Check Mate [boy x boy]

Just Another Book On the Shelf

There she is. Messy strawberry curls. Emerald eyes twinkling. Those adorable dimples when she flashes that simply white smile. That gorgeous laugh that drives my heart crazy.

"Would you quit drooling?"

I snap my head and quickly wipe my jaw.

Kelly stands beside me with her textbook in her arms, a smirk played out on her lips. "Geeze, I was kidding. Why don't you actually try talking to her?"

"I would, but she has this airhead boyfriend that would totally kick my ass. Ring a bell?" I sigh.

"Oh, please." Kelly rolls her eyes. "Do you see him around? Because I don't. Your locker is right next to hers. I'm pretty sure a simple "hello" wouldn't hurt."

"Fine, but only to prove a point." I nod my head, taking in a deep breath.

"That's my boy!" Kelly cries. "Get 'em, Tiger," she whispers, sending me off with a pat on the back.

I nervously run my hand through my hair as I near my locker. Come on, I tell myself, she's just another girl.

Who am I kidding? Emma is anything but another girl.

I stop to turn the dial and open my locker. I steal a quick glance at Emma while I shove my books into my backpack. Then, the perfect moment strikes when her friends walk away to class. She walks over towards her locker and stops to pull out her books, tucking a strand of strawberry hair behind her ear. Emma's eyes catch mine and dart to where I stand awkwardly, then she smiles.

I almost want to hook my thumb towards myself and say Who, me?

"H-Hey," I say, wanting to mentally slap myself in the face.

"Hi," she replies sweetly.

I stand idle with half of my face hidden behind the locker. I shift my feet, nervously trying to think of something else to say.

"Um... So... You did great at the last football game," I mutter, slowly picking up on a conversation starter.

"Thanks." Emma grins shyly. "Hey, you're Callum Morris, right?"

Okay, now I really want to faint.

"You won this year's science fair?" she adds.

I nod and gulp down every possible stupid remark I could blurt out.

"That's pretty cool," Emma says in a cheerful tone.

My heart rate slows and I ease a little. "Thanks. I didn't know you were interested in stuff like that."

"My friend Jess is really into science, so I thought I'd support her. It's actually pretty neat."

"Yeah, if you set aside the ant farms and cheap baking soda volcanoes." I smile with the roll of my eyes.

Emma laughs.

"Hey babe," a deep voice mumbles from behind her.

She sighs as her boyfriend, Bradie, wraps his arms around her hips from behind. He plants a long, over exaggerated kiss on her lips while staring daggers at me.

"Hey," she coos softly into the crook of his neck.

"This guy bothering you?" Bradie sneers. His eyes seem to twinkle with envy, and for some reason I get a nagging feeling that he's been staring longer than he has to.

"No, Brad. I'm fine." Emma pushes Bradie away playfully.

I stand by awkwardly with my eyes focused on Emma. She squirms from Bradie's embrace until she's able to shut her locker.