Crush

1. High School

I walked down the halls of Evansville High and pass by HIM. Grant Walker. My heart fluttered in my chest, getting a quick side eye view of his chiseled chin, perfect smile, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He laughed at something Joe said, his buddy next to him, at his locker. The moment was quick, too quick, as I had to press on and fast walk to algebra.

Right before I stepped into the doorway of the classroom I heard a loud bang of the lockers. "Get out of my way fat ass!" Marshall Barrot glared down at poor Carter Hawkins, who was now on the ground surrounded by his papers and books. I could see people staring and whispering as they just kept walking and ignoring what had happened.

Carter had always struggled with his weight since middle school, but High School had been torture for the many who didn't fit that perfect profile of outgoing and an attractive standard body type. I had a few embarrassing instances myself that I knew that feeling of being stared at and whispered about in the hallways.

I stopped and walked over to Carter and bent down and picked up some papers. "Here, are you okay?" I asked. He kept his eyes down to the ground, his long sandy blond hair covering his facial features in embarrassment. "You don't have to do this, I'm fine!" He said roughly. I handed him the papers I already picked up, and he carefully took them before looking up to me.

His deep blue eyes looked slightly red, his hair just brushing over the top of them. They widened a little and lingered on mine and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Sorry, I just...wish that ass hole would just leave me alone." He apologized.

I sighed. "It's okay, but definitely don't let what he says get to you...you're not..."

"Hey, don't patronize me, I am what I am. But, thanks a lot." He looked back down to his books and we both stood up.

I nodded, "Its no problem, I better get to class" I turned around and headed to Mr. Taylor's Algebra class. Once I sat in my seat, I set down my book and heard HIS voice as he was walking through the door and he sat down in the desk in front of mine. His freshly cut dark hair staring back at me. Joe sat next to him continueing their hallway conversation but then quieted once the teacher stood up and stepped towards the whiteboard.

Mr. Taylor began to start the lesson, I doodled some hearts in my journal while taking notes in between. Grant wasn't just some good looking football player, he was always sweet to anyone around him. I have had many classes with him since kindergarten. We had hung out on the monkey bars a couple times at recess, his smile was burned into my memory.

I began to focus back in on the lesson when I realized Mr. Taylor was passing out a pop quiz.

"Hey, could I borrow a pencil?" Grant's dark eyes caught me off guard and I froze. I blinked when he waved in front of my face and I closed my gaping mouth. "Did you hear me Alina?"

"Sorry, yes!" I pulled an extra pencil, feeling giddy that this moment could be it. The moment he thinks about when he goes home today. His lips curved into a delicious smile. "Thanks, Alina!" He turned back around and I heard Joe snicker before taking my pencil from Grant.

The last class of the day was my favorite, band. I loved music, and creating it was something beautiful. My favorite instrument would be the piano, but I played the flute in band. I grabbed my flute in its case and made my way to my seat, sitting next to my stand partner Kelsey.

The best way to describe Kelsey was a perfectionist. We were always stuck next to eachother each year, her in first chair, me in second. I didn't mind though, I didn't enjoy solos and the spotlight that first chair can give off.

When practice was over, we followed our normal routine, Kelsey was in charge of the sheet music and put her pencil away, while I cleaned and took my flute back apart and put it in its case. A shadow appeared in front of me. I looked up and smiled.

"Hey bitches!!!" Miranda, my best friend since diapers held her drum sticks in one hand and leaned on our stand. Kelsey sneered and tried to push the stand back to perfectly straight.

"Hey Miranda, excited for the Football game Friday?" I asked knowing she hated that we were required to be at them.

"You betcha, I love sitting in the stands and watching high school boys try and play football." She rolled her eyes. "But, I actually came down here to ask, what the hell did you do to Carter?" I raised an eye brow. Carter played in percussion on the snare drums as well as Miranda.

"What do you mean?" I begin to turn my head and she took her fingers to my chin and snapped it back to her. "No, don't look, but he has been looking at you A LOT during practice."

I gave her a shrug. "Oh, I mean I helped picked up his stuff after Marshall pushed him down, but I don't know why he'd be looking at me.." She shrugged as well. "You staying after to play again today?" I nodded and stood up to take my case to the cupboard where it is stored between days. "Well, okay, I will see you tomorrow!"

The final bell rang out and I walked against the crowd to go into the stage room. The stage room normally was left alone for about an hour after school let out, before the theatre kids used it to rehearse. It had a piano on the stage, and it was the best part of my day, where I could go and play without worry. I didnt like playing in front of crowds.

I stepped in the door to the stage and set my bag down and went to the piano bench and sat down. Looking over the black and white keys I ran through my mind a list of songs and settled on "Only Hope" that Mandy Moore sang in A Walk to Remember.

"There's a song that's inside of my soul. Its the one that I've tried to write over and over again.
I'm awake in the infinite cold. But you sing to me over, and over and over again."

My hands glided on the keys and it was satisfying each time my voice matched the same melody or harmony as the keys. It resonated and bounced off the walls and into my ears.

"So, I lay my head back down, and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours, I pray to be only yours and I pray to be only yours, I know now, you're my only hope"

I ended the final notes and closed my eyes satified when I heard a muffled sound from behind the piano. I looked and saw someone out of the shadows of the curtains appear.

"That was beautiful, you sounded great" Carter Hawkins had his hands in his pockets walking out. I blushed and stood up grabbing my books from the floor.

"Sorry, I should be going" I rushed past and he turned with me.

"I didnt mean to upset you, I just heard you playing and wanted to listen. Do you mind if joined you?" I stopped and turned around.

"You play the piano?"

"A little, mostly just chord progressions, but I've been wanting to duet with someone, it's more fun..." He replied taking his hands out of his pockets.

"Sure" I set my things back down and followed him over to the piano bench. We had to touch slightly because of the space available, and he was warm.

He put his hands out and hit the first chord. "Wait," I stopped him, "I don't know what you're going to play" I giggled.
"You'll probably recognize it, It's in the top ten" He smirked, I nodded and he played the chord to start again.

"Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining. Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying, she's so beautiful and I tell her everyday"

I blush as he nods for me to sing the next verse.

"Yeah, I know, I know when I compliment her she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me 'Do I look okay?' I say"

He joined me on the chorus and I sung a high harmony.

"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are"

When the song was finished he smiled at me, and I saw he had dimples I never noticed before. His blue eyes stared into mine. I turned my head and stood up. "I better go, I normally only play for a few minutes, I don't want my mother to worry."

He sighed slightly disappointed, but smirked. "It's okay"

I picked up my bags and went on home.