Eyes Like a Shutter, Mind Like a Lens

"Mom, I should be able to stay home with you to go pick him up." I said grabbing my bag off the table and slipping on my shoes. It was the middle of January, the snow outside still very visible and the wind still icy cold. It should have been a snow day today, but the cancellation system seems to only call snow days on the days that we don't really need them, leaving us to actually deal with the crappiest days of the year when we'd rather stay at home curled up in a blanket with some hot chocolate.

The him I am referring to is an exchange student from England. He's not just any exchange student though; he is Cohan fricken Caswell, one of the greatest YouTubers right now. Not that many people around here even care or know who he is. I do though, I watch his channel all the time. I wanted to go to VidCon last year to see him and many of the other YouTubers that I watch, but apparently flying across the country to see some not-so-famous guy was a waste of time according to my mom. On the plus side, he mentioned in one of his videos that he was part of the exchange program and asked if anyone was interested. Which of course, almost everybody that watches his channel was, but my mom pulled some strings after an endless amount of begging from my end. Which brings me to now, the day that he arrives.

"No, you have to go to school, Nova! You hardly go enough as it is." So I skip a class every now and then, what's the big deal? Okay, so I guess it's not every now and then, it's more like at least once a day, but I'm really good at keeping up with the work I miss. I'm just not one for sitting in a classroom all day and having to sit still. My mind doesn't like to pay attention to things I'm not interested in for long periods of time. That is in no way my fault and I'm sticking with that. On the other hand, I never skip psychology; that class actually holds my attention because I find it so fascinating. My Mom doesn't care about any of that though; she just wants me to go.

"Can you at least drive me on your way to the airport then so I don't have to walk through knee-high snow?" She sighed. A common sigh she does when she's going to do something for me but she doesn't really want to.

"Fine, Nova. Let's go." I smiled widely at her and kissed her cheek on my way out the door.

"Thanks mom, you're the best." I said in an attempt to butter her up. "You know... you'd be even -"

"Don't push it, Nova! You're going to school and that's final." I huffed and got into our red Dodge Caravan just as she started it up. I couldn't wait to get my own car. The only reason I didn't have one now was because I was saving up for it. Working part-time at Kelsey's hasn't exactly been a prize-winning job. I guess that was okay though since I wasn't really looking for a prize-winning vehicle. It was just going to take me a bit longer before I could get my car.

"Are you going to be warm enough in that jacket? It seems kind of light. And why are you wearing shoes, huh? What if I can't get you after school and you have to walk home? You need to get yourself some boots." Woah.

"Jeez, Mom! I'm fine. Blake is supposed to be coming over today so he'll drive me if you can't." Can the school just come into view already?

"You still need to get yourself some boots. And Blake isn't coming over tonight, okay? You-"

"What, why?!"

"Because Cohan still has to get to know the family first, he doesn't need to be meeting any of your friends yet. Not even your boyfriend." Insane mother logic. Is anyone else's mother like this? I feel bad for them.

"Ugh, fine." I said crossing my arms. We rolled up at the front doors and I got out of the van turning back to my mom to say thanks for the ride in a very monotone voice before watching her drive off.

I was early so I went looking for people I knew; mainly Ruth and Abby, short for Abiona. I found them sitting at their lockers upstairs and walked over to them. My locker was down the hall a bit with some of my other friends that I haven't been as close with lately.

I've known Ruth since fifth grade when I moved from the big City to ... well a smaller city known as Barrie. We didn't become friends until the sixth grade though and we've been inseparable ever since. I've known Abby since I first moved also, however, we didn't become friends until the ninth grade and it makes me sad to think that I didn't have her in my life any sooner. Those two girls help hold me together. I need them to stay sane.

"I thought you were picking up Camera Boy today?" Ruth said, clearly not interested in "Camera Boy" but trying to sound like she was to be polite. That was Ruth for you. She is the most kind-hearted person I know, besides Abby who aside from that seemed like she was born with a journey in her heart. She loved adventure.

"I wasn't allowed. I was told to come to school because I don't go enough." I was still standing, looking down at them.

"Yeah, maybe we should stop skipping together." Abby said winking. Yeah, like that was going to happen. It was a bad habit of ours. I find it so hard to go to school for an entire day without skipping at least one class. My grades have never been effected by it though, I've always passed my classes with high seventies to mid eighties.

"Yeah, right!" I said laughing.

"How's my girl?" I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind and turned around to give Blake a quick kiss.

"Your girl is good. How's my cute boyfriend?" I said scrunching his cheeks. I could be such a sap sometimes, it was embarrassing.

The bell rang and the morning rush to class began. Ruth and Abby told me to meet them for lunch and ran off before I could even say okay and in almost a minute the hallways were deserted except for Blake and I.

He pushed me up against the locker lightly and gave me a deeper kiss than before. "We still on for tonight?" He said against my lips. I pulled back from him a little sad to give him the bad news.

"I'm not allowed to have anyone over because my mom wants to introduce Cohan to the family and make him feel comfortable before introducing him to anyone else." I could see the disappointment in his eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck so I could play with the baby hairs at the nape of it.

"He's already causing problems." Blake said rolling his eyes playfully.

"Hey now, don't be jealous." I kissed him lightly.

"It's really hard not to be when your super gorgeous girlfriend is so easy to like and she doesn't even realize the effect she has on the male species."

"I do not have an effect on the male species. Well besides you, I hope." This time he kissed me really intensely and I knew this one was an "I love you" kiss. I liked those ones best.

"Especially me." He made my stomach flutter and I felt my cheeks blush.

"Good. I like having an effect on you." I pushed him away lightly and took his hand into mine. "And you have nothing to worry about, believe me."

"I know," he said smiling at me before kissing the top of my head. "Wait, are we actually going to class today?"

"Yup, we most definitely are. Get your brain ready for some lectures about Charles Dickens because we have English first period."

"Well that's a first." I squeezed his hand in an attempt to hurt him but he just looked at me funny and laughed.

"There's a first for everything."