Sonny Anderson

“Sonny Anderson.”

I lifted my head despite that not being my name. I couldn’t help myself. 

“Yes, Miss Davis?” The voice of the petite girl in the front row was light and airy. 

“How was your summer break?”

Even though I was in the back row and couldn’t see her face, I knew a bright all encompassing smile was spread across Sonny’s face. “Oh, it was fantastic! My dad took me and my sister to see a professional ballet.”

Snickers chorused throughout the class, but Sonny paid them no mind. She never did. I swear nothing could damper that girl’s happiness.

“That’s wonderful, Sonny,” Miss Davis said with pursed lips. Though her words were positive, everyone in the room could tell Miss Davis also wasn’t as wowed by Sonny’s summer highlight.

Miss Davis started class after asking a few more students what their summers were like. She didn’t dare call on me, which I typically would be grateful for, but something in me had snapped on the first day of senior year of all days.

I raised my hand and waited.

It took a few minutes, but I was persistent. Finally, Miss Davis noticed my raised hand and I swear I saw her swallow in fear.

“Yes, Luka?”

I watched in satisfaction as the whole class turned to face me. I didn’t pay their gawking eyes any mind though. I only had eyes for one person in this class and my gaze was locked on her already.

Ray of sunshine Sonny Anderson.

“Weren’t you going to ask me how my summer was?”

Miss Davis hesitated before speaking. “I’ve already begun class, Luka.”

I smiled slightly, which made a few of the students closer to me flinch back. I paid them no mind because Sonny wasn’t reacting badly to my smile. No, she was smiling wider.

“It will only take a minute,” I promised.

Miss Davis nodded for me to go ahead.

I grinned and leaned forward in my seat. “I didn’t do anything fun this summer. I worked with my father’s construction crew. Hell, I couldn’t wait for summer to end.”

“Luka,” Miss Davis warned, but I continued talking.

“Now most of your probably think I wanted summer to end to get out of doing grunt work for my old man, which is partially true, but I really wanted summer to end because I was dying to see someone’s blue eyes, copper hair, and damn- have any of you fools taken a second to look at her smile?”

Sonny’s cheeks were flushed, but I refused to break eye contact until my last question, which I addressed to my classmates. They all looked shocked and confused. Of course they would.

All these idiots ever think about is themselves.

“So, yeah my summer sucked ass, but this school year is going to be the highlight of my entire existence because I get to see Sonny Anderson every day.”

Sonny was still smiling with her eyebrows raised in surprise. My declaration must have been a shock. We barely spoke to each other, but it’s our senior year and I wasn’t about to sit back another year without telling her how I truly felt.

Miss Davis cleared her throat. “Luka. Principal’s office. Now.”

I sighed, but grabbed my backpack in compliance. She had every right to send me to the principal’s office. I had interrupted her class to make a declaration of love. I may also have let a few minor curse words slip.

I left homeroom and began trudging down the hallway towards the principal’s office. I really was in no rush to get a disciplinary speech.

I heard the door to Miss Davis’s class open and shut behind me. I turned around, expecting Miss Davis to have followed me with the intention to give her own speech, but was pleasantly surprised to see Sonny.

She dropped her backpack at the side of the hall and took a hesitant step towards me. “Did you mean what you said?” She asked. “About me?”

I nodded my head and waited for the inevitable. Sonny may be pure happiness, but that didn’t mean she would accept me and my darkness.

“But you’re always so cynical in English class.”

I laughed and leaned against the hall wall. Of course she wouldn’t address the real issue head on. No, Sonny would never be harsh like that even if it was towards me.

“Have you read the books Mrs. Claude assigns?” I rolled my eyes. “They’re not love stories.”

“Now you’re an expert on love?” She rested against the wall beside me. There was still a reasonable distance between us, but this is the closest I’ve ever been to Sonny. 

Even up close, she was beautiful.

“I know enough to spot the difference between love and a toxic relationship. Those books promote dominating, possessive relationships. I’m not about that, Sonny.”

Sonny blushed. “Who would have guessed Luka Manchow was a secret romantic.”

“You’re avoiding what happened early.”

“Hmm?” Sonny bit her lip, trying to act oblivious to what I meant.

“What I said about you. Was that okay?”

“Are you a romantic?” Sonny asked instead of answering my question.

I sighed. “Does that make a difference?”

“Answer my question, Luka,” she said with a smile.

I gladly obliged because of that damn smile. “Yes, I’m secretly a romantic, but don’t tell anybody. I can’t have people thinking I’m anything but a cold-hearted cynic. But just for you, I’m a hopeless romantic, Sonny Anderson.” I leaned closer to Sonny. She would only have to lean forward the same distance and we would be kissing. I couldn’t help but daydream about tasting a little bit of her sunshine.

“Then yes, Luka. What you said earlier was more than okay.”

My eyes widened as she leaned in and closed the distance after all. It took me a second to realize what was happening and to shut my eyes and reciprocate.

Kissing Sonny was everything and more. Her cheeks were warm as I cupped them with both hands and tilted her head back to get a better angle. And the moan that slipped past her lips when my tongue glided over her bottom lip had to be what angels singing sounded like.

Unfortunately, the best moment of my dreary existence was interrupted by loud coughing. I turned to see the principal glaring at the two of us.

I laughed, leaning my forehead against Sonny’s. “I guess we both have detention now.”

“Oh, it was so worth it,” she mumbled before chastely kissing me again.

Sonny Anderson was sunshine, but I also had a suspicion she had her own brand of darkness.