A/N:
Hey everyone.
New book. New start. This is officially the first chapter of Daydreamin'. I hope you guys support me through this journey.
Enjoy reading!
PS: Lemme know what you think once you're done reading!
xoxo
karen
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I stare out of the window. I'm sitting in AP Biology. The sky is cloudy. But then, its mostly cloudy or rainy here in Oakheart, Alabama. So I suppose its nothing new. Nevertheless, I keep staring outside.
I get a nagging feeling. I don't know why. Something is pulling at the strings in my heart. I think something is going to go wrong. I don't know. I feel uneasy sitting here, in this damped closed atmosphere locked up in this room. I want to go outside and enjoy the weather. But I can't. Because the thought of reality enters my subconscious, my inner self giving me a disapproving stare burning a hole through my soul.
I'm not supposed to get distracted this year. Senior year is supposed to be so special. It is supposed to be important. And I really do hope it goes well.
"Ms. Hale, I hope you are paying attention to the class. The climate of Oakheart remains the same most of all the three hundred and sixty five days of the year but I cant guarantee you the same with your marks if you fail to pay attention to my class."
"Sorry, Ms. Grey."
I look back at my notes.
I sense someone looking at me. I immediately spun, looking around. I don't see anyone. The jocks at the back are sending yellow sticky notes to each other, possibly planning for some party. The ones sitting along the first row are taking notes sincerely, and the ones in the middle idly stare around, clearly bored with the class. But no one is looking at me.
It is a normal day. But then it always is, isn't it?
It always is a normal day until something unfortunate happens, then everything goes bad and then you begin to regret getting up from your cozy bed in the morning.
"Hey, Ken!", a hushed voice whispers.
Now, that voice belongs to Ellis McCall. He is my competition is the class. We always run first and second in almost every test.
"Mr. Spade, Detention after school hours. Meet me here before you go for your detention.", Ms. Grey calls out.
Nathaniel Spade, is the quarterback of the school's varsity football team. He is hot. Really hot. Girls swarm around him and flirt with him all day, trying to get his attention, but he is a player. He doesn't date anyone. I have not seen him committed to anyone yet. I guess he is just another spineless guy afraid of commitment.
Oh, and Nate is Jackson's best friend. And Jackson is my boyfriend. And that thought brings a smile to my face.
With Ms. Grey's laser eyes not focused on me again, I turn my eyes back to the window and I reevaluate my life.
I have an three essays to turn in before Monday, a debate speech to prepare for tomorrow, a model united nation session to attend, the yearbook to edit as we're nearing the end of the year, 3 AP classes, and a leadership training, and the president duties.
Now, don't get me wrong for a nerd. I'm not a nerd.
A piece of crushed paper hits my head.
I turn back and face Ellis pointing towards the the paper. I pick it up and straighten it as I try to decipher the handwriting.
Ken, can you please help me for the chemistry test.
I smirk. Looks like Mr. I-know-it-all hasn't studied for the chemistry test next period. Well, I'm not helping him. I turn back and stare at him, with my eyebrow raised, trying to convey a message that I know will sound rude when put in words. But that's the beauty about expressions. I can be deeply understood or misunderstood. No in-between.
And I turn back, looking at Ms. grey and slip into my daydream again.
Finally the bell rings, and I open my locker to put in the books.
I close my locker and turn when a voice calls out, "Hey, beautiful"
I turn and immediately my lips are locked with Jackson's. I close my eyes, giving into the kiss and finally we pull away when its too hard to breathe. That's how kisses with Jackson usually are. Passionate and sweet. He always kisses me like I'm the heroin he is addicted to and cant let go of.
I slowly open my eyes and I still cant believe how lucky I am to have gotten this guy. Jackson is really tall and muscular. His jawline is so die for. And the perfect broad shoulders. He looks like a Greek god in those ripped jeans of his. Its my favorite look.
"Hey, Jackson", I pant, still out of breath from that long lingering kiss.
He puts his arms around my shoulders, protectively, and we make our way to the cafeteria. Its always me, Jackson, Taylor, Robin, Austin, Joaquin, Nate and couple other jocks and cheer team girls at our table, mostly attracting everyone's attention.
Today, Taylor was drunk. Seems like someone has borrowed a little something from her dad's safe.
With Taylor being in close proximity with Ms. Grey, inevitable reasons landed her in detention.
And soon, lunch ended and everyone hurried away.
I make my way towards my locker to get the books for chemistry next class.
"Woahhh!", I slip, when someone slams into me, and I land on my butt. Damn this shit. Out of all days, today is the day I chose to wear a short skirt and a cute tight formfitting top, and now my butt hurts.
The next thing I see, is the girl or guy, whoever it is that hit me running away before I can make out his face. That's suspicious.
Me and my two left feet. Ugh.
All my belongings are around me, and my bag lies near me upturned, and empty.
I hurriedly collect my things and stuff it into my bag. And as far as my eyes allow me to see, I don't see anything I missed to pick up, so I dash towards chemistry.
But it turns out all that hurrying is of no use.
And that's precisely how I land myself into detention because apparently, slipping can pass off as intentionally being late to Mr. Scott's class. That senile man really doesn't know his ass from his elbow, but loves to criticize juvenile teenagers, for matters of no importance.
At least I have Taylor for company. She is definitely entertaining, and she always knows how to keep everyone's spirits in the room high and happy.
Speaking of which, I have to attend Taylor's party this evening, and tomorrow, Jackson said we have an early morning rendezvous.
Jackson and I have been dating since sophomore year, and I love him a lot. He just means a lot to me. I don't think I'll ever meet anyone like him again. I'm pretty sure he is my forever. We've made serious plans about what happens when we graduate high school. We applied to Yale, Harvard and other colleges.
I bet Jackson will get the seat with his nothing-under-excellent football captainship.
Speaking of which, I have to attend his football match tomorrow night.
Talk about busy social plans. It is definitely not always as fun as it sounds. Sometimes, it can tire you. And dressing up for everything, picking the right dress, choosing the right shoes and all that can honestly wear you down.
But Jackson plays really well, and he is the team captain. So I have to be there for him.
He came to Oakheart high on a football scholarship, because that's Jackson. He is the best at this. And he came to the best place for it. Because Oakheart high has the best reputation for football among some of the well reputed colleges.
I still remember his first football match I attended, like it was yesterday.
Some things are just hard to forget. Scratch that. Impossible would be a better word. Those are the events which mean a lot to you. Which holds a special place in your heart. And that definitely holds a meaningful place in my heart because that's the time we admitted our feelings for each other for the first time.
Not that we became official immediately. It sure took a long time after that for us to be official, don't forget some problems, but it still means a lot to me.
It was precisely shortly after we met and I was really surprised he wanted me to be there for him.
I had commitments that day but I went just because I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to support him and cheer for him. I wanted him to know that I was there for him.
________________________
Three years ago
"Sanchez! Sanchez! Sanchez!", the crowd cheered loudly, as Jackson and his teammates enter the field, Jackson leading the team, looking so hot, and confident.
I cant forget what happened a few minutes earlier. Its running round and round in my head, like an adamant naked baby in just an underwear, dancing continuously in front of my eyes, thwarting all my attempts to kick it out of my head. I cannot tune it out. I cant stop thinking.
Before Jackson entered the field, he pulled me aside, and he began, "Kennedy, you're gonna come to my match right now, isn't it?"
We are walking towards my car, Jackson has already changed into his football uniform, and I'm making my way to my car to leave.
"Uh, Jackson, actuall-"
"No way. No way you're bailing on me, Hale"
"No, definitely not. I was planning on watching it. In fact, I was just about to uh, get my coat, and come to the field", I change track immediately.
"Good, 'cause you're in for a treat tonight"
He is just a couple of steps behind me, and I unlock my car and that's when he pulls my arm, that I'm kinda off my balance and I fall into his arms.
Oh. My. God. We were so close. My breasts are against his chest, and his arms are around me, and our noses are just a centimeter apart.
Damn. We were so so close.
"Dude! Sanchez, you here?", Austin calls out, and we spring apart immediately. The tension in the air was so awkward I was plotting a hundred ways in my head to escape from there. Jeez, I could write a book.
And Austin continues, when he finds us near my car, "Hey Ken. Anyways, Jake, the captain needs you. Like right now."
"Emergency call now?"
"Yeah, got some information about Bryxton's tactics. Coach said it might help us. Nothing like last minute changes"
"Okay, I'm coming", Jackson replied, staring at my face, with a look I still can't decipher.
And once Austin is out of sight, I immediately kind of hugged Jackson, and bringing my lips close to his mouth, I remained there for a second, holding my breath, and then I moved up to his ear, and I whispered, "You're gonna kickass, loser"
He said nothing. He just smiled at me, with this kind of look in his eyes, that I couldn't make out at the moment, and before I could get things straight in my head, he left.
So, now, I'm in the stadium, hyperventilating about that almost-kiss.
Its quarter to seven now, and Jackson enters the field, flanked by Nate and Austin and they take their positions on the ground, looking totally ready to win this match. I'm hundred-percent sure they will.
A large crowd is gathered in the stadium to witness the match. Its really noisy and the atmosphere is really active and everyone can sense the underlying tension in the air between both the schools. I hear some guys on the seats in front of me, making bets on which team will win the match.
At quarter to five, the Referee blows the whistle and the game begins.
Damn. The teams are really good. Anyone would testify that Bryxton's goalkeeper was real gem, by the way he prevented the ball from falling into the goal. But he is absolutely no match for our goalkeeper, Austin.
Jackson has the ball now, and he runs with the ball to the opponent side. The crowd begins cheering again and he searches the stadium for someone. I stand up and start cheering but before Jackson could score, a guy from Bryxton tackles it. The guy from Bryxton runs quickly and scores a goal, while all of our teammates are still shocked.
I can see Jackson getting mad. Oh no.
Everyone is quiet now. Shit. There is a pin-drop silence.
The referee whistled, signaling a break. Jake huddles with his team and I guess they're discussing strategies. But Jake looks around.
If he thinks I left, I need him to know that I didn't.
I send him a message. 'Left bleacher, second row, fourth from the right'
His eyes look around, and then tension at the corner of his eyes relaxes as I smile at him.
I type, "Now stop grinning, and focus on the task, Sanchez. Remember what I said."
He looks at the message, and begins to type something, but before he could, his coach grabs the phone from him
The referee blows the whistle, and the game is on again. The air was thick with anticipation and the excitement.
And now the crowd cheers as Austin scores. Yes. Everyone gets up from their seat and claps loudly.
I don't know why Jake is laying low for a while. He seems really tired. What is up with him? Is he alright? What was he about to type? Does this have something to do with it?
Damn this, I'm worried. He skims the borders of the field, not really in the game.
Coach Barney is really anxious. Really, really anxious.
His eyes pop out, as shouts to Jackson, "Sanchez, what the hell are you doing there. Move your ass to the midfield. Get the damn ball right now or trust me when I say that I'm gonna make you sit for the whole damn season."
Jake nods, and runs to get the ball.
"You can do it, Sanchez", I shout along with Oakhearts students who are wildly cheering for him.
The countdown begins, and the ball is with Bryxton's' quarterback. Jackson tackles the ball, with the classic Jackson move, and runs with the ball.
5
Yes. Yes. Yes. Jackson's nearing the goal. The Bryxton's guys try to tackle the ball, but Jackson takes no prisoners.
4
Jackson is close to the goal. Bryxton's quarterback regains the ball. Shit.
3
Jackson tackles the ball. I pray for him to get it.
2
What the----
Jackson scores.
1
And the crowd cheers. Its really loud.
Austin and Jackson are carried on their teams backs and everyone celebrates. The cheer team girls finish their performance.
Finally, Jackson is let down, and he runs to the bleachers.
He looks for someone. And the next thing I see is him in front of me.
"Jake", I huff. I'm panting a lot more than him right now, and I barely did anything.
There are literally two things I'm really aware of right now.
"Ken", he says and we stand close to each other, our toes touching.
One, We're really close. Really really close. Closer than the parking.
Two, Everyone's attention is on us. We've never really interacted much in the school before, and now everyone is staring at us. And I'm not fond of attention. Definitely not in a stadium of almost five hundred people.
Jake is staring into my eyes, and I can't being myself to break our eye contact. It feels really close, for some reason, and I look into his eyes. Those beautiful emerald orbs of his captivate me, and I keep staring. His uniform covered with sweat clings onto his abs. My lips are parted, and I'm confused. I don't know why this is happening. I don't know if this is supposed to be happening. And I don't know if I want this to be happening.
I don't know how long we're doing this, but it feels like some unspoken communication is passing between us, and I cant interrupt it. And as a matter of fact, I know the crowd is watching hungrily, for some drama. They sure want some gossip to talk about tomorrow. Ugh, maybe I wont come to school tomorrow.
At times, my mind thinks way too much than what I'm ready for. That's precisely why I can never be an in-the-moment kind of person, like Jackson. He is an in-the-moment guy. I think a lot. Maybe I shouldn't be doing that. Maybe I should just tell my brain to shut up and listen to my heart.
I look into his eyes.
Then I kiss him. My eyes closed, I pull him close to me and I place my lips onto his. My hand rakes through his soft hair. And I realized I don't care about the crowd watching, as I pour all I wanted to tell him into the kiss. This kiss is conveying deep messages.
The thing about the first kiss always lies in the anticipation before it. That's the starter part. That's what people always talk about. But in my case, the kiss was just as amazing as everything I've ever done with Jackson.
He catches on, like he has been waiting for this. This only equals pure passion. He places his hand on my chin, and he takes the lead. He pushes his tongue through my lips, asking for my permission, which I gladly give. All the blood rushes to my face, and I feel hot. His mouth tastes of spearmint chewing gum, and I think it just became my most favorite flavor.
It is mind-blowing. My mind refuses to think. Finally, so out of breath, we break away.
He looks gorgeous, against the pink skyline, and the cold breeze ruffles his hair, making him look so sexy. My short skirt ruffles past my thighs, as I collect myself and get aware of the surroundings. Never knew my first kiss would be so breathtaking. Maybe its because it was with Jake.
My brain finally gets the ability to join the thoughts floating in my brain to comprehend it into a meaningful sentence. And I don't know what to say.
"Damn, I didn't know you had it in you, Hale"
"Neither did I", I reply.
Before I could say more, Nate calls out jokingly, "Finally. Thought you guys were gonna die by suffocation. I wouldn't know what to put on your gravestone. Death by kissing?"
My cheeks flush red. Oh, this is awkward
Jackson glares at him and says, "Sounds just fine"
He looks at me and says, "Okay, see ya later"
I nod.
Oh. My. God. It is so awkward. What do I say now?
What am I to him now? Just his tutor? Not anymore.
His girlfriend? I don't think so.
Like he said, I got in my car, and I drove up to the Starbucks outlet near my house.
A good coffee beats everything. I order a classic cappuccino, because I want some normalcy, to think things through. After all, I'm the one who kissed him. I sit by my usual spot, the one at the end, with the glass panel through which I look outside.
A couple of people, who look like tourists- because I don't recognize them, and I've been living in this area for seventeen long years to know almost everyone who lives near- enter the shop and they sit diagonally opposite. They look really young, if I were to guess, Id say around 25, and they share a vanilla-sweet-cream-cold-brew and it looks really romantic. They look so cute together.
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A/N
So what do you guys think?
This is just the beginning. You're in for more sarcastic banters, limitless supply of humor, and unequivocal love. Don't forget the tragedy. Every love story is incomplete without its tale to tell.
But you guys are gonna love this one. Trust me.
xoxo
karen