Those 7 words

Tyler and Taylor

     *Beep beep beep beep*
      My alarm clock sang. 
                   Uggh.
    *Beep beep beep beep*
     Just five more minutes.  Please.  I finally sit up, and my dream refills my brain.  It felt almost real.  Welp.  Time to get up.  It's my first day of my last year of school.  All you have to do is get through this year.  And you can leave.
     "Kate!  Max is here to pick you up!" My mom yelled up to me.  Oh gosh.  I look like crap right now.  I didn't go to sleep until 3 last night.  I have bags under my eyes and I broke out the night before.  If only I'd look good maybe he'd actually notice me.  But nope.  That's not how it ever goes.
      I throw on my clothes, brush my hair and teeth, and I throw on a little makeup to try and hide everything that's actually on my face.  When I finally make my way downstairs I see my mom, dad, and Max sitting at our table eating breakfast.  Making himself at home like he always does.  Why is he literally perfect.  Even just how he sits there.  He's perfect. 
     I walk up to them all and grab a slice of bacon. 
"Hey Kate!  You look great!  Ready to go finally?" Max jokes.  "I don't know, are you ready to go?" I joke back motioning to him sitting down and eating.  He laughs.  I would drive myself but I failed my drivers test too many times.. and Max passed the first time.  So it makes sense to just ride with him when he lives right across the street from me.
     I don't mind riding with him.  He's my best friend.  Just lately, I can't even look at him.  All my feelings are taking over me.  I don't know why I can't just press them down like I have my whole life. 
    His laugh breaks me from my thoughts and I realize he's gotten up and is near the door.  I grab my bag and make my way over there too.  "Wait!", My mom yells, "This is your last year of school, and you are just walking out the door like nothing?? I don't think so." She jokes.  She pulls out her camera and we pose like we have for the past twelve years.  My mom always took the first day of school picture, and we couldn't break tradition. 
     We pose our traditional pose.  Me on his back.  I go to jump up and we both fall.  We start rolling on the ground laughing.  When we finally get up, we pose and my mom takes the picture.
     *Snap!*
     We say our goodbyes and head out to his car.  He opens the car door for me.  "For you my lady." He smirks.  I just roll my eyes and laugh sarcastically at him.
  "Always a gentleman huh Max."  I say.
  "Always." He winks back.
     When we finally pull up to the school I have to take a deep breath.  Just one more year.  One more.
"Ready?"  He looks at me with anticipation in his eyes.
     I look at him matching the anticipation in his eyes.
"Ready."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     We get inside and look at everyone doing different things.  New freshman scurrying around trying to figure out where each class is and trying to get locked open still.  Sophomores acting like that wasn't them last year.  Juniors, each one has a dreaded face cause they know they have a whole other year after this.  And then us.  Walking in, like nothing.  It's all normal now. 
     I go up to my locker, and Max follows.  Our lockers have always been right next to each other.  Since our last names- Max Tyler and Kate Taylor.  We put our stuff in our lockers.  "What's your schedule?"  I ask him.  "Boring." He says back.  "No I meant your classes you dork.  I want to know if we have a similar schedule." I laugh back.  We share our schedules with each other and they are identical.  He smiles at me and I smile back.   With his light freckles and cute dimples, it makes the perfect smile.  It makes my stomach flip flop. 
    As we walk through the halls side by side I had this feeling that maybe this year will be great.  And I knew he felt it too.