The next morning at school feels different in the best way possible. Other than my biceps being sore from climbing up and down the tree in front of Candi’s room, everything seems… perfect.
She looks… I don't know the right word. Amazing wouldn't begin to cover it. She straightened her hair today, and she'swearing a grey plaid skirt that hits the middle of her thigh. Her argyle sweater fits snug in all of the right places. The tall, wool, black socks have my eyes trailing from her leather oxfords to the hem of her skirt. I wonder if she can feel me gawking from my locker all the way at the end of the hall. All I want to do is get her alone somewhere and kiss her until we can no longer breathe. She is my oxygen. My personal form of heroine.
“The show is only a little over a week away. Are you ready?” I forgot Rayne was standing next to me at his locker, now zipping one of the larger pockets of his bag.
“Ugh… yeah,” my stutter gives away that I'm distracted, no matter how much I'm trying to seem like I've been paying attention to whatever the hell he's been saying this whole time.
“Did you ask Candi if she’d come?”
“Yeah… she said yes.”
“Really?” I can hear the disbelief in his tone, but I don't blame him. It's a dream I still haven't woken up from. I don't think I'll believe it until I see her standing in the crowd.
“Yeah. I asked her last night,” I begin while throwing my backpack over my shoulders. “I'm as shocked as you are…”
“That’s awesome, man!” He pats me hard on my aching upper arm. “She'll get to see you be the badass you are on the bass!”
“Yeah… she'll see something like that.”
“Listen, Andrew. Don't talk yourself down like that. You're the best bass player in this shit town.”
“Wow, thanks…”
“Shut the hell up, asshole. You know what I mean…” He playfully teases as we start making our way to first period.
“It's okay, Rayne. I love you too…”
As he walks into the classroom, I do my best to follow, but the rubber on the bottom of my boots must be glued to the tile. I feel frozen in time the closer she walks to the open door. The tiredlook on her face brightens, and her blank expression widens into a grin.
“Good morning, Andy.” Her sweet greeting makes the urge to touch her stronger.
“Good morning, beauti- Candi.” My sentiment feels like tangled electric chords in my throat. “You look beautiful today.”I love the way I make her cheeks match the color of her hair.
“Thank you… Maybe we should go sit down…” she says, signaling with her eyes towards our desks in the back of the room.
“Yeah. We probably should. The bell is going to ring any second, and Ferguson will get pissed if we're not on time.” She nods, gripping tightly to the straps on her bag. Her nails are painted pink today, and I imagine them interlaced with my black chipped polish.I wish I could hold her hand and proudly show everyone in the senior class that we're together.
“Why are you so dressed up today?” My eyes move down from her glossy lips to her dark knee-high stockings when she sits down in her assigned seat.
“There's a basketball game today. The cheerleaders have to dress up on game days. Why? Does it look bad?!” She fidgets in her dark blue chair, doing her best to cover up by pulling on her skirt. I can't help the way it attracts my attention, and I take quick glimpses of her alabaster skin just below the hem.
“I just told you, you look beautiful. I'm just used to seeing you more… casual.”
“You're sweet…” I'm not sure if she's being honest or sarcastic, but I'll take it.
“Haha, thanks. So… how long are the games? I don't know if you noticed, I don't normally go to the school's sporting events…” I've gotten used to our nightly talks, and if I'm being honest, I'm hoping for another invitation to climb up a tree into her tower.
“Really? I would've picked you as a big basketball fan.” She laughs, and it's hard not to join her.I love her laugh.“Usually a couple of hours.” Her face is in her bag as she fishes out her pen and her notebook. “W-would you want to meet up afterwards?”This is better than the invitation I was hoping for.
“You want to meet up with me?” I try to hide my excitement, but I can't contain my cheesy simper when I flip through my notebook to find an empty page.
“Y-yeah. Maybe meet by the side door when the game ends. I could text you when it's over…”
“Uh… yeah. Of course.”I've never given her my number. We've always talked on MySpace.“Give me your phone…” she nods and conceals her device in her hand, but the rose colored plastic edges stick out past her fingers. She hands me her pink Razr.Pink, of course, it's pink.“There.” I whisper, you'll always have your Andy with you wherever you go.” I wink before handing her phone back.
“Thank you. I'll keep you with me forever.”I want to believe her, no matter how ridiculous it is.
“Oh, now who's being sweet…”
