A Single Touch

Chapter 3: Is It Love?

It seemed like the car ride only took a minute.

My heart was racing inside of my chest. It didn't want to be calm. Not with all these emotions running through my head. Every once in a while I would catch Jaxon staring at me. "Keep your eyes on the road!" I would say and then laugh uncontrollably. Almost every time he replied:

"It's so hard when you're looking like... that!" he smiled and laughed too. Some of the most beautiful combinations could never even compare with how beautiful that sounded. His smile shimmered like the ocean without its blueness, like a pure crystal sea. "We're here," he said and got out only to walk over to the other side and do what no other boy or even man would do where I lived. He opened my door for me and offered me his hand. I smiled and took his hand, feeling my heart pound louder and faster in my chest. I've never felt like this before and it just made me wonder what this felling was, and why it affected people like me. My mother had told me this would happen, before she died of course, not in dreams. She always had described it as true love. I always thought she was just giving me hopes of something that was never going to coming true. A lie. But now I feel it. It feels like you have butterflies in your stomach. Or fish swimming around in your stomach. Anyway, what I am trying to say is it is amazing. I waited for him to let go when I got out, but he didn't. His hand swung with mine mine between us like a swing set. I stared down at our hands. He must've noticed because he said," I'm sorry," And blushed. A sudden aching started in my stomach when he peeled his hand away from mine. I wanted so badly to tell him not to let go, yet I couldn't bring myself to speak. His shaggy brown hair shimmered and swerved in the summer breeze. "So, what is your brother like?" He asked slowly, trying to get rid of the awkward silence.
"He's nice, a lot better of a person than me. He's in the army. We used to do everything together as kids." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. I stared down at the pavement that crunched beneath my feet. Quiet giggles sounded behind us and faded into murmurs. I could sense Jaxon turn around and stop in his tracks. "Jaxon, just ignore them. It won't do any good to do anything to them," I said and slowed to a stop.
"I know those giggles, I know those voices," he paused, "Clementine, Houston, Devyn come out here. I know it's you," that last sentence came out a lot harsher than he probably expected.
"Well who's this little lady?" Devyn snickered.
"She's a...friend" Jaxon replied glancing at me and then at the blazing red Porche.
"Oh 'just a friend', eh?" Houston giggled. The whole group started laughing hysterically while Jaxon and I just stood there, our faces tomato red.
"Don't treat him like that!" I blurted. My mouth just couldn't help itself.
"Oh suddenly you're his best friend?! Darling, I have been his friend since the second grade. You're such a dork!" Devyn snorted, only making my face become beet red. I finally let my mask fold into a crumpled mess. Tears came tumbling down my thin, smooth face. As quick as I could I turned the other way and ran as quick as I could the other way.
"Branwe-" Jaxon started but I didn't let him finish. He grabbed for my shoulder but I spun and looked him straight in the eye.
"Just don't Jaxon! Your 'pal' already said enough! The tears were now a bouncing waterfall as I ran back the way I had come. I don't ever want to see them again.