Average

Bethany took long strides, weaving in and out of the obstacles that were in her path. Bare feet weren’t necessarily the perfect choice for running, nor were pajamas. The cold spring air slapped against her rosy cheeks as she ran through Cockeysville. She had high doubts that anyone was chasing her, yet she didn’t want to take any chances. The young girl turned out of the neighborhood, her eyes locking on a shopping center across the street. Bethany made her way through the traffic, and into the shopping center. Barnes and Nobles was her store of choice.

Bethany tip toed into the store, not wanting to be caught by an employee. There had to be some rule against being there. A “No Shoes, No Entry” type of thing had to be in play. The blonde walked back into the teen section of the store. Her eyes surveyed the shelves until she found what she had been looking for. She slid the grey and green book into her palm. It was ‘Speak’ by Laurie Halse Anderson. Bethany paced into the adult section, where there were plenty of places to sit. She placed herself on the cushion of a chair, and turned the cover of the book back. She flipped through the pages until she had arrived at the first chapter. Bethany read.

Bethany’s first love was reading. She adored the way that the words on the page sprung to life. Each word was a part of a sentence, each sentence filled a paragraph, and each paragraph filled the story. The harsh reality of the world could be forgotten when your nose was in a book. There were novels that described Bethany’s life, like Speak. Then there were others that described how Bethany aspired to be. She wanted the confidence that characters had. She wanted the beauty, inside and out. She wanted to be content with her life. But, most of all, she wanted someone to love. It was difficult to find anyone worth loving at her school, with every guy there being scum. It was practically impossible to find love.

Bethany looked up from her book, and surveyed the Barnes and Nobles. Only one person came into her line of sight. It was a tall male figure. He wore blue jeans, a Hurley t-shirt and a plain black hoodie. His hair was a dark shade of brown, covering his ears slightly. His hands slid along the spines of the book, searching for the right one. His eyes, deep lakes of blue, looked up at Bethany. He smiled. Her stomach dropped. She returned the favor. He walked towards the young girl, sitting in the chair diagonal to her. He leaned towards Bethany. “Don’t you go to my school?” he asked. Bethany nodded. “I’m Cameron,” he introduced himself. “I’m Bethany,” she informed him. “I know. You're in my math class. I could never forget such a beautiful face.”

Cameron grinned. Bethany blushed.
Not all boys were scum.