She stops. She wants to talk to him, but his friends haven’t left yet. You just had to pick today to stay after school, didn't you? As that thought crosses her mind, she notices his last friend hop into a car and speed away. He stands outside the school, alone. Finally! Then, she realizes that she is supposed to make her feet move toward him. Letting out a breath she evens out her black ‘I heart San Francisco’ sweatshirt and paces forward.
“Hey, you look like a loner over here,” she jokes.
He turns slightly so that they were face-to-face. “Nope, I’m pretty sure that’s you,” he says with a smile. Then, everything else surrounding them disappeared for her. Her stomach twisted into impossible knots and her breathing sped up. She didn't have to look in the mirror to know her face was as bright as a cherry. She couldn't help herself, so she beamed back. She took in his blue zip-up, worn jeans, dark chocolate brown hair cropped short, and his dazzling smile.
That was when her grandpa decided to pull up in front of them, startling her. She stifled a sigh. “That’s me.”
“Talk to ya Monday.”
Pulling out of the parking lot she asked if they could head to Wendy’s for some french fries and a Frosty, hoping that would subside her racing mind. It didn't. That night went by too leisurely. She couldn't stop thinking about their little interaction. A small conversation turned into a very, very, very long weekend. The last person she thought she would fall for was now passing through her mind like Christmas would pass through a little boy or girl’s mind.
Now, I still get those same feelings. Knotted stomach, fast breathing, and I can’t think straight, even after the rumors have faded and mostly everyone has moved on. I will give him a tight hug after school and be thinking about it the rest of the night. We will text each other every night and I will look forward to the next day. The days seem to run away from my tight grip and leave me lying in bed, restless. The weekends come and I struggle to find a way to keep myself busy. My face hurts by the end of the day because of smiling so much. But that doesn't stop my muscles from turning upward every time I see his face. I never thought I would fall so hard. Hopefully he will be there to catch me.