The Diva Inside

“Hey Camryn, do you think we can talk for a minute?” Ben asks me, rubbing the back of his neck like he always does when he gets nervous.

“Sure, I guess so.” My heart starts to pound hard and fast.

“I wanted to talk about the kiss.” The hallway is completely empty so he has no issue talking to me in public.

“What about it? I mean what is there really we need to talk about?” I ask, wanting to really know the answer.

“Well, it was a mistake. I should have never kissed you. It shouldn’t have happened.” My heart drops.

“Oh, okay. I guess it was a mistake, but I have one question. Why did you kiss me?”

Ben’s face starts to darken. “Uhm…I think I was just caught up in the moment and we had such a good time that I don’t know, I just kissed you.”

“Okay, but I think you should know that I liked the kiss. And I want you to know that that afternoon I spent with you wasn’t just a little walk, something happened when we were talking, something that I’ve never felt with anyone else.” I feel my eyes start to water. “I have to go.” I quickly walk away before I breakdown and cry in front of him.

As a sprint away, I sudden hit something solid. I look up through my tear-filled eyes and see a mess of red hair and a sparkling white smile. Dexter.

“Hey, hey. Are you ok?” He wraps his muscular arms around me. Obviously he knows I’m not ok.

“Yeah…I’m fine.” I sniffle.

“You don’t look it. Come here, tell me what happened.” Dexter walks me over to the lockers and we sit down on the ground he still has his arm around my right shoulder. I don’t tell him to move it.

I don’t know what it is about Dexter, but I feel completely comfortable with him. I like the way his arm is wrapped around me. I like how he sounds genuinely concerned about me. I don’t what it is, but I decide to tell Dexter everything that has happened including the walk in the park, the kiss and what just happened only a few moments ago.

“I mean, why doesn’t he just like me? I don’t get it. We had such a connection on Sunday and that kiss. There was something special there. I just don’t get it.” I finish my long rant and finally look up at Dexter, clearly. I have moved closer to him as I kept on talking, but he didn’t say anything.

“I think this guy is a complete idiot for giving you up. I mean…I’m just trying to say…that he…you’re such a…” Dexter’s face is the darkest shade of red.

Sudden my phone vibrates in my front pocket. It’s a text from Taylor asking where I am. I don’t reply, I’m too concerned on learning what Dexter wants to say. But he doesn’t say anything. We sit in complete silence, his arm still around me and me still close to his abdomen, which looks pretty well defined.

“Well, I guess I should be going.” I tell Dexter, reaching for my bag. He slowly moves his arm away and the second it’s gone I want it around me again.

“Oh, yeah. It was nice seeing you. I hope you work this whole guy thing out.” Dexter waves then continues to walk in the direction that he was headed in before I rammed into him.

I hear him muttering things to himself like ‘you idiot’ and ‘why didn’t you say it?’ He must have wanted to say something. Anyway, I fix myself then head in the direction of my math class.

**
“Where were you at lunch today?” Taylor hounds me the second I walk into horticulture. Since my run in with Dexter, nothing else has happened.

“I was getting some math help.” I tell him, picking at my nails. My tell sign that I’m lying.

“Bullshit, where were you really? You didn’t answer my text.” Taylor knows me so well. Since his break up with Anthony we’ve been spending more time together than ever. I love spending time with him, he’s such an amazing moral support and we just always have fun together.

“Okay, I am lying, but I can’t tell you here. Come over to my house?” I ask. I hate talking about my personal life during class, what if someone hears me.

“I can’t I have to much homework.”

“Edward just baked a fresh batch of chocolate chip brownies.” I use this to persuade Taylor. Edward, our chef, makes the world’s BEST brownies.

“Homework can wait.”

I laugh, and then Taylor and I move over to our herbs that we just started growing. I’m growing basil and mint. Taylor sage and parsley. The rest of class goes by fast then Taylor and I are waiting at the main entrance for Timothy as usual.

I can’t seem to get Dexter off of my mind and just as my mind starts to wander back to his perfect white smile, I notice him staring at me as usual, but this time he looks like he wants to talk me. I feel my heart beat quicken and I stare back. Taylor turns to talk to me and looks in the direction I’m looking. Dexter’s eyes and mine connect and I don’t want to look away.

Suddenly, Taylor shacks me out of my stare and looks at me with knowing eyes, grinning to himself. Just than Timothy shows up.

**
When we get my house, Taylor shots into the kitchen looking for the brownies. I slowly make my way to the kitchen where Taylor has a brownie stuffed in his mouth and is holding 2 more. I just smile, then sit at the counter.

“So, what’s up?” Taylor asks, with his mouth full.

“Something happened today.” My brain flashes back to Dexter holding me in his arms and Ben’s lips touching mine “Something happened and I don’t know how I should feel?”