• “Why does science have to be so boring?” I asked Jake as we walked out of 6th period science.
    “I don’t know but I like it because it is the last class of the day,” he said
    “I agree with that,” I said
    “You need a ride home?” He asked
    “No I’m gonna ride the bus home, I forgot my key, so might as well wait on the bus with other peoples than on the porch steps alone till my mom comes home,” I replied
    “We could wait with you,” he suggested
    “As appealing as that sounds,” I said to him, “I couldn’t do that to you and Halla,”
    “Okay,” he said, “See you tomorrow morning then.”
    With that I went to the gym to get on my bus and he went out the door to meet Halla at his car. No doubt she’d be glad I couldn’t ride in the car with them. I mean Halla was my best friend but she’d rather be alone with Jake. I walked in the gym, smelling the stench of the peoples sweat from the period before, and was reminded why I didn’t take gym. I also didn’t take gym because of the nasty bleachers you had to sit on before the period started, which I was now having to sit on to wait for my bus to be called to loaded. I scurried to the bleachers, trying to avoid the eyes of the other students already waiting. I finally got off the gym floor to the safety of the deadly bleachers. A kid had fallen and broke his neck last year trying to get off them, walking down the steps. He didn’t really die though, however he did have a huge cast for like a month.
    I sat in the very back row, away from all of the other students and got out my sketchpad. I had been drawing a lot lately. I no longer had my artists block…starting this morning, when I saw him. I had started the picture in art at the begging of the day without even knowing it at first, just scribbling out some lines to start out with. However when the shapes started to form and distinctive features appeared I realized it was the new guy. I looked at the half complete drawing and started continuing it. I was getting really into the drawing, focusing all my attention on it, when I felt the bleacher underneath me shift weight, and someone sit down beside me. I didn’t look up, I didn’t care who it was, no one was going to make me lose my focus on this drawing. I was finishing the outline of the other half of the face when they finally spoke up.
    “You’re really good,” they said
    I didn’t reply, I didn’t feel like I needed to. We sat there in silence for another minute or two when they spoke up again.
    “You’re in my art class right?” they asked.
    I lifted my gaze off the paper, how could someone not know if I was in their art class in the middle of the year?
    I lifted my gaze all the way up slowly to face the person, and make a witty come back. I finally made eye contact with the person and nearly fell off the bleachers. For one I hadn’t expected them to be so close and for two it was the one person I hadn’t expected to see. Him. The new guy.
    I slipped off the bleachers, and expected to hit my butt hard on the cold metal of them, when something cold and smooth caught my arm, steadied me, and sat me back in my seat. I looked over and realized it was a hand, his hand. I looked up to meet his gaze and he was smiling.
    “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he apologized.
    “Ugh…” Nice Sam the only guy to notice you besides Jake is in front of you and you go and say nothing but ugh,
    “I mean, you didn’t startle me, my foot slipped,” I said with a frown on my face.
    “Oh sure,” he said in a sarcastic tone, looking down at the bleachers.
    “What?” I asked, “You don’t believe me?”
    “No I don’t actually,” He replied.
    “Uhhh, well fine then I am moving, you stay here…and don’t move, while I go over there, and don’t follow me, stay here,” I babbled.
    “NO!” He almost screamed startling me, “I mean you don’t have to move,” He said touching my arm.
    “Oh its not that I feel I have to, believe me, I want you,” I replied
    “What?” He asked
    “I mean I want to,” I replied, what am I doing, I don’t act like this around boys, I don’t even like boys.
    “Oh but…why?” He asked, meeting my gaze for the first time, he’s eyes shining, looking into mine. They looked so deep, there maroon color burning into my eyes. I could get lost in his gaze forever.
    “I mean I don’t have to,” I replied, looking away from his eyes, I was going to have to remember not to meet his gaze for a while.
    “Okay,” He replied enthusiastically. “Jake by the way, Jake Belle,” He stuck out his hand. Hmm, I wonder what Jake would think of his name being taken by the new boy.
    “Samantha, Samantha Rane,” I replied, shaking his hand firmly, not looking at his eyes.
    “But you prefer to be called, Sam, right?” He asked.
    “Yeah, how’d you know?” I asked, “Are you checking up on me?”
    “Maybe,” he said, swaying a little bit, looking up at the ceiling
    I couldn’t help but laugh. I mean can ya blame a girl.
    “Well in that case,” I replied, “I would like to know why.”
    He brought his eyes from the ceiling back down to me. He seemed to ponder what I had said for a minute a then replied, “Why don’t I tell you over dinner?”
    Whoa there buddy! Stop and rewind, Samantha Rane does not go on dates, and how did this conversation even get to this??
    “Ill get back to you on that,” I replied, “But right now I have to go get on my bus.”
    “Which one?” He asked.
    “Um 1523,” I replied.
    “No way!” He screamed excitedly, standing up.
    Everybody turned and looked at us, “Yes way,” I whispered trying to shut him up, “Now sit down,” I pulled on his arm; reluctantly he did as I said.
    “Me too,” He finally said.
    “Lucky me,” I said over sarcastically, “It’s going to be an interesting ride home.”
    “No it wont, all we have to decide is what time im picking you up tonight for dinner, and then we can enjoy each others company in silence after that,” He replied with a smirk
    “I never answered you,” I replied smugly.
    “Hey I’m just saying, you never said no,” he replied, the smirk still in place.
    “But I never said yes.”
    “But you didn’t say no.”
    “Bus 1523 is here,” The P.E teacher announced.
    We started grabbing our things, and getting off the bleachers, neither of us said anything until we were settled on the bus, me by the window, him by the aisle. Our elbows, knees, and shoulders slightly touching.
    “Seven then?” He randomly said.
    It looked like there was no chance of me getting out of this mess.
    “Whatever,” I said, Gazing out the window. I loved to watch everything go by, looking at the people in the vehicles we passed, the fascinating buildings we sped by. That’s when I saw it, the beautiful building of the art museum, with its unique building shape and color, a deep maroon and a puddle shape. I felt my mouth fall open like it always does when we pass it. The beauty of it always seizes to amaze me, and for a second I forgot who was sitting beside me and where I was.
    “Wow that building is beautiful,” I heard Jake gasp under his breath, scooting closer to the window (and me) as we passed it.
    “I know,” I said, leaning back against my seat when it was out of sight.
    “What is that building?” He questioned.
    “The art building,” I replied.
    “Why don’t we go there for our date tonight?” he asked.
    I groaned, “I never agreed to going out with you tonight,” I replied.
    He smiled, “But you never disagreed either,” he answered.
    I turned back to the window, placing my back to him. Why does he want to go out with me? Then it hit me.
    “Is this some joke Brad put you up to to prove you’re cool or something?” I asked.
    “What?” He answered me with a question.
    “You heard me,” I snapped.
    “Wow, calm down, Sam, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He replied “Do you think I would do that to someone?” he asked.
    “I don’t know, would you?” I asked.
    “No, and anyways I don’t want to be cool, being cool comes with crowds and gossip, and expectations,” He answered.
    “Very true,” I agreed.
    We pulled up to a red bricked house, with a white roof. The lawn was newly cut, you could tell, not a weed in sight. Beautiful flower beds surrounding the edge of the house.
    Jake stood up, “So tonight, at 7, Ill pick you up?” He asked, staring into my eyes.
    I felt dizzy but before I knew what I was doing I had said yes and was watching him jump off the last step of the bus. Wow, I looked into his eyes, and they almost made me pass out, Again. There was something about him, and I was going to find out, that’s what this date would be all about. Maybe if I said that over and over again in my head it would be true.