A to Z of Falling in Love

A is for Accidental Meetings

A person once told me that falling in love is supposed to be seamless and easy, but the first time I did, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Quite literally.

It happened in my senior year. It was the first day of school and apparently I had to show someone new around. They told me he had moved from California and all I could think was why would anyone ever leave California to come to Pennsylvania. On my way to the office, it happened.

I saw him. He saw me. Then bam. I walked into a brick wall. There was dark and then there was light with the concerned face of the guy I was just staring at looking over me. I never realized he was that attractive until his face was inches from mine. I saw a smile form on his face, but before I could smile back, I was out again.

I woke up with a massive headache and feeling a bit disoriented, but there he was. The guy I ran into a wall looking at, sitting in a chair next to my bed in the nurse's office, dozing off. I sat up slowly and looked at his face closer. He wasn't bad looking. Gosh, who am I kidding. He was attractive.

I wonder what color his eyes are. I shouldn't have thought it because right on cue he opened his eyes, staring straight into mine.

"They're hazel, but the DMV thinks that's too pretentious to put on a license so they said brown," he said, as if replying to my thoughts.

"How did you-"

"I mean the question seemed pretty obvious with you staring holes into my head."

"I didn't want to wake you up."

"It's called resting your eyes and I believe I have mastered it so well that people think I'm actually sleeping. I should formally introduce myself. Charlie Jones, senior, and new to school," he responded with a hand extended to me.

I accepted the handshake. "Alice Kim, senior, and attending this god forsaken hell hole for the 13th year of my life."

"I may be overstepping boundaries," he said with a smile. "But I think we'll be best friends."

"I agree."

Since I had woken up, the nurses ushered us out and sent us along with a pass. "I guess you're the new kid that I'm supposed to be showing around. Deepest apologies that my possible concussion stopped us from having a grand tour." I had to look up to talk to him. He was a foot taller than me.

"Don't you think there was a reason why they wanted you to show me around and why we have one pass between the two of us?" He joked. It never really dawned on me that the nurses only wrote us one pass instead of two. "Look at your schedule."

I pulled it out of my backpack and all I saw over my once perfect schedule was purple highlights. "Those are all the classes we have together. It was sticking out of your backpack and when I saw your name, I realized you were supposed to show me around this morning. I took the liberty to highlight our classes together so you wouldn't forget."

I would've been mad about anyone else using a purple highlighter on my schedule but all I could do was let out a laugh. I couldn't get mad at a boy who looked at me with such puppy eyes. I didn't even realize we were already in front of our first class: AP Calc. "I didn't even need to show you around this place. It seems like you already know your way."

"Of course I do. I walked my schedule ten times before my first day so I would remember where everything is and not get lost in this giant school."

I looked up at him dumbfounded. "Why did you accept a student buddy?"

"Well, I figured he would have a similar schedule and I thought I would need a friend. It turns out it wasn't a he, but a she who ran into a wall after looking at me for a split second."

I started to feel like I was turning red, but I knew he wouldn't see it. I don't look red unless I exercise. "I guess you're disappointed that you were stuck with someone like me then. I'm sure I wasn't exactly the friend you had in mind."

"No," he admitted. "But you are a lot cuter."

Without waiting for a response, he opened the door with a smile on his face, leaving me dumbfounded in the hallway.

Friends. Yeah right as if saying that doesn't make me fall in love with you faster.