A Battle for Love

As expected, he plopped his book and back pack at an empty desk beside mine. I sighed and rubbed my hands down my face. He slid his desk so that it met with mine.

“Hey b-ball girl,” he said cheerfully. I gave him a look that said, ‘You are very annoying’. He just laughed.

“Yeah, I know.” He spoke as if he got that look a lot. I bet he did.

I took out my book seeing as there was no way he was going to disappear.

“The name’s Paul by the way,” he said trying to make conversation.

“Hi, Paul,” I mumbled.

His smile faded but didn’t go away. “You’re not that fond of me, are you?”

I said nothing just sat back in my chair and flipped through the pages of the geography book.

“I’m not very fond of any guy who has a school full of girls chasing after him,” I saw the look of surprise in his eyes at the fact that I had spoken more than 5 words to him then it turned into a wider smile.

“You think girls go crazy over me?”

I looked at him and laughed upon his cluelessness.

“Every hall you go down, the girls all bite their lip to keep from screaming and jump up and down after you’re gone.” I informed him.

Paul leaned his head over to his left and looked at me thoughtfully. Then he leaned in closer. So close, I could smell the soft musk on his skin…

He smelled delicious.

“You don’t do that,” he said deeply but softly. There was that voice again.

I quickly regained myself before he noticed. “That’s because, as you said, I’m not very fond of you.” The words almost got stuck in my throat. I was grateful when they came out smooth as butter. Paul didn’t seem to notice. He resumed his posture.

“Ouch.” He placed his hand over his chest. “Isn’t it bad enough that you beat me at basketball, then called me out?”

I laughed then. I’d have to admit, he was getting hotter by the minute.

“You needed to know what was poppin’ on my turf. You rollin’ up in here thinking you gonna embarrass me? Nuh-uh,” I said shaking my finger from side to side, smiling. Paul stared at me with something I couldn’t quite understand.

“Well,” he said opening his book. “Now that I know what’s ‘Poppin’’ on your turf, why don’t we hang out sometime?”

I choked on my spit at that one. Paul’s face frowned up in an instant.

“Was that um, was that supposed to be funny?” I knew that I had offended him. So I had to do some quick thinking.

“No, not at all,” I said quickly.

“Then what is it? I don’t even get a chance?”

I stared into his eyes. “I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t even know you.” I finished honestly. Such a lame excuse but it was true. Paul ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “How are you to get to know someone when you don’t even try,” his tone was light but I could tell it wasn’t going to stay that way for long.

“You don’t even know my name.”

“You didn’t give it.”

“You didn’t ask.”

A soft chuckle escaped his perfect lips. “Okay. May I ask you for your name?”

The way he said it was so funny I had to laugh out loud. Some other partners around us looked over.

“Kendra,” I answered him.

A sigh of relief exhaled out of his lungs.

“So…Kendra, what do you say we hang out sometime?” I thought about it. Mom and Dad will be pissed. I’d have to lie but then again, that would get me no where. I couldn’t even go shopping.

“Okay.” What?!

Paul’s eyes smiled right along with his lips. “Awesome!” He yelled a little too loud. Now the whole class was looking at us. I smiled apologetically. Paul waved at them. “I just found out that I had the right answer all along. Sorry,” He said to the teacher who was at his desk frowning.

“Just try to keep your excitement to yourself, Mr. Smith.”

Paul did another hand motion and turned back to me. “It’s a date then.”

I looked up quickly. “Not a date. We are just hanging out remember?”

“Yes ma’am.” Paul said with a smile and we skimmed the text because we only had 10 more minutes until the bell.