Melody's Crush

Chapter 1

There was a tap on the window before I heard the squeaking of hinges as it opened. Two booted feet plopped down on the floor before the window was closed.

"Ready?" asked an all too familiar voice.

My heart gave a little skip as I smiled to myself anticipating what Jake would be wearing today. Turning, I eyed him carefully taking in the splendor of his presence from head to toe and back again for a second trip.

"Well?" he asked teasingly. "Does this meet with your approval?"

I squinted my eyes while wrinkling my nose causing my black rimmed glasses to rise above my eyebrows, pretending as if I really had to think about it. But this guy could make a garbage bag and old man slippers look GQ. Literally. Since that is what he wore for Halloween last year after losing a bet with his buddies and he still took first prize.

My eyes refused to close as he walked over towards me, standing so close that I could smell the musky scent of his cologne mixed with the warmth of his skin. Ah, Jake Obsession. If I could bottle it, I would make a fortune. It just made every bit of my Spidey senses tingle.

What I loved most was his height. During the first of the year in ninth grade, I used to tease him about being shorter as I was a forehead taller than him. By Christmas, he shot up and just kept on going. From then on, he never missed the opportunity to tease me about my height and I learned a very valuable lesson.

Tease harder before the window of opportunity closes!

Standing in front of me now, Jake easily towered over me by half a foot and I was certainly no half-pint. My heart raced a thousand miles a second as I stared at his slightly exposed chest, his skin warm and inviting.

It's enough to drive a girl crazy!

Holding my breath, I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks as I reached upward to button the one button that would offer me my sanity back. My knuckles lightly brushed his chest as I tried and failed to fasten it due to my knees rebelling against my weight.

"Hey!" His sudden displeasure caused a pop in my libido bubble. I gasped at the unexpected hold he had on my wrists preventing me from getting the little button securely through the hole. I bit my lip in order to muffle the odd sound coming from my throat.

Don't let go. Please, don't let go!

"I like it open." He smacked both of my hands playfully before taking a step backward.

Damn.

Then I felt a resounding pop against my forehead knowing full and well it was going to leave a raspberry mark all through breakfast.

Strike one.

"Ahhhh damn it, Jake!" Rubbing my forehead tenderly, I pushed him so hard he fell back on my bed. Laughing, he easily bounced back up, flicked the tip of my nose as if I were a child he was teasing before heading out my bedroom door.

Strike two.

"Jake," my mother chided as he bumped into her in the hall. "I really wish you would use the front door."

I could hear him kissing her on the cheek and there was no doubt my mother melted in the palm of his hands.

Strike three.

Mom felt that Jake could do no wrong and never once believed him to be a threat to her one and only virtuous daughter. Of course, that didn't say much about me and it actually was so annoying that she felt so comfortable with him being constantly around me that I just wanted to strangle her. Visions of her daughter making out with one of the hottest guys in school just never seemed to cross her mind. And to my disappointment, his either.