Short Love Stories

The Story of Us

July. August.

The sun is bright and high up in the late afternoon sky. It's a beautiful day out. There's even a light breeze, gently fluttering the leaves of the trees that line the street. The buildings and the houses and the scenery all blur together as the bus rolls along the busy street. Outside one of the bus windows, as the bus slows down in the traffic, are the grassy greens of the golf course. Along the sidewalk walks a young girl, around sixteen, alone and holding up her iPod as she views the screen. She is completely oblivious to her surroundings as she walks on. Nearby—only a few feet behind—is a boy about her age with a mop of floppy copper-colored hair behind and of a tall, gangly figure. He too is immersed as he fumbles with a black phone he holds in his hands. They continue walking, completely unaware of each other's presence until little by little they start gaining on each other, and eventually, the light haired boy manages to crash into the girl. The girl lets out a small exclamation of surprise as they stumble, and the boy grabs her by the forearm to stop her from falling. They both wear equal expressions of surprise on their faces as they turn to look at each other. The girl pulls out her ear buds and her reaction slowly changes from shock to wonder as she stares to the boy who meanwhile lets out a stream of apologies. She gives him a small smile and nods her head, nervously tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. The boy says something else to her that makes a small smile unfold and she nods again. They both go on their separate ways, and that moment is now left behind them.

September. October.

It's raining. Students are let out early because of heavy downpour, and a girl is running down the sidewalk. She stops every now and then to take cover over any kind of shelter she can find before taking off again. Along the way she runs into a boy. The boy offers her cover under his black backpack which he holds above his head. It's not much, but he insists and the girl smiles and gratefully accepts. They both start to run together, and laughter consumes them. When they've reached the corner of the street where they part ways, they both leave but the smiles on their faces remain.

November.

It's cold outside. A girl is walking by herself, hands buried deep in her pockets. From behind, a boy runs after her. He calls out something, and she stops. She waits for him to catch up and when he does, they both continue walking. She balances a small rectangular black case with one arm, and he offers to carry it for her. Poking out of his back pocket are some drumsticks, which she gestures to. They begin to talk animatedly, and almost miss the corner where they go separate ways. The boy hands her the case, and pretends to play the instrument, fingers flying about. The girl shakes her head, laughing, and takes his hands, moving them in the right positions. He shakes his head and pulls out his drumsticks, immediately pounding the air as he pretends to play a tenor drum. The girl smiles as she waves goodbye to him and starts to walk away. He watches her leave, a smile on his face.

December. January. February.

It's slightly windy and a girl is walking alongside a tall gangly boy wearing a black hoodie. He carries her instrument case in his other hand, just as he's been doing for the past couple of months now. They're talking and laughing as they walk along the busy street and stop on the corner. She hugs him goodbye and waves and he hands her the case. As she starts to walk away, he takes out his phone and immediately starts dialing a number. A few feet away the girl freezes and takes out her phone. She stares at the screen for a moment, confusion building on her face, and then answers it. She turns around and makes a funny face at him, but is quickly replaced by a look of surprise as he speaks. She hangs up and slowly walks back to him, and nods her head, almost tentatively. The boy grins even wider and then he takes her hand and her instrument case and begins to walk her home.

March. April. May.

The months fly by, and a boy and girl walk hand in hand alongside the street. It is late afternoon and they both wear identical crimson shirts with the words CLAIREMONT HIGH MARCHING BAND in white on the back. The girl is leaning against his arm, and he reaches down to kiss her head. She smiles up at him and wraps both of her arms around his middle. She reaches up and fingers the little curls that form on the nape of his neck, and he stops. He grabs her face and leans down quickly, crashing his lips down onto hers. For a moment her eyes are wide with shock but then they sink close as her hand curls around the back of his head, holding him tightly to her. When they break apart several moments later, he grins down at her and she smiles back, slightly flushed. He takes her hand again and kisses the back of it, before swinging his arm around her shoulders and they start to walk again. As they walk home together, she looks up at him and smiles. Her lips move, and his lips don't hesitate to mimic hers.

            I love you.