Oh, Boy...

I sprint through the naturally lit corridor to my last class. I’m going to be late. The halls have already cleared out and the teachers that are appearing from their classrooms for hall watch are giving me dirty looks. I glare right back. I cannot be late on the first full day of classes this semester. And my senior year too. I blame my lateness on my period… its literally bloody hell. And especially to Ms. Barkley’s class; she is notoriously mean to anyone who is late… trust me, I know. I was notoriously late to marketing class, my first through third year taking it. Now I’m in her business class, the fourth and final year of the marketing pathway. Rounding the corner of the 1300 branch I smash into something. Or someone. Books fly, and my great buddy, the law of action-reaction, has me on my butt.  Mortified, I look up and there he stands. The hottest of the hot – the most untouchable boy in the school, Aven Montgomery. The school’s football superstar, not that I know anything about that. After all, I’m the school’s star striker on the varsity soccer team.  Aven is standing above me, offering his hand to help me up, “Hey, Aella.” 

“Hi, Aven.” I took it and its soft and warm. Electricity travels up my arm and my stomach start fluttering. He heaves me up and grunts from the effort. “Umph. You’re heavier than I thought,” he muttered.  The electricity and butterflies stopped at once. “Excuse me?!” I ask, appalled. You would think a guy like him would know to never comment on a lady’s weight.  His cheeks and ears turn tomato red and for a second, I feel bad - but not for long - because an insult like that stings. I’m not even fat or anything, I’m just muscular. “I um… I mean… I didn’t mean it like that. You’re not fat or anything,” he stuttered. And to think that his cheeks couldn’t turn a deeper shade of red. I was deeply mistaken. “Well, I think that comment just proves that you aren’t into me in the slightest bit,” I stated bluntly. Aven’s face was cooling down. “I mean, you’re pretty, but just not my type. And I’m going to assume that you aren’t into me either?”

             “Nope!”

             “Well, that’s completely unbelievable, because every girl at this school loves me.”

             “I’m sure you tell yourself that.” I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I said that though.

             “Uh huh. I totally believe you.”

             “Ha ha ha.” The bell rang. “No!” I exclaim. I give him a side eye. His eyes widen, “What was that for?” He seemed genuinely oblivious, though I knew for a fact that he had Ms. Barkley’s class now, same as I did. You moved through the pathways here in cohorts, so he’d been in my same period since my freshman year. “You,” I reply with conviction, my voice laced with utter disgust, “made me late to Barkley’s. You’ve seen what that lady does. She’s had it with me being late.” Now he seemed genuinely confused, but his tone was very arrogant, “And how, exactly, did I make you late?” The egotistic look in Aven’s eyes made me want to smack him across the face just to get it out.  “You made me late by chatting me up and being annoying, which was actually so damn charming that you kept me completely engrossed in the conversation.” I felt my cheeks go red. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid Aella. Why did you let that come out of your mouth, you idiot.’ He grinned in response, though his eyes flashed in surprise. “I thought you said you weren’t into me?” Footsteps are coming down the main corridor. They sounded heeled, so it was probably Vice Principal McLogan, who always roamed the halls in the afternoon. Aven must have noticed because he didn’t stop at his cheeky question, “As of now, you are. We started dating this summer. Just roll with it Aella.”

“I’m sorry, wha-” He kicked my books that were still on the floor out of the way, picked me up, set me on the window ledge and put his mouth against mine before I could finish my sentence. My heart jumped into my throat, and my breathing grew rapid and shallow. The ledge was warm with sunshine below me, and the way he held me to his chest with one arm, and steadied my face with the other turned me on. I forgot who I was kissing and got lost in the moment. I opened my mouth and let his tongue in, letting him lead the tango. I slid my hands up his chiseled chest, letting my hand opposite to the one that was supporting my back rest there, and smothering the other one in his hair. His mouth tasted like chocolate, like he had just devoured a chocolate bunny. Knowing him, he probably had. Knowing him… oh my gosh I’m kissing Aven Montgomery, practically the king of our school, West Brooke High. I slowly became aware of my surroundings and heard the clicking footsteps stop beside us. I opened my eyes facing the main corridor barely, to find Vice Principal McLogan standing at the entry to the 1300 branch. She rolled her eyes and continued on her patrol. When I decided she was far enough away, I eased away from Aven. “What the hell was that?” I demanded, crossing my arms. Itching to look at his lips, I kept my eyes fully focused on his eyes. “I told you to roll with it,” he said, “VP McLogan loves me, so I knew if I made it my fault that we were still in the hallway, she wouldn’t care. Ms. Barkley too, so I was going to blame it on myself to make it up to you.” Still angry, I said, “You stole my first kiss though!” And then it dawned on me, “But, thank you, seriously for taking the blame.” My shoulders relaxed a little as I realized I might no longer be humiliated in front of the entire class for being late again. “Of course!” he replied a little too cheerily for my liking, “I didn’t want you to get in trouble. Wait… that was your first kiss? Man, you are a fine kisser, Aella. That was like kissing a professional kisser – completely enchanting.” It was a pretty good kiss,” I agreed, “But why are you covering for me? I bet there are strings attached.” “Well, here’s the deal. I will be your boyfriend for a month or so, and cover for you today. Fake, obviously, because you aren’t into me and I’m not into you. But you have to come to all my parties and school events with me to get the flocking girls off my back.” I am deeply offended. I get one free pass, and he gets a whole bunch? “Yeah, no. No deal. You can’t just have a bunch of free passes while I only get this one. I get to use you as a cover for if I am late to any class, which means you walk me from class to class. If you agree to that, then we have a deal.” I was already dreading the girlfriend part, even if it was fake. I would have to face the whole school’s scrutiny. I was kind of popular, but he was very popular. I wonder what my best friend, Macy, would think.  “I think we have a deal,” Aven said, “Let’s go, baby!” He bent down and picked up my books and carried them in one arm, while wrapping the other around me and pulling me down the 1300 branch towards class. This is going to be a long year.