I
He looks at her like a softly piercing snowflake that lands on the tip of your nose. His stare so quiet, so serene, so perfectly still. Their eyes met serendipitously and his eyes speak. Peace, be still; and the world around them freezes at his command. The people around them instantly disappear. He cracks a smile as her heart begins to race in the stillness of her body. But it was a glance and so now around them the world begins to spin yet again.



II
Germaine sighs as she sits on her bed and recalls the first time she and Todd saw each other. She never believed in love at first sight but there was something about him that made her heart dance. As “Messages From You” played softly through her iPod speakers Germaine had to decide, is their first glance powerful enough to overcome their last. When she saw Todd that last time in the hallway she forgot how his heart spoke to hers and when he tried to reconnect she choose not to listen.
But the first glance was something Germaine never thought she’d forget because it happened amidst the drama of her parent’s divorce and it was the first time in a long time she felt complete.



III
“Hello?! Hello?! Germaine are you there?!” were the screams that interrupted her thoughts and brought Germaine back to reality. The tears stopped streaming down her face. It was the voice of Ali, Germaine’s best friend since kindergarten. Ali was there for the divorce and she had pledged to be there for Germaine when she broke up with Todd.

The two friends had been skyping all night trying to decide what to do about Germaine and Todd’s relationship. It was only days after Todd had promised that no matter what college he and Germaine went to he’d love her forever she saw him, there, their last glance. She saw him with her.

“Germaine, Todd is a jerk and an idiot. You can do better than Todd. You’re smart and pretty and above all a cheerleader!” She just keeps reminding Germaine how she has it all even though Germaine feels as though she lacks so much.

“Of course I’m pretty… But, am I truly loved -a question she had always struggled to answer since her parents’ divorce.” Her parents always fought about who could have her when and somehow she just never seemed to fit into their new lives.

“If Todd doesn’t love me no one ever will…”.

Germaine feel just as empty as the day she heard her father say, “Well I guess I’ll have to take her then”. So she responded to Todd’s message “We can have lunch tomorrow and you can explain everything. <3”. Germaine knew that if she just had time to think it over through the night she’d know exactly what to do about her relationship with Todd.



IV
As she prepared for bed that night Germaine recalled all the reasons Ali had given her for breaking up with Todd. He cheated on her after he promised to love her forever. He had a nasty habit of half answering Germaine’s text messages. But in her mind Germaine knew it wasn’t that simple.




V
“Ali its just not as simple as you tried to make it last night. I mean I love Todd and I know he cheated… but I thought I was the good girl who could turn a bad boy straight. Foolish me… O there he is, wish me luck.”