Differences (l.h.)

15

S o p h i e

Of course, as I was walking home that day, it began to rain. Cursing under my breath, I picked up my pace as I got farther away from school. I heard someone calling my name from a distance away.

I turned around to see a tall figure running towards me. I squinted as the rain came down harder. I really wish I had brought an umbrella today, or at least a heavier jacket. As the person got closer, I was able to make out their features.

"Luke?" I said as he slowed down to a walk a few yards ahead of me.

"Hi." He was out of breath. "I'm glad I c-caught you. W-we need to talk about something." He seemed nervous.

I chuckled. "Sounds like you're going to break up with me or something."

Luke cracked a smile. "I wanted to know why you were c-crying when you were in the library."

We both became serious. I didn't want to tell him the real reason. "Uh, I stubbed my toe on the table inside," I quickly made up.

He gave me a look that told me he wasn't going to buy it. "I don't believe you," he stated bluntly.

I looked anywhere but his eyes. "I just... I don't know, I was being stupid. I thought, you know, when we kissed that you were going to start avoiding me and that it was meaningless to you. Then when you didn't show up, I thought I was right and you were purposefully ignoring me." I sighed and wiped a few raindrops from my forehead.

He shook his head. "Don't think that, okay? It did m-mean something to me." He continued to ramble on. "To be honest, I thought you would be embarrassed by it and not want to talk to me anymore because of who I am and that I would have to do the project without you." He took a breath and noticed me staring at him with raised eyebrows. "S-sorry," he mumbled with a sheepish grin.

"It's okay, Luke. Why didn't you show up to the library on time though? I was waiting there for like half an hour." I was curious why he was so late. A few minutes I can understand, but thirty minutes? I shivered a little as the rain seeped through my thin coat.

"Here," Luke said and took off his own jacket. I started to protest, but he waved me off. "I'm wearing a sweatshirt underneath."

I slipped my arms through the sleeves and savored the warmth of the fabric. "Where were you?" I asked, referring to the question I had asked before we got off topic.

He shifted nervously. We began to walk towards our neighborhood. "I was in the music room," he confessed.

"Really?" I was surprised. "Why were you in there? Are you in the school band or something?"

He shook his head. "I'm not in band. I-I play some guitar. I was playing something in there." He looked down shyly and ruffled his wet hair.

I looked over. "You should play for me some time."

We finally arrived to the corner where we went our separate ways. We turned to face each other. "I'll see you tomorrow, Luke." I gave him a small smile.

He nodded. Before I could turn away, his lips were on mine. I kissed back after a few seconds of standing there stunned. His lips were wet from the rain, and mine probably were too. I got a fluttery feeling in my stomach and my knees were weak, as cliché as it sounds.

He pulled away a little bit, but our foreheads were still touching. "See you," he whispered and pulled away. He made his way down the street and I stood there in the same place.

While I walked to my house, I felt as if I had drank three energy drinks. I was so giddy and jumpy, it was unreal. Why did I feel like this? I knew the answer, I was just in denial. How could someone like me, like someone like him? We were so different, but somehow it had happened. I was, without a doubt, falling for Luke.

• • • • •

ooohhh snap