Keith were standing. "What did they say?"asked Paige. "They agreed to let Keith meet with them after school," I replied. Keith was just staring, and smiling at me. I felt a little tense, but at the same time, I really liked that smile. It was so simple. I smiled back. "Thanks, Declana," remarked Keith. I beamed. Just then, I noticed something different about Keith, something nice. I blushed. We both stared into each other eyes. There was an awkward silence, but a pleasant one. I could tell we we're both thinking the same crazy thing. A part of me gasped. Did I kind of like Keith? I didn't think that was even possible, who did? In fact, I've never had a single crush on a boy in my whole life, what makes now an exception?  Even more so to a boy I've known for nine whole years! But I don't have a crush on him, I guess I just like him a bit, as a friend. Still, I kept all of those mushed up feelings inside of me. Then another crazy thought rushed in my head. Does Keith kind of like me too? Yeah, I'm gonna definitely keep these thoughts all to myself. Suddenly, I feel kind of weird. I look over at Paige, staring at us both in confusion. And at the same time, me and Keith just snapped out it. "Okay," says Paige in a confused tone. The final bell rang, and it was time to go to class. I sighed and walked into the school by myself. This is gonna be a log day. During class, I could barely concentrate on work. I kept thinking about Keith. Is this a one time thing? Will we be real friends?  Finally the first classes of the day are over and it's time for our first break. I meet Paige and Keith in the hallway. "So, how was your math test Keith?" I ask him softly. "Oh, it was okay I guess. But I'm not sure I did that well," he replied with a croaked grin. "Me neither," I added. We giggled. "What are you talking about! It was easy!" exclaimed Paige. I could barley hear her. For the rest of the day, I mostly just chatted with Keith. About the usual, school, siblings, friends. And we understood each other perfectly! It's as if all of a sudden, Keith, the horrible beast I knew, just turned into prince charming. I guess I just never took the time to get to know him, and now I feel such a strong connection between us. And he feels it too. It's like he's my best friend. We held hands, for the first time. It was just that simple smile.