Boarding School Bliss

Chapter 11

"Hey." Samantha said, with a tentative smile.

Dawson glanced behind her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yep." Samantha nodded, walking closer to him.

His eyes lit with what Samantha could have sworn was amusement and he took off his reading glasses, sitting them to the side. "How'd you find me?"

"Pure luck." Samantha said, sitting down across from him.

Dawson raised his eyebrows in question and Samantha explained how she'd come to find him there.

"So, what's up?" She asked him when she finished her story.

He gave her a funny look and gestured to his papers, "Homework."

Samantha rolled her eyes and said, "You've been avoiding me."

Dawson blushed a little and looked away from her. "What makes you think that?" Samantha scoffed at that and he grinned a little. "Okay, maybe I have."

Samantha looked at him seriously. "Dawson. What you heard me tell Cara... I didn't mean it."

Dawson stayed silent, but he quirked his eyebrows at her.

"Cara's not really a nice person." Samantha said.

It was Dawson's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I know."

"And I have to be careful about the information I trust her with," Samantha continued. "Because she will find a way to use it against me."

Dawson looked away from her again and bit his lip nervously. "So there is someone important in your life?"

Samantha blushed again and cursed her pale skin, but she was determined to make it clear how she felt about him. She couldn't contain her smile as she said, "Yes."

A slow smile spread across Dawson's lips as he met her eyes again. He raised an eyebrow urging her on.

Samantha felt like she was going to throw up with nerves, but she forced herself to continue. Her voice came out barely above a whisper as she said, "I've liked you since the day I met you. And I've tried and tried to get you out of my head, but I just don't seem to be able to."

Dawson's face was pure shock followed by disbelief. He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "I find that hard to believe."

Samantha sat up straight. "You think I'm lying to you?"

Dawson smiled shyly. "No, not really. It's just hard to believe because I've had a crush on you for, oh," Dawson paused and looked as if he was trying to think of exactly how long and then he said, "forever."

Samantha laughed and felt the tension go out of her as her body flooded with relief. 

Dawson began spinning his pencil in his fingers as he continued talking. "I was avoiding you because I was embarrassed."

Samantha gave him an incredulous look. "Why?"

"Because I thought you liked me and then I tried to kiss you and you pulled away. Then I heard you tell Cara there was no one important in your life and I wanted to kick myself. I thought I had somehow deluded myself into thinking you liked me and made a fool of myself." Dawson tossed her an embarrassed grin.

"I wanted to kiss you," Samantha said, her voice returning to a nervous whisper. She could hardly believe she was saying those words to him. "But I wasn't... quite ready."

Dawson's smile faded and his eyes darkened as he held her gaze. He leaned in closer to her and tentatively intertwined his fingers with hers. "And now?"

Samantha's lips spread into a smile and she nodded. "Though I may faint." She warned him in a whisper, her face inches from his.

Dawson chuckled quietly, then he pressed his lips to hers.

His lips were soft and gentle, but at Samantha's enthusiastic response, he cupped the back of her neck with his other hand, pulling her closer. Samantha wrapped her fingers around his wrist and toyed with the leather strap he had tied there. Her heart sang with happiness as she fulfilled a lifelong fantasy. And it did not disappoint. When they pulled apart, Samantha was a bit breathless and happy to note that Dawson was as well. He scanned her face, a small smile tilting up the corner of his mouth.

"You didn't faint." He said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Samantha laughed breathlessly, "Thank goodness."

"I really wanted to do that at the Monte Cristo party." Dawson said.

Samantha pulled back, her mouth falling open in shock. "You knew it was me?"

Dawson laughed. "You knew it was me?"

"Of course." Samantha said, absentmindedly drawing circles on his wrist where her hand still rested. "I knew it was you as soon as I saw you."

"Me too. You looked really beautiful." He said, then added casually, "Though you always look really beautiful, so..."

Samantha blushed and looked down, struggling to contain her ridiculous smile.

Dawson laughed quietly and said, "I didn't realize it was so easy to make you blush."

Samantha groaned and covered her warm cheeks with her hands. "It's not, normally. It's just you."

Dawson's eyebrows went up. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You really should." Samantha said. Every time he blinked she was distracted by the way his lashes brushed the tops of his cheekbones. It was really unfair for a guy to be so attractive without trying.

They sat in the library and talked quietly, well into the night. The librarian never came to check on them making Samantha wonder if she even knew they were in there in the first place.

Samantha checked her phone and gaped at the time. It was one o'clock in the morning. "Oh, man, I should really go or I'm going to sleep through Lit tomorrow."

Dawson laughed. "And we don't want that." He looked down at the papers around him. "I think this is the first time I've forgotten about my homework."

Samantha giggled and said, "It's good for you every once in a while."

Dawson gathered his things and they left the library. Samantha finally got to see how he managed to sneak into the locked library all the time. It seemed he had a gift with locks.

They walked hand-in-hand down the hallway until they reached the point where they were to split ways.

"Goodnight." Samantha said, suddenly shy again.

She felt like they'd been in their own private bubble all night and she wasn't sure how to act now that they were reentering the outside world. She turned to walk away, but Dawson grabbed her hand and tugged her back to him. He placed a light, sweet kiss on her cheek and gave her a grin. He told her goodnight and headed back to his room. Samantha wandered back to her room in a daze. It was a miracle she didn't get lost along the way.

Author's note: Eek. Emotions. Alright, whew, here y'all go! Let me know what you think and vote if you like it!!