From strangers to penguins

7

I sat in psychology trying to focus on the different parts of the brain, but I could not focus. This is the first time I saw Cayden since talking to Kristy. I liked him and I couldn't hide it from my self anymore. I turned to a new page and starting writing. When I was done, I tore it out and folded it up. I slid it to Cayden and watched his eyes as they perked up. He folded the paper back up and slipped it into his pocket. I packed my bag up and slid out of my chair, leaving in the middle of class. I waited outside of the building and a couple of minutes later Cayden joined me. 

"Where are we going?" He asked me, and I just took his hand and started walking. We started walking through a field and he looked at me again. "Are you gonna murder me?" I rolled my eyes at him as we walked into the forested area after the baseball field, and we arrived infront of a small building. I took the key out of my backpack and ushered Cayden in. I shut the door behind me and he looked around. "What is this place?" He questioned as I got comfortable on the beanbag with a blanket. I shrugged. 

"It used to be the storage room for baseball equipment, but since they have redid the locker rooms, it went abandoned. Kristy and I found it and made it our own." He sat on the other beanbag chair and looked around at the tapestries plastering the walls and ceiling. "No one else knows about it." I told him and he nodded. 

"Why did you take me here?" He asked, and I looked anywhere but his eyes not knowing what to say. Why did I take him there? The only people who had been there were Andy, Kristy, and Devin. Memories of us in here rushed to my head. Memories of Devin and I. Laughing, smoking, talking about life. "Are you okay?" Cayden broke the silence bringing me out of the memories. I shrugged and he got up and sat next to me. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and bring me close. "I like you Lexie." He told me as he ran his hand through my hair. I leaned into him and stayed quite.

"Why?" I whispered, trying not to cry. He turned so that he was facing me. 

"I didn't know you when you were head cheerleader, and I didn't think anything of you because I thought you were the same as every other cheerleader. But then I saw you at the skatepark and it was different. Theres something special about you. I can sit in pure silence with you freezing my ass off, but im still happy. And if you can make me that happy without talking to me, I can only imagine how happy you could make me if you let me in."

"Im damaged." 

"Everyone is." I leaned towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his arms slither around my back and they grew tighter as he pulled me in. After a couple of minutes I pulled away and sat there playing with my necklace. "You know ive never seen you without that necklace. Even when you used to cheer, you had that necklace." He told me and I looked up at him. He laid down so that he was staring at the ceiling and I did the same. I waited for him to talk more, but he didn't. I shut my eyes and let my mind drift away to the day I got this necklace.

Dev and I were sitting in his bedroom listening to records, which was a common occurrence. We were laying on the floor, his head in my lap as I played with hair, when he abruptly got up. He walked over to his desk and pulled a small box from the drawer. "Grabbing a condom?" I joked, and he smiled as he sat across from me. He handed me the little box, and when I opened it there was a necklace. In the middle of the chain was a heartbeat symbol. I smiled and looked up at him.

"I was never in a relationship before you." He started out. "I never thought that it was worth it. But then I met you, and my whole world changed. You took all the things that I did on a daily basis and made them a million times better. I never thought that I was the type to fall in love, but you made me fall hard. Bunny, I love you." That was the first time he said I love you. That was the day that his heart was mine. I know that its still mine, but its different. I carry his heart with me everyday by wearing this necklace, but I knew I would never feel the warmth of his heart again. I needed that warmth again, and Cayden was starting to give it to me. 

I came back to reality and could feel Cayden next to me even though we werent touching. I could feel the heat radiating off of him, keeping me warm. I wanted to trust him to keep me warm. I wanted to believe that he wouldn't leave. "I like you too Cayden." I spoke out, and then went back to day dreaming.