Who We'll Be

The sound thundered through my ears, and the light coming from the window pierced through my skin like their goal was to irritate me whole.

I lazily opened my eyes, stared at the vibrating clock on the little cabinet beside my bed.

“Oh, shoot…”

The bathroom was where I first ran to, then to the kitchen, and then out of the house. It was a cloudy, middle of January, and the weather was as glacier-ish as it could get.

I was about to walk straight to school—when I remembered Sky, when he said he’d walk to school with me.

So shuffled to his house I did, trying to run faster than a cheetah, fretting about my tardiness record at stake.

I bombarded knocks on his door. “Sky! C’mon, we’re gonna be late!"

A bruised knuckle later, he finally opened it.

“Yes…?”

He was rubbing his static-blue eyes with one hand, his hair a fumbled mess, his features quite weary…enough to make me pause and sigh and stare at him. In my head.

I froze in his porch.

He was standing there…looking all sleepy…with just his boxers on.

Holy Sleeping Beauty…

…can anything look more appetizing than this?

I mean, look at those muscles (they’re not bulky big—ew—just the appropriate size for a teenage boy) and those abs…

…hmmm…

…yummy…

…OH MY GOD.

Symmery, what the flying cupcake are you thinking?! You're thinking naughty thoughts about Sky, your BEST FRIEND!

Your BFFEE!

Your Best Friend Forever and Ever and Ever!

Oh, no!

Now he’ll just probably be your BFFEEWYTNTA!!!

Your Best Friend Forever and Ever and Ever Whom You Think Naughty Thoughts About!

I feel so bad!

Bad, Symmery!

“Dude, put some clothes on!” I yelled at him, trying not to look.

At first he looked at me in confusion, and then smirked. Why, oh, why does he have to smile like that?

“Attempting to resist me, are we?” he teased.

Sky had always teased me that I like him before, but he's the type that likes to joke around, and…that’s just what Sky does. He does that to other girls too. I don’t think he literally meant that he knew that I love him or anything really dumb like that. I blushed anyway.

"No, I’ve seen your skeleton-like body before,” I teased back, rolling my eyes.

“That was years ago. This is the sexier version,” he bragged, patting his finely-carved masterpiece.

God…please…stop…tempting me.

I gulped something like yearning down my throat. Just maintain your composure, Symmery. Maintain it.

“Well, if you’re just gonna stand there and brag about that”—sexy—“body of yours until we both get late, then I guess I’ll just go to school by myself.” I started to march out of his porch.

“Wait!” he pleaded, grabbing my wrist. “Fine, fine. Just wait here. I’ll be back in a second.”

***

In Sky’s dictionary, a second probably means a year—the school was already bustling when we got there.

Classes had already started as we skidded through the cream-colored halls, and I swore I saw some girls and boys giggle when Sky walked past them.

And what did I receive from them?

That’s right.

Death glares.

I tried to ignore as best as I could, but something was tempting me to throw burned cookies right at their faces and say:

‘Back off, ladies. This hot piece of man is mine. Got that? MINE!!!’

If only.

“This school is awesome,” Sky said, smiling back at the girls as we walked by.

“The only thing awesome about this school is the fountain in front of the school...” I mumbled, still thinking about other malevolent things.

“Huh? I didn't see any fountain in front of the school.…”

I chuckled. “Exactly!”

* * *

I had to leave Sky at the office to fix some stuff concerning his new-student-in-the-middle-of-the-year situation. I was on my way to my first class, when I realized that my first subject had already passed, so I decided to go to my second one, which was on the next building.

My second subject was Calculus...and since my Calculus teacher was a really mean dude who hates life, if I get there late….

I started to run as fast as a ninja, hoping the steps I took weren't my last.

I was the ninja of the corridors, and because of my ninja-ness…I bumped into something.

…Or someone.

No, not a someone.

A good-looking guy.

Wait, no.

More like a prince lost from his kingdom somewhere faraway.

“Oops, sorry!” I apologized, and shyly bowed a couple of times.

I knew his face because I’ve seen him around, couldn't recall his name; I vaguely remember him being in the school basketball team. He was tall and lean, had short dark hair and burnt-muffin eyes.

“That’s okay,” he said, smiling.

I smiled back.

I was about to walk away, when he said, "Wait...what's your name again?"

Oh…thy highness wants to know thy name...better give it to him.

“Symmery.”

“Nice to meet you…I’m Eric," he said. And then I wondered where his steed was when he smiled so brightly.