If it hadn’t been completely ridiculous up to this point, it just became exactly that. I had been waiting for months for this moment, and now that it was here, the butterflies in my stomach were multiplying. Since sixth grade I’d been trying to convince myself that we were just friends, but now my feelings were getting the best of me.
I waited by my locker as I tried to keep my hands from shaking. I looked through the flood of students pushing up the hallway. School just let out for the summer, and I couldn’t go another three months without him. We only had one more year of school left; I had to make this count.
While I was staring at the ground trying to gather my thoughts and calm my nerves, the floor I was so focused on was suddenly replaced by blue and grey tennis shoes. I slowly move my eyes up his worn jeans and over his orange polo shirt and finally let my eyes settle on his blue ones. My breath left my lungs, and I was completely speechless.
“I got your voicemail.” I was trying to find out how he felt about me, but I knew I needed to focus and relax.
“Good. I’m glad you decided to come.” My stomach was in knots, and my hands were getting clammy. Had I been stupid to do this? Had I lost my mind?
“I need to say something. I know you might not want to hear it but I have to say it.” I took me a second to realize he had spoken, but when I didn’t his words spared no mercy.
My heart almost stopped. This was it; the moment when my dreams would die, and he would reject me. I held back my deluge of tears; I braced myself, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes.
“I love you.”
My eyes snapped open, and my heart was beating so fast that I was scared he could hear it. But did I hear him say he loved me? I couldn’t help but think I was dreaming, and I’d either wake up or he would deny what I heard him just say. “What?”
“I love you. Now, I know we’re just friends and have been for a long time. But school just let out for the summer, and next year is senior year. And I can’t live through three more months without you.”
Holy crap. Did just hear what he said? Is he reading my mind? Or are we just that right for each other? Yes! It’s freaking fate. Then I remembered that I need to keep it cool and attractive. I had been so caught up with being overwhelmingly happy, that I forgot I needed to reply to him.
“I can’t stand being friends. I’ve loved you since I realized there was such a thing as love.”
Then he slipped his arm around my waist and pressed his hand against my back, and he backed me up against the lockers and kissed me. Finally.