DISGUYSED

The Wrong Foot

I skipped around the classroom, leaving pastel colored heart shaped cards on each students desk. I had always loved Valentines Day.

Even though I had moved here from Pennsylvania a week before, I’d gotten settled into Florida rather quickly and made an effort to learn everyone’s names, so I made every one Valentines Day cards.

I looked around at my classmates as they opened the cards on their desks, grinning and laughing, sitting with their friends as they ate the candy taped to the store bought cards. I smiled. I couldn’t help it; I was a cheery kid.

My basket of cards empty, I skipped back to my desk, my pigtails bouncing behind me. I sat down at my desk, my grin turning into a frown. I couldn’t believe it. I had no cards.

“Ronnie?” A tiny voice beckoned. I looked up, surprised to see the face in front of me through my tear stained eyes.

My lip wobbled, and I wiped my tears away with my fist. I put on a fake smile, but I still shook like a little baby. “H-hey, Paxton.”

Paxton’s beautiful green eyes shone with excitement as he handed me a lavender colored heart-shaped card. I reached out hesitantly, my hands shaking violently. I opened it, my cheeks growing red as I read the card to myself.

Dear Ronnie,
You’re beautiful when you smile.
-Paxton

My face felt hot. My heart beat to the point where I felt like it’d leap from my chest. I heard my blood pumping in my ears. I felt my stomach doing cartwheels. What was this feeling?

“It’s true, you know.” He said, smiling, drawing my attention back to his green orbs, “So don’t cry.” He said, boldly wiping a tear off my cheek.

His touch shot a thousand feelings through my stomach. “You shine when you smile.”

My heart clenched. He’d called me beautiful.

“Pax, over here!” A redhead named Harry called from across the room. Paxton took once last glance at me, and smiled.

“Happy Valentines Day, Ronnie.” He said, beaming as he walked off.

I waved goodbye, still in shock. When he was gone, I read the card over and over again.

He’d called me beautiful.

I blushed. My mind went back to what he’d said. You shine when you smile.

I held the card to my heart, biting my lower lip bashfully, like a little girl who’d found her first crush.

Not nearly as bright as you, Paxton Adamson

******

“Hey, wake up!” I heard a voice cry angrily, shaking me with force. My eyelids fluttered up from my peaceful dream to reality.

“I-I’m up! I’m up!” I screamed, sitting up quickly, almost banging my head on the second bed above me. I ran a hand through my messy bed head and looked to my side at who’d woken me up.

“Who are you?” He said, his eyes wide like saucers, his lips pointed down into an angry frown. Despite his angry disposition, that boy was incredibly handsome. He had pale skin, and his face was clear of any blemishes, aside from a tiny beauty mark below his right eye. His light brown hair was all over the place, his bangs sweeping over his face, and his eyes—oh, his eyes—a metallic silver ring around the pupils, surrounded by a deep, but very beautiful, storm gray. There were little specks of bright electric blue inside the gray, and a small ring around it. It was a blue that you could spot from a mile away.