That Beautiful Boy... and Me

Chapter 1: Surprise Encounter

Okay guys. Well, I've never really done this before but I've been reading morning, noon and night on Wattpad and I just felt like it was my turn to give it a go. This is probably really bad and I'll take whatever criticism you give me (within reason), but if there is even a slight chance that a story of mine could give others as much enjoyment as the amazing stories I have read have given me, then it's worth a try. Just bare with me. I'm new to this and i really only have a vague idea where this plot is going, but don't worry we'll get there. Thank you all in advance for reading :) I really appreciate it.... Enjoy! :D

This is dedicated to Kirsty1000, the author that made me fall in love with Wattpad. 

Photo of Alex on the side ---------------------->

______________________________________________________________________________

I looked across the crowded hallway of Brookville high and there he stood; the epitome of masculine beauty. He was tall, his broad shoulders back and his sculpted chest pushed out, exuding more confidence than I could ever dream of possessing. There was no denying it, he had the body of a god, with the facial features to match. He was nothing short of perfection. His grey-blue eyes shone from under slightly grown out chestnut hair. His strong jaw and oh-so kissable lips only added to his appeal. Just when I thought I could not possibly be any more transfixed by such a beautiful boy, I was proven to be terribly wrong. His eyes caught mine and a smile tugged at his lips, captivating me further as he showed his perfectly straight pearly whites.

I knew in that instant that he had undoubtedly caught me checking him out, but what’s more I just didn’t care. It wasn’t as though I’d never laid eyes on him before, but for the first time in the four years I’d known Nate, I was seeing him in a totally different light.

He and I had met our first day of high school, after being paired together for a get-to-know-your-classmates session. Me, being the shy, somewhat awkward 15 year old, had barely talked at first. Nate was a really nice guy, probably almost as reserved as me, but nonetheless he had actually gotten a conversation out of me, which really was something! He was just so easy to talk to, but as it turned out, he became best friends with my older brother rather than me. That's not to say we weren't friends; we were. I developed a relationship with Nate that I'd never had with anyone else. He understood me when no one else seemed to and he was the one person I felt I could be myself with. We were complete opposites, but in truth I think that's what made us such a great pair.

In the hierarchy that was high school, Nate came out on top. He developed from the shy young boy to the most popular kid in school. By senior year he was captain of the football team, a self-confessed player and the ultimate bad boy of Brookville High. He had high school to a fine art. He was a straight-A student, a member of student council and a real charmer and for these reasons teachers and students alike worshipped the ground he walked on. In their eyes he was god! No prank too big, no step too far. He just didn’t get into trouble! He was the kind of person all the guys wanted to be and all the girls wanted to date.

Then there was me. Boring old Alex Henderson. I don’t know how I would class myself. Sure, I was smart. I got good grades but I wasn’t a nerd, I just paid attention in class and was lucky enough to be blessed with somewhat of a photographic memory. I wasn’t exactly a loner either, I had quite a few very close friends and got on with most of the people in my year, but by no stretch of the imagination was I one of the popular kids. I didn’t have the money they had. I didn’t dress in designer clothes and I sure as hell didn’t drive around in daddy’s beamer like so many of the other girls who lived around here.

Brookville was a town like most others. It had its wealthy built-up areas, along with those that were more run-down and a little rough round the edges. I happened to find myself somewhere in the middle. My family were by no means rich but we didn’t live on the poverty line either. I suppose you could say that we were comfortable. My parents worked extremely hard to keep it this way, so much so that I rarely ever saw them in fact. That really got to me sometimes. I know they thought they were doing right by my brother and I, but we would both rather give up some of our comforts to spend more time as a family. My dad worked as an editor in a big-time publishing firm upstate. His work meant that he did a lot of travelling for book tours and the like. He was very hands-on as an editor and saw all his projects from the creative process right through to sale. He was good at his job, probably one of the best around, but seriously underpaid for the amount of time and effort he put in. It was clear though that my dad loved his job. He had a passion like nothing I’d ever seen. It was abundantly clear every time he read a book, like some sort of witchcraft or a magic art form. He got this wholehearted smile on his face, one that lit up his eyes. I loved seeing that look. The one of pure unadulterated bliss he felt doing what he loved.

My mom was a recently graduated lawyer. She’d only finished law school a mere two years ago, having returned to college as a mature student. Law fascinated her. Personally, I didn’t see the attraction, but she was happy. Being newly qualified meant a lot of hard work on her part to reach where she wanted to be, the very top. She dreamed of being a senior partner in the largest law firm in the state, which conveniently enough was only a mere thirty minute journey from our home.

Someone called my name, clearing their throat and simultaneously pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up and my eyes found his, those beautiful grey-blue orbs. “Alex?”, he said again, but still I didn’t reply. I was frozen where I stood, mesmerized by his piercing gaze, by eyes that seemed to see right into my soul.

A smirk appeared on his beautiful face and right then I knew I was in trouble. He knew he had me, that he had me just like all those other girls, and I knew it too.

“Alex?... hello?”, he tried again and this time it finally registered in my brain. I mentally shook myself, tearing my eyes slightly from his gaze. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a string of unintelligible syllables.

He let out a small chuckle, one that made the hairs on my arms stand on end and gave me goosebumps all over. How could one little sound seem so unbelievably sexy? And how could it make me feel this way? My heart racing, my palms sticky, butterflies in my tummy….this was just ridiculous! ‘GROW UP ALEX!’, I thought to myself, ‘He’s just some boy. He’s just Nate!’

“O-oh, h-hey, Nate!”, I managed to stutter out.

“Hey, yourself!”, he exclaimed, cool as ever. “How’ve you been Alex? It’s been forever.”

I stood with my mouth agape, looking at him like some prized idiot. My body was reacting to him in ways it never had and I just didn't know how to deal with that. I couldn't move, I couldn't think and worst of all, I couldn't talk. He was watching me expectantly, waiting for my reply with a look of confusion clouding his features. We had always had an easy friendship and I had never once been lost for words around him. That was until now. Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I decided I'd better answer him. This was ridiculous. 

“Ah I’m great thanks, Nate. How about you?”, was the genius response I came up with.

“Not so bad as it turns out. Hey, Alex. I got to go, I’ll catch you later.” And with that he turned on his heel, getting lost in the crowd as he walked off in the opposite direction.

As I stood in the hallway absentmindedly staring at the spot where the hottest guy in our year had just disappeared, I started replaying the scene over in my mind- our eyes meeting, that beautiful smile, and then our brief-yet totally existent- conversation. What baffled me was my reaction. Why all of a sudden was I feeling this way? I'd known Nate Lewis for four years and not once had I ever had that reaction to him. It was like I was seeing him again for the first time, like he wasn't just Nate. As I made my way out of the school building, something started to bubble inside me, something that resembled attraction and a smidgen of hope. I hoped he wanted to talk to me as much as I suddenly wanted to talk to him and not just out of politeness. Somewhere deep inside I probably knew it was too good to be true, but for now I was going to let the overwhelming happiness I felt consume me as all day my mind wandered to the beautiful creature that was Nate Lewis.

____________________________________________________________________

Comment and let me know what you think...