The More I Know, The Easier to Love You

CHAPTER I

I saw him for the first time in church that chilly spring morning. He sat in a pew near the front by the pastor. Dressed sharply in a purple, gingham, button-down. The sun came through the stained-glass above his head, making his brown, fluffy, hair, glow in the sunlight.

At the end of the service, he stood up and turned around to the pew behind him. His straight, white, teeth, presented a welcoming smile. His tan skin brought out his green eyes, and sharp jawline. He stood taller than his mother but, the same height, maybe slightly taller, than his father.

I am startled out of my day dream by my mother. "Greta, I see you staring. I know what you are thinking." She places a hand on my shoulder. Looking into my blue eyes and fixing my long, soft, dirty-blonde, hair, she giggles. I wiggle out from under her touch.

"What do you mean? I'm not staring at anything." She snickered at me and shook her head. She was too smart for my silly lies.

"I know you are looking at him. Campbell Sawyer. His family is coming over for brunch this afternoon. They are new to the neighborhood, all the way from South Carolina." I felt nervous the minute those words came out of her mouth. He is coming over?

I watch as Campbell and his mom and dad walk up to our family. "Campbell, this is the family who invited us for brunch after church today. He turns around from talking to what must of been his friend, and looks at me in the eyes. He was even more beautiful in person. He looked as if you would see him on the cover of a Calvin Klein magazine, I could only imagine what his abs must look like.

My dad introduces our family. "So nice to meet you Campbell. I am Todd Lawrence and this is my wife Lisa Lawrence and my 16 year old daughter Margaret, but we call her Greta." I smile nervously, my heart pounding, and my hands sweating.

Campbell reaches out to shake hands. "So nice to meet you all. I am looking forward to living in San Diego." He reaches his hand out to shake mine. Oh no. My hands are clammy, and I wipe them on the back of my navy dress.

We shake hands firmly. His hands were so soft, and so gentle. His dad looks at me and grins politely. "So great to meet such an amazing family like you. So Greta, do you play any sports? Or what sports does Finn Ridge offer?" Finn Ridge was my private school. I didn't realize Campbell would be going there too.

"I play field hockey and tennis. Finn Ridge actually has so many sports options like football, soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, I mean you name it and we probably have it." I make the Sawyer family laugh, and a weight of stress is taken off my back. I laugh with them.

"That is good. I play lacrosse and soccer so I hope I make the team." I nod awkwardly but my mom brings the attention to her by offering them to go ahead and head back to my house.

In the parking lot, I watch as Campbell and his family hop into their white, Range Rover and pull behind us to follow us to our home.

In the car my mom asks me what I think of Campbell. "He seems super polite, well obviously because he is from the south. Mom, are they like rich, rich?"

"Greta Reese! Don't make so many assumptions. I am not sure." The rest of the way home we are quiet. Soon enough we pull into the driveway of our white brick home, ivy crawling up the front. Campbell and his family park behind us.

"What a gorgeous home Todd." Campbell's mother says as she and her husband walk ahead with my parents to our backyard where brunch was set up by our maid, Eva.

I try to walk ahead of Campbell, hoping to not make contact with him, worried for what silly words I might impulsively say.

"Hey Greta?" I stop in my tracks and listen to the deep voice behind me. I felt tingly as he said my name. "You got a skateboard?"

I turn around and smile. "My brother has one. He left it here when he visited two weekends ago. He is in college now."

"Do you know how to skate?" I shook my head and he sighed with a smile while he looked up at the blue sky. "Really?"

"No, but you can use it if you want. It is in his room, i'll show you." I lead him into my house. He follows me patiently, as I struggle to unlock the front door.

"Wow, smart. Key under the front mat? Never heard that one before." I laugh a little and roll my eyes smiling. "Do you need help?"

"No, I've got it." My two french bulldogs, George and Frankie run up to greet Campbell at the door. "Oh! I hope you aren't afraid of dogs."

"Are you kidding? I love dogs. We had to leave ours with my Grandma in South Carolina. She is too old for a plane flight to San Diego." He kneels down to pet Frankie, whose white paws were green from running in the grass.

"Oh. I am so sorry you must miss her a ton." I say sympathizing him.

"I do, but it's okay." He shuts the door behind him and scans the foyer.

"Make yourself at home, I'll go get his skateboard and i'll be back down okay?" He nods while petting George and Frankie.

Upstairs, I grab Kyle's skateboard which was leaning up against his wall, and quickly head downstairs. I slid my hand down the banister, and he looks at me confused.

"You didn't change?" He asks disappointed.

"No... was I suppose to?" He laughs and heads outside.

"I thought you wanted me to teach you how to skate." He looked so handsome holding the skateboard, oddly attractive.

"Oh no, no, no." I shook my head and followed him down the driveway.

"Well alright then. You want to watch me?" He steps on the skateboard, and pushes himself with his other foot.

"Sure, I'll watch you." He speeds into the street and does a couple tricks. I think he was trying to impress me, but knowing me, I always think boys are doing something for me.

"Hey Greta, you want to see something? Hop on." He guides me to the skateboard parked in the middle of the road.

"Okay but first let me tell my parents."

"No. It's okay, trust me."
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- hey luvs! i'm working on chapter 2 rn. I promise it's get better, it's a SLOW burn, but trust me on this ;)