The Lucky One

chapter 6

 Copyright © 2012 by akm

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Chapter Six:

On The Balcony

Nathan's POV

I watched her from the tree, letting one leg dangle as I leaned back. It pained me to see her cry so much, but I couldn't just waltz in and say, "hey, Pam, don't cry. You're a great kisser and I love you!" She's my best friend. I couldn't ruin that.

But I wanted to be more than this. She was so sweet and beautiful and laughed at even my stupidest jokes. She'd been there to worry about an idiot like me and helped me with my math homework. I'd probably have an F in there were it not for her.

She leaned against her bed and sighed, a few tears still escaping. I craned my neck to catch those pretty eyes of hers when my foot slipped and it kicked a branch off the tree.

I cursed under my breath as she shot up to look in my direction. The dark hoodie probably hid me well, but she had to wander off. She stood, looking out the window before opening it to her little balcony. I studied her carefully, thinking how smart she was for checking out the situation, how dumb it was that I was hiding from her. Such a jerk.

I didn't know what did it, but I emerged from the tree and jumped on her balcony. She didn't scream, but she did back up and cover her face in a shameful manner. I took her hands and stepped closer to her, looking down as she kept her head low. Her touch, though, made me shiver and my hands tingle. How cheesy, I thought to myself.

Focus, Nathan, focus. I stroked my finger down her cheek until they propped under her chin and slowly tilted it up to me. She didn't struggle but she let her eyes wander elsewhere. And then they found mine.

Her pools of dark honey mixed with a little bit of chocolate brown, sticking out behind the red underneath her eyelids. Her freckled cheeks stained with tears and her rusty brown hair lazily slumped in a bun.

She looked beautiful in my eyes.

"Nathan," she whispered, about to cry again.

"Shh," I replied with a small smile. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," she said.

"Don't say that, Pammy, I'll always be your best friend, no matter what. I swear. My life would be like crap without you. Same thing with my math grade."

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug. I slid mine around her waist and squeezed back, closing my eyes as I inhaled her sweet scent. I couldn't have been happier in any other place and nothing worried me there, with her. She made me complete; she was the other half of me. And I could never live without her.

We both pulled away slowly, and I stared back through her eyes. There it was. In the same corner by the darker swirl of amber, a twinkle sparkled. It always did. I knew what it meant, but it just didn't seem right. She couldn't love me; she'd never acted like that. That's why I couldn't tell her how much she meant to me.

"Nathan?" she asked quietly.

"Pammy?" I replied with a smile, imitating a little girl's voice.

"Oh, shut up," she laughed. She actually laughed. I deserved a gold metal.

"Oh, shut up," I added with the same voice, a little nasal in it.

"Nathan!"

"Nathan!"

She kept up her giggles, the sweetest sound ever. It was better than music or any sound I'd ever heard. Nothing could make a smile appear faster than her giggling.

We sighed and she smiled, the redness of her face fading. Her eyes no longer looked wet from forming tears and she began to look like her normal self. Her breathtaking self.

I noticed how bright the moon lit up when the dark clouds passed. Its spotlight sparkled down on us and I wanted to hold her close. It took all I had not to. But I did ask for one thing.

"Wanna dance with me?"

She cocked her head to the side with a smile. "What?"

"Wanna dance with me?"

She looked around and found her gaze back to me, where I thought it always should be. With a grin and a nod, she curtsied with an invisible skirt. I played along and bowed, straightening to take her hand. Our fingers locked and the sparks shot through me like racecars zooming. Her hand placed on my shoulder as mine rested on her waist. We took the first few steps, both struggling not to step on the other's toes. We'd taken a class together, but mostly talked and joked instead.

We managed to get the rythm. It repeated the pattern, and I decided to switch it up a bit. I dipped her gently to the side and she leaned back, closing her eyes. I brought her back up and our faces got close. Her cheeks blushed and she twirled, getting a little further from me.

I was ready to scream, "Stop fighting it, Pammy, please! Give me a chance!"

But I remained calm. I would wait for her. Whenever she was ready, we would make the jump together. But for now, we were looking off the edge of the cliff where we were to jump over. That was fine with me, as long as she'd be mine in the end.

Her lips stayed plastered in her smile, and they never looked so kissable. I fought that urge. Years of practice and I was an expert at keeping my cool.

I ended the dance with her twirling into me, our faces close again. Perfect ending, if I do say so myself. I'd been trying for years to get my good side(AKA romantic side) to show out on her. And this was a great one. Good job, Nathan.

She didn't pull away like I'd thought she would. She just stared back up at me. That twinkle sparkled brightly and I hoped this would be the moment, the one where she'd finally believe she fell for me. I would make her happy, protect her when she needs it, beat the crap out of any one who hurt her, and tell her I love her every day for the rest of my life. I'd promise that to her if this really was that moment. I begged the Lord for it.

"Nathan?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah?" I replied, hating to wait.

"Did you feel sparks when we kissed?"

Whoa, where'd that come from? I didn't want to answer at first, not wanting to put our friendship at that risk. But, this probably depended on whether or not she'd be mine. I needed to tell her the truth.

"Yes."

She remained quiet for a while before the biggest grin I'd ever seen on her face appeared and she replied, "good, cause I did too." And she stood on her tip-toes to kiss me.

I kissed back, sliding my arms around her waist to pull her closer to me. The kiss was a million times better than the one at the park and much, much longer. I felt the electric sparks exploding with power as they shot through my whole body. I didn't realize a guy really could feel this cheesy. Man, we need hobbies.

But nothing mattered in the world because at that moment, something hit me.

Pamela loved me