Donny & Lexi: A Love Story

"Your writing prompt is on the board," My English teacher, Mrs. Rodrel, barked from her desk.

I glanced at the board. The neat cursive read I didn't see it coming. But I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

What a boring prompt to write about. I thought as I tapped my pencil on the desk. I'm not writing about that.

My eyes started searching the room for something interesting to do. Everyone was frantically scribbling down a story about the dumb writing prompt. Disinterested, I started to pull out my phone so I could see what boring class my friends were in when I saw a girl whose beauty defied all laws.

Her hair was the color of daisies, and it probably smells just as good, too. Her eyes reminded me of the fake sapphires on my mom's favorite necklace. Her smile was brighter than the sun on a hot July day. I looked up and was surprised there wasn't a halo floating above her head.

The angel suddenly looked up at me. Those eyes are even bluer when they're looking right at you. I acted on my first impulse and gave her a flirty wink. Her eyes circled her head and she continued writing. I could already tell she couldn't resist me.

"Donny Phillips!" Mrs. Rodrel suddenly shouted, pulling my eyes away from the blonde beauty.

"Donny," Mrs. Rodrel continued. "What did you write?"

"Well..." I drew out, trying to figure out what to say. Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in my head. "I didn't see it coming," I began. "How could one person be so beautiful? Her blonde hair and ocean eyes are irresistible. And her looks are hot enough to melt a popsicle," I looked right into those ocean eyes when I said the last part."But I haven't stopped thinking about her since."

I watched as those deep eyes flitted between her desk and me, like a nervous butterfly.

"Very good description and figurative language Donny," My teacher praised. "However, if you can only write four sentences in 10 minutes then we might need to work on your time management."

I nodded my head and stared at the butterfly girl for the rest of class. I think I managed my time exceptionally well.

"Hey, dude!" I called out to my best friend, Dean, as we bumped fists.

"Hey,¨ He responded as he opened his locker.

"Do you see the girl over there? The one with the blonde hair," I pointed down the hall to where the girl I saw in English was talking with another girl with red hair.

"Lexi Bingham," He called over his shoulder as he pulled out his binder. "Big know-it-all and she's a brat. The Hermione Granger of Millborne Highschool. Why?"

"I was thinking of asking her out to the football game," I said, looking down at my shoes.

Dean's laughter filled the hallway. "Ask" gasp "Lexi" gasp "Bingham" gasp "out?" He finally wheezed out. ¨She's the smartest girl in our grade! Probably in the entire school! She's responsible and mature. And you're, well you're you,¨ Dean said all of this in one breath.

Maybe Dean is right. If Lexi really is as intelligent and mature as he claimed, then she would never go out with an oaf like me.

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¨Can you believe him, Melinda? He's such a flirt! All winks and stares, I bet he wouldn't put any work into a relationship. He would probably only date a cheerleader because he's so stuck up,¨ I ranted to my best friend.

"Gee for someone you don't like very much you sure do talk about him a lot." Melinda mocked me.

I rolled my eyes. ¨I do not like him, Melinda. He's so immature and annoying and...¨ I tried to come up with more reasons to hate him, but I couldn't. All I could think of was those amber eyes that I could spend hours getting lost in. And his strong jawline that had been chiseled to perfection. Without meaning to, I started staring at these features from across the lunchroom. His eyes looked in my direction, and those amber eyes were met with mine. I instinctively looked away, the temperature in my cheeks rising.

"I stare at people at people I don't like, too," Melinda sarcastically commented.

"Okay so maybe I do like him," I finally admitted. "But it doesn't matter. I've never talked to him. And he probably wouldn't want to go out with me anyways."

"Oh yeah. The guy who keeps on staring and winking at you doesn't want to go out with you."

"Well, you know how guys are. It's probably a dare or something," I reasoned with her.

"Well, you never know if you don't talk to him."

I nodded. Maybe Melinda was right. What do I have to lose?

"Hi," My voice shook slightly. He turned at the sound of my voice. His brown curly hair cutely flopped like an excited puppy's tail. "Um, it's Donny. Right?" I questioned.

He nodded his head. He looked like a kid waiting in the principal's office.

"I'm Lexi. I really liked the story you started in Mrs. Rodrel's class," I continued.

Donny cleared his throat, "Oh. Thanks," He was clearly disinterested. I can't believe I thought he was into me. I was right. He was just another stupid boy who had probably been dared to pretend he liked me. And I'm the fool who fell for it.

"I'll see you around," I started to leave, hoping that Donny would call my name, spin me around, and proclaim his love for me. But happy endings like that only happen in movies.

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I watched her walk away. Her hair swished slightly as she walked back to her red-haired friend. I wanted to call her name. She'd turn around, and I'd tell her how beautiful she is and then we'd magically be together. But fantasies like that don't happen in real life, at least not in mine.

Maybe that fantasy could be a reality if I had been brave enough to ask her out. Not even ask her out, if I could've just talked to her that would've been enough. But I didn't because all I could think about during that conversation was what Dean had said to me. He was right, I could never get a girl like Lexi.

But maybe I could've. If I had just talked to her.

Now I can't focus in math because all of these maybes are swimming laps in my head. Just circling and circling.

But they didn't have to be. If I had just talked to her. If I hadn't worried about what Dean thought. If... If... If...