Free Love and Hate by Chelsea Ballinger Page B

your
being watched?
    Well, I just got that feeling. So
I turn to my right to see who was watching me and it is probably the best thing
I have ever done. A simple thing. It’s funny how simple things we do can lead
to something extraordinary.
    It’s him, the guy from Naomi’s
party. It’s the guy that left the most desirable impression on me.  I can’t believe
this. If this was a movie a love song would have come on once our eyes met. Or
screw a love song; it would be one of those movie love themes that play on
Oscar films like the Notebook or Meet Joe Black.
     I try to refrain from smiling,
but I can’t. It’s like as soon as I turned around and saw him that fire in me
suddenly grew again. Like a light bulb was turned on or something. I can’t help
but to feel warm when I look at him. He slowly smiles at me in return. That
same broad smile he gave me the first time we saw each other. His eyes are a
bright blue and they completely consume me. They consume me so much that I feel
sad when he blinks. I guess he’s blinking a lot right now because he’s as
shocked as I am right now. He’s here at my school. He’s here sitting right next
to me. Is it possible to feel this overjoyed over someone you barely know?
    “Alright, you know the drill.
Clear your desks except for a pencil. We are going to have a quiz to see if you
know anything from two weeks ago. If you’re new, hopefully your last school taught
you something.” I hear Mr. Dugan, but I can’t take my eyes off the boy next to
me.
    Okay, Claudia, stop drooling. Remember
this guy didn’t call.  But am I crazy for not caring about that right now? I
just care that he’s here, smiling at me.
    We both snap out of it as soon as
Mr. Dugan gives us our quizzes. I want to hurry up with this quiz so I can
leave and talk to the guy of my dreams.
    During our quiz, we keep sneaking
quick glances at each other. I’m blushing so hard right now I feel like I’m
going to burst.
    With only ten minutes left I
finish the last question and grab my stuff and head up front. I pass the quiz
to Mr. Dugan and glance back to see my guy not too far behind. I walk out to
the hallway and lean up against the lockers.
     I’m so nervous. What am I going
to say? It’s been a year. A whole freaking year! It really feels longer than
that.
    I hear the classroom door next to
me open and close. I continue staring down at the floor while he slowly walks
in front of me. A pair of black combat boots step into my view. I look up to
see the same blue eyes, staring at me with that same intense gaze they did that
night. All I want to do right now is kiss him. God what is this? Everything I’m
feeling now is the same as when I first met him. The spark is still there.
    Okay, say something. Claudia, say
something.
    “Hi.” Thank God he said something
first.
                            “Hey.”
I say nervously
    We continue standing silent probably
for the next thirty seconds.
    “Look, I am so sorry I never
called. A lot happened that night and I lost my phone” Yes! I was right, he did
lose his phone. “And it killed me, It killed me because as crazy as it is, I
lost you, and...”
    “I thought about you every day.”
The words just come out of my mouth. “That’s crazy isn’t it?”
    “No. It’s not because I thought
about you every day too. There was so many bad stuff going on and the good
things I thought about… included you. I thought about you all the time.” I sigh
at relief.
    He walks closer to me and drops
his bag on the floor. He places his hands on my waist. My heart jumps at the
feel of his touch. He looks the same, but also different. His hair is cut and
his arms are a little bigger like he’s been working out.
     I realize I’m not breathing
because when he rests his forehead against mine, I instantly exhale a long
breath. I place my hands on his forearms and close my eyes. I can feel his
muscles through his coat.
    This feels nice. It