Perfect

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

“Finally! Finally! FINALLY!” My best friend, Shannon, ran out of class, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“Shannon, please-” She turned around to look at me.

“Come on, Beth! I know you’ve got to be excited. It’s the last day of school, after all! We’ve got the whole summer in front of us!” I rolled my eyes.

Yes, I was excited, this was true. But that didn’t mean I wanted to go around shouting it at the top of my lungs. In fact, I wanted to do the opposite. I just wanted to go home, quietly and unnoticed, so I could paint something. I wasn’t the most outgoing girl at my school. I was the shyest. I didn’t like people noticing me, which was difficult, because I was really smart and teachers would usually call on me. But it’s okay, because school was over, and I wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.

I walked with Shannon to our lockers, which were situated next to each other.

“Beth! Look!” Shannon hissed, tugging me sleeve, forcing me to turn around. I looked down the hallway to see what she was freaking out about, and my breath got hitched in my throat.

Jason Hale was walking down the hallway, surrounded by friends. He was one of the more popular kids in school, always laughing, and talking to someone, and looked like he was forever living the good life. I had the HUGEST crush on him, ever since freshman year, when we had to work on a biology project together. I don’t think we’d ever talked after that, but it didn’t matter. I would see him in the hallways, and in class, and the butterflies would go nuts. He was also my next door neighbor, but I was always too shy to say anything to him. The downside of being shy.

This time was no different. Well…

As he walked by, he looked over at me.

And smiled, and waved. I smiled back, shocked.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Shannon went NUTS.

“Beth! He smiled at you! JASON HALE SMILED AT YOU!”

“Shhh! Yes, I know, I know! Now be quiet! He’ll hear you!” We burst into a giggle fit, and then walked outside, to wait for her mom to pick us up. We discussed the several things the smile and wave could mean, and then her mom picked us up. The conversation continued until they dropped me off at my house. I went inside, holding my breath to see if my mom was home. I wasn’t her biggest fan.

Luckily, the house was silent. I exhaled, and walked over to the kitchen. There was a note on the table. I picked it up, and began to read it.

“Beth,
Your sister and I have gone to visit your aunt in Toronto for a week. I know you don’t like her much, so I decided that since you’re 17, you’re responsible enough to be on your own. No crazy parties at my house, please.
Love, Mom.”

I shouted in happiness. A whole week without my overbearing mom or annoying sister?

This summer was starting out amazing!

I ran up to my room, and checked my email quickly. Nothing interesting. I looked around my room, not sure what to do.

“Well, it is summer,” I murmured. I grabbed my swim suit, and put it on, running outside. I blew up a pool floatie, and sat down on it, after putting on sunscreen. I leaned back, and started to snooze.

“Hey,” a smooth voice called out. I was startled, and sat up too quickly. The floatie flipped over, and I fell into the water. I came back up, my cheeks bright red, my jet black hair plastered to my face. I looked up, to see Jason peeking over the fence.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” He said. With one leap, he was over the fence, in my backyard, walking towards me. He held out a hand, and I used it to pull myself out of the pool. I stood there, teeth chattering, not sure what he was doing, or if this was all a dream.

“Here,” he said, pulling the towel I had brought outside off the table, wrapping me in it.

“Th-thanks.” I mumbled. He smiled, and the butterflies went crazy.

“I’m Jason,” he said, smiling.

“Beth.” I pretended that I had never met him, to save myself the embarrassment.

“Beth,” he grinned. “Pretty name for a pretty face. Say, Beth. Do you want to go with me later to get some coffee or something?” I nodded, a little too eager.

“Anywhere but Starbucks.” He grinned.

“I know the perfect place. I’ll come get you around 7, and we can walk. That is, if you don’t mind?” I shook my head.

“That sounds perfect, actually. I’ll see you at 7.” He grinned, walking back towards the fence.

“It’s a date!” He jumped back over, and I bit my lip to resist squealing. I ran back into the house, grabbing my cell phone. I pushed a few quick numbers, and began to dance around the house, bursting with excitement.

“Helllllllloooooooo?”

“Shannon! You’ll never believe what just happened to me!”

“You won the lottery?”

“NO! Even better! I’m going on a date with JASON HALE!”

She screamed. “NO WAY! I’M COMING OVER RIGHT NOW!” She hung up, and I giggled, on a high. I went to the shower, quickly washing myself of the chlorine.
I jumped out, just as the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs, throwing the door open.

“Let’s get you ready!” Shannon said, pushing me inside. We ran up to my room, acting like giggly little girls. She kept pulling things out, showing them to me. I kept shaking my head.

“Well, you’re going to get coffee. So something casual, but amazing. So…” She dug around in my closet some more.

“Aha!” She pulled out a white V-neck shirt, and a black cardigan, followed by a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. “Here.” She handed it to me, ordering me to put it on. I quickly got dressed, and twirled around for her. “How does it look?”

“Gorgeous!” I looked in the mirror, and saw she was right. My hair fell straight around my shoulders, and everything looked really good. I grinned, excited. She checked the clock.

“What time is he supposed to be here?”

“Seven.”

“GO! HE’S HERE!” As soon as she shouted that, I heard the doorbell ring. I quickly, and clumsily, pulled on a pair of Converse, and ran downstairs, opening the door.

There he was, gorgeous. He grinned. “Ready?” I nodded, and walked outside, closing the door. He walked me to his car, holding the door open for me. We drove in silence, and I kept thinking of things to say, but nothing would come to me. Finally, we parked in a familiar parking lot.

“Adriana’s!” I exclaimed, getting out of the car.

“You know this place?” He asked, getting out. I nodded, excitedly. “I love this place!” he grinned. “Perfect.” He took my hand as we walked inside, and I resisted the urge to squeal.

Who would have thought, I, Beth Richards, would be holding hands with Jason Hale?!

Not me, that’s for sure.

We got into the coffee shop, sitting in a little secluded booth in the back. The waitress came over, taking our orders, and leaving us alone.

He looked at me, and said, “You’re beautiful.” I felt the rush of red come to my cheeks, and looked down. He took his hands, and lifted my chin with his fingers. He smiled, and I could feel my heart beating so fast I thought it would explode. I hesitantly smiled back, and he grinned. He leaned over, and kissed my lips, softly and sweetly. He pulled away all too quickly, and I resisted the urge to pout.

“Beth. I know you know who I am, I remember we had to work on the biology project freshman year. I remember wanting to get to know you better, wanting to hang out with you more, but you seemed so…disinterested. I remember seeing you that one day during the summer, when you painting something, and you would occasionally look over, and I would hide, because I was afraid.”

I couldn’t believe it. Jason Hale knew who I was. Jason Hale was afraid of me. I almost began laughing, the thought was crazy.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I can’t get you off my mind, no matter what I do, you’re always there. Beth, will you be my girl?” My face broke into a grin, and I nodded.

“Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes!” He grinned, the smile was breathtaking as usual.

“Perfect,” He said, leaning in, and kissing me again.

“Yes,” I thought. “You are perfect.”