Wait for Tomorrow
Part One
March 20 - Junior Year
She felt like she didn't have her best friend anymore. With what her friend is doing, and her problems at home, she felt as if the weight of the world was rest upon her shoulders. Leigh wasn't her usual perky self this particular late morning. She sat against the pole under the stairs, looking at the drama unfold before her. She watched with betrayed eyes and a betrayed heart.
She was really hurting. Though she didn't show it, completely, she was hurting. Everyone could see that something was wrong. They even asked her: "Leigh! Are you okay?" Leigh shrugs. "It's nothing." After her half-hearted reply, they'd leave, obviously dissatisfied. She didn't want to say exactly what was bothering her. Because she knew that if she said anything, people would scold her, telling her to stop being immature. And it was true, but that was who she was. She couldn't help that.
Leigh curled her legs up to her chest, resting her head on her knees. She could hear the laughs and cries and screams of her friends around her. All having fun, no drama, and care-free. Something she wishes she could be doing.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against their body. Not caring who it was, Leigh curled closer to to their chest, inhaling their cologne. Carefully, they slipped their hand into Leigh's, absently drawing circles on her hand. Leigh sighed at the gesture and looked up at her comforter. A dazzling smile met her and a pair of loving olive green eyes staring into hers.
Not many, if no one, knew about her crush on Matt. She disguised the fact so well that she even fooled herself into thinking that she didn't like him. But every time Matt crept into her thoughts, a smile formed on her face and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered. She always loved the way he'd sneak up on her, gently hugging her from behind. Or the way he'd hold her when he knew she was having a bad day. Just those little things made her weak. And then there were the most obvious reasons. Like every time he would smile, his dimples would deepen, giving him the look of a young boy. Or how every time he would look into her eyes, she'd feel safe, and comforted. It was just those little things. . .
Matt's chin was resting on Leigh's head as the continued to embrace each other. People stared curiously at them, smiling, as if they knew something Leigh and Matt didn't. Slowly, Matt lowered his face so his lips were at her ear.
"Tell me what's wrong," he whispered. Leigh shrugged. She didn't want to bear her problems on him.
"You know you can tell me," he persisted.
Leigh sighed and looked into Matt's eyes. Matt's olive-hued orbs stared back into hers, flooding her with a sudden security. She sighed and unwrapped herself from Matt's arms. "Well, it's Andi," she began, her voice cracking slightly. "She's been acting different this past week. It's like Brian didn't even exist to her. And then she goes after Zach? It just seems a little wrong to me. I mean, her and Bri only broke up last Thursday. Monday she was completely distraught. She thought she couldn't make it through the weekend! And then miraculously, Zach is there to comfort her, and then the next thing I knew they were going out." Leigh paused to catch her breath.
"What I don't understand is why she's going after his best friend. I mean, that just makes her look really bad; like she's just out for revenge or she's just a whore." She blushed scarlet at the word. "I know those aren't her intentions, hopefully, but still, she doesn't need to be labeled something she's not. And then the most ridiculous reason that makes me look completely horrible," she felt embarrassed just thinking it. "I don't want to be thought of as that kind of girl. That because I'm best friends with Andi the guys are going to think that I act just like that. And, Matt, I'm not like that! I don't want to be thought of like that." Leigh's voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes looking shamefully at the floor.
She heard him sigh, and then a finger under her chin. She looked up at Matt, his eyes trying to break past her defenses. "I don't think of you like that," he promised her.
Just with those little words, Leigh felt a little hopeful.
Spanish - Last Period
Leigh stared blankly at the board above her teachers head. She didn't care about this class, and she didn't have to. The teacher was explaining, in vain, how to conjugate the Spanish verbs. Leigh could feel her eyes drooping shut, but before she could get into full sleep, her teacher burst through, calling on her for an answer.
"Leigh! Conjugate bailar in the preterite tense, por favor."
She stared blankly at her before answering; the teacher looked at her with an amused smile. Kindly, Leigh put the verb into the correct form, but not before she messed up. After she moved on, Leigh resumed her actions: Staring at the wall.
Before long, Leigh heard her name being whispered; looking behind her she saw Matt and Jimmy pointing to the desk behind me. She glanced at the desk, but didn't see anything but a couple of note cards and a folded sheet of paper. Confused, she looked back at them and shrugged. Matt let out a laugh and pointed to the desk, while Jimmy whispered something. She looked around her, but didn't see anything. Finally, Matt spoke loud enough for her to hear.
"The note!" He stabbed his finger in the direction of the desk.
Leigh spied the folded paper and realized that was whet they wanted her to look at. Grabbing the note with a sheepish grin, she turned back in her seat, carefully opening it. On the sheet of paper was a simple sentence, scrawled in his scratchy hand.
i know this is kinda lame, not asking you to your face, but i was wondering if you wanted to go out with me.
Leigh felt her face rush with color. She looked back at Matt, but him and Jimmy were too busy laughing at little Johnny. She scribbled a quick answer back, but didn't give it back right away. Stuffing it under her book, she waited for the class to settle down. It wasn't until they were halfway through their next assignment that Matt stage-whispered her name, telling her to pass the note. Quite unsubtly, Leigh handed the paper the boy behind her, instructing him to hand the note to Matt.
After Class
Matt came up behind Leigh, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. A smile formed on her face as she reveled in the fact that Matt liked her the same way she liked him. Andi didn't know about their little get together yet, not that Leigh wanted her to. She was sure Andi would freak out on her for not telling her. And obviously start gushing about how those two finally got together. It wasn't something she wanted to make a big deal about.
And sure enough as Matt and Leigh approached her locker, a small shriek emitted from Andi's lips. "Are you two dating now!?"
Leigh smiled politely. "Maybe."
"Oh my god! That's so cute! But seriously, are you dating?! I need to know!"
"She said maybe," Matt answered, giving me a small wink.
As they walked out of the school together, Matt pulled Leigh into his chest, stopping them from walking. No one was paying attention, so their friends kept walking. Matt stared into her eyes, not knowing that he was practically turning her into pudding. Matt's hands cupped her face, and kissed her. Leigh's heart jumped and she kissed back, trying to put all that she was feeling into the kiss. And to her, this was the perfect kiss.
She felt like she didn't have her best friend anymore. With what her friend is doing, and her problems at home, she felt as if the weight of the world was rest upon her shoulders. Leigh wasn't her usual perky self this particular late morning. She sat against the pole under the stairs, looking at the drama unfold before her. She watched with betrayed eyes and a betrayed heart.
She was really hurting. Though she didn't show it, completely, she was hurting. Everyone could see that something was wrong. They even asked her: "Leigh! Are you okay?" Leigh shrugs. "It's nothing." After her half-hearted reply, they'd leave, obviously dissatisfied. She didn't want to say exactly what was bothering her. Because she knew that if she said anything, people would scold her, telling her to stop being immature. And it was true, but that was who she was. She couldn't help that.
Leigh curled her legs up to her chest, resting her head on her knees. She could hear the laughs and cries and screams of her friends around her. All having fun, no drama, and care-free. Something she wishes she could be doing.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against their body. Not caring who it was, Leigh curled closer to to their chest, inhaling their cologne. Carefully, they slipped their hand into Leigh's, absently drawing circles on her hand. Leigh sighed at the gesture and looked up at her comforter. A dazzling smile met her and a pair of loving olive green eyes staring into hers.
Not many, if no one, knew about her crush on Matt. She disguised the fact so well that she even fooled herself into thinking that she didn't like him. But every time Matt crept into her thoughts, a smile formed on her face and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered. She always loved the way he'd sneak up on her, gently hugging her from behind. Or the way he'd hold her when he knew she was having a bad day. Just those little things made her weak. And then there were the most obvious reasons. Like every time he would smile, his dimples would deepen, giving him the look of a young boy. Or how every time he would look into her eyes, she'd feel safe, and comforted. It was just those little things. . .
Matt's chin was resting on Leigh's head as the continued to embrace each other. People stared curiously at them, smiling, as if they knew something Leigh and Matt didn't. Slowly, Matt lowered his face so his lips were at her ear.
"Tell me what's wrong," he whispered. Leigh shrugged. She didn't want to bear her problems on him.
"You know you can tell me," he persisted.
Leigh sighed and looked into Matt's eyes. Matt's olive-hued orbs stared back into hers, flooding her with a sudden security. She sighed and unwrapped herself from Matt's arms. "Well, it's Andi," she began, her voice cracking slightly. "She's been acting different this past week. It's like Brian didn't even exist to her. And then she goes after Zach? It just seems a little wrong to me. I mean, her and Bri only broke up last Thursday. Monday she was completely distraught. She thought she couldn't make it through the weekend! And then miraculously, Zach is there to comfort her, and then the next thing I knew they were going out." Leigh paused to catch her breath.
"What I don't understand is why she's going after his best friend. I mean, that just makes her look really bad; like she's just out for revenge or she's just a whore." She blushed scarlet at the word. "I know those aren't her intentions, hopefully, but still, she doesn't need to be labeled something she's not. And then the most ridiculous reason that makes me look completely horrible," she felt embarrassed just thinking it. "I don't want to be thought of as that kind of girl. That because I'm best friends with Andi the guys are going to think that I act just like that. And, Matt, I'm not like that! I don't want to be thought of like that." Leigh's voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes looking shamefully at the floor.
She heard him sigh, and then a finger under her chin. She looked up at Matt, his eyes trying to break past her defenses. "I don't think of you like that," he promised her.
Just with those little words, Leigh felt a little hopeful.
Spanish - Last Period
Leigh stared blankly at the board above her teachers head. She didn't care about this class, and she didn't have to. The teacher was explaining, in vain, how to conjugate the Spanish verbs. Leigh could feel her eyes drooping shut, but before she could get into full sleep, her teacher burst through, calling on her for an answer.
"Leigh! Conjugate bailar in the preterite tense, por favor."
She stared blankly at her before answering; the teacher looked at her with an amused smile. Kindly, Leigh put the verb into the correct form, but not before she messed up. After she moved on, Leigh resumed her actions: Staring at the wall.
Before long, Leigh heard her name being whispered; looking behind her she saw Matt and Jimmy pointing to the desk behind me. She glanced at the desk, but didn't see anything but a couple of note cards and a folded sheet of paper. Confused, she looked back at them and shrugged. Matt let out a laugh and pointed to the desk, while Jimmy whispered something. She looked around her, but didn't see anything. Finally, Matt spoke loud enough for her to hear.
"The note!" He stabbed his finger in the direction of the desk.
Leigh spied the folded paper and realized that was whet they wanted her to look at. Grabbing the note with a sheepish grin, she turned back in her seat, carefully opening it. On the sheet of paper was a simple sentence, scrawled in his scratchy hand.
i know this is kinda lame, not asking you to your face, but i was wondering if you wanted to go out with me.
Leigh felt her face rush with color. She looked back at Matt, but him and Jimmy were too busy laughing at little Johnny. She scribbled a quick answer back, but didn't give it back right away. Stuffing it under her book, she waited for the class to settle down. It wasn't until they were halfway through their next assignment that Matt stage-whispered her name, telling her to pass the note. Quite unsubtly, Leigh handed the paper the boy behind her, instructing him to hand the note to Matt.
After Class
Matt came up behind Leigh, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. A smile formed on her face as she reveled in the fact that Matt liked her the same way she liked him. Andi didn't know about their little get together yet, not that Leigh wanted her to. She was sure Andi would freak out on her for not telling her. And obviously start gushing about how those two finally got together. It wasn't something she wanted to make a big deal about.
And sure enough as Matt and Leigh approached her locker, a small shriek emitted from Andi's lips. "Are you two dating now!?"
Leigh smiled politely. "Maybe."
"Oh my god! That's so cute! But seriously, are you dating?! I need to know!"
"She said maybe," Matt answered, giving me a small wink.
As they walked out of the school together, Matt pulled Leigh into his chest, stopping them from walking. No one was paying attention, so their friends kept walking. Matt stared into her eyes, not knowing that he was practically turning her into pudding. Matt's hands cupped her face, and kissed her. Leigh's heart jumped and she kissed back, trying to put all that she was feeling into the kiss. And to her, this was the perfect kiss.