Boys

Chapter 1: Freeing Oneself

    I had to shake my head a little to take in what just happened. Tyler still stood before me, his eyes locked on my pink cheeks and shaking hands. Beautiful. He called me beautiful.

     We had broken up almost exactly a week ago, and now, sitting in my perky blue graduation dress, was me standing before him. I didn't know how to react, so I just smiled and nodded, feeling my cheeks get warmer.

     You could tell as he walked away, that he was at least an inch shorter than me, yet he walked with such confidence. His strides long and steady, but inside, I could tell that he was slowly crumbling. I glazed down at my shaking hands and it only made me think of him, the way he steadied them with his own hands.
Flashback
"I really do not want to wear a dress for graduation" I grumbled as I pushed open the door of the dressing room. Tyler hesitated, a breath hanging on his lips. Standing there made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I know that I'm nowhere near fat, but I'm not one of those "model body" girls either. My sides are uneventfully flat and I keep my stomach sucked in most of the time. Still, his hand rested on my wimpy hip.
     "Why? You look cute in anything"
I sighed, the tips of my lips curled upwards, resisting a smile.
     "It's just... I don't feel... pretty" I groaned. His hand dropped like cement and he took another half step towards me, his eyes only reaching the bridge of my nose.
     "Jenna Lea, you are beautiful, you don't have to be insecure, you don't have to pretend that you aren't beautiful" I smiled and he entangled our fingers as I slipped back into the dressing room, separating our little connection.
Present Day

     I felt like puking, but I had already done that once before in front of Tyler, and I guess my stomach decided it was best not to anyway.

    I had talked my stomach into calming down, but my legs were still shaking, threatening to drop me. I shrunk down onto the floor, my legs laying out in front of me.

     "I'm fine, just nervous" I waved my hand at Nora as she stared worriedly down at me.

      Finally the time came when we were herded out towards the crowd. I glanced back at Tyler, but his head was faced forward, in what I assumed to be a hopeful smile. Even from where I was standing, I could see the light shine off of his dark brown eyes, the way they used to when I looked closely at him.

     I took my seat in the front and tried to look as if I wasn't in the middle of a crisis. I gave a big smile and tried to show the crowd how happy I was to be getting the hell out of 6th grade.

     But all I could think of was Tyler.