Saint Ambrose Academy: Unlikelies

5

ENZO

After the morning classes, I hit the gym with Angelo. It's our lunch period but we need to burn off some nervous energy before the date, and any opportunity to train is enough, to be honest, even during off-seasons.

I take this solitude moment with my best friend to ask about Nova.

"Hey this is random but what do you know about the Ice Princess?"  I ask carefully, knowing the reaction could go south really easily. I put down the weights I'm lifting, and watch my friend's reaction. His face is a mask, and anyone who didn't know him wouldn't have caught the momentary alarm and discomfort in his face. For the briefest moment, his entire face paled, before he composed himself and answered.

" Nova Vidal? Why the sudden interest in her? You have a date with Lia dude. LIA, remember? Pretty little strawberry blonde girl in our grade? Don't worry about some underclassmen, focus on Lia, please man. I need tonight to go well. " he seemed a little desperate to avoid the topic and I was about to question that when he continued, " Promise me you'll not get involved with her, please?"

How weird. Something is definitely up, he knows more than he'll tell me.

"Yeah dude, you're right, I don't know why I asked. I promise I'm entirely focused on Lia." I assure him.

He sighs in relief and I resume my workout regime. About thirty minutes later, I run out of water and tell Angel I'm going out to the water fountain when I hear music coming from one of the other athletic facilities. I follow the sound, my curiosity getting the best of me. It leads me down a long hallway, the sound getting louder and louder, rattling my bones.

I locate the source of the thumping bass and see none other than Lia Amherst. Like a creep, I watch her rhythmically move to the beat. The music isn't really anything memorable, some poppy song from the mainstream radio, but none of that matters because for lack of a better word; Lia is hot.

Deciding to no longer creep, I knock on the door, to make her aware of my presence so as not to frighten her. She makes eye contact with me in the mirror as she finishes the dance. Did I say hot? Because I meant a dream. She presses a button that stops the music throughout the room, then smiles at me and walks to where I stand in the doorway.

" Hey, stranger." She says the smile reaching her earthy green eyes, she truly is a beautiful girl.

Freckles frame her heart-shaped face, her hair is long and straight and looks like golden hour rays of sunshine. Her skin is sunkissed, and her legs are lean and long, at 5'7" she's pretty tall for a girl, though nothing compared to my 6'4" stature.

"Hey, I didn't know you danced. You're very talented" I smiled back at her, it felt almost natural. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Thank you, yeah I just do it for fun, there are much better dancers in this school, but this is a great way to get the blood flowing. Get the endorphins going, and just really boost confidence, I used to be really insecure, but dance brought me out of my shell." She divulges this so naturally, and easily, that I almost envy her. I want to feel as free as her, as happy as her. She's so different from me, an open book, I want to be around her.

"I can see that, you are amazing Lia, thank you for taking pity on me and coming out with me later tonight, it's really important to Angelo, and I was a bit worried about having to tag along until he told me you were the friend Cassia was bringing." I lightheartedly tell her.

She smiles moves into the doorway opposite of me, and pulls my shirt so I'm leaning over her, she stands on top of her tiptoes and kisses me on my cheek, then whispers.