Status: All done-- for the near, foreseeable future
It's Simply Complicated
The First Time
For Evan, the moment where everything went wrong—or right—was completely different. He had felt the proverbial sparks during his junior year when Aliza was a sophomore. The two did not attend the same school, but on this day he was at her campus with a friend visiting his then-fling, Tara. Unbeknownst to Evan, Aliza and Tara had two classes together and Aliza was aware of Elizabeth’s partiality to Evan, despite not really knowing who he was or what he looked like. Regardless, Evan was hanging around after school to pay a visit. Aliza was still there despite the final dismissal bell for a cheerleading practice in the courtyard. It was across the courtyard that Evan first noticed her. Tara hadn’t shown up to meet him so it was just Evan and his friend, Finn.
Aliza had on her practice gear, which included a pair of shorts that he knew she would never be caught in around him. With that, she had a tie-dyed, V-neck shirt. With her hair tied up in a long ponytail that danced along the back of her neck with every move, Evan found himself studying the girl who, at that time, was still a mystery. Before this, Evan had only seen Aliza in passing at Jeremy’s house. When he saw her, she was always quiet and kept to herself. He figured that she was just a snobby girl that thought she was too good for everyone around her. Now, he saw her—actually saw her, with a smiling doing something she loved and was so good at it. He watched her across the lawn as she stood in the first row, which became the second row when the captain assumed her position.
“Whoa,” Evan whispered barely audibly. Finn, however, still heard every word.
“What?” He responded cluelessly.
Evan ignored his friend, but continued looking at Aliza when the music started. To say she was talented would be putting it lightly. As a sophomore, she was leading with the captains. When watching her, Evan could easily figure out why. She moved with precision and danced with heart. Her jumps were at least four feet off the ground and her smile gave light to the world. The sun was demoted to a hot ball of fire. Every movement and curve in her body was near perfection from the sway of the hips to the dance to the way her right foot slightly turned inward when she walked to the next place in the routine. He watched her as she squatted for the cheerleading stunt that was coming up next. Evan noticed that she had a hard focus during these death-defying tricks and an even harder derriere. She had to squat so low to lift one of the other girls. When she stood back up, he noticed the perfection even more. Her hands were raised above her head forcing the back of her shirt up every so slightly and exposing the dimples on her lower back. In the process of the quick movement, the bottom of her shorts flipped over itself, leaving the bare minimum to his imagination.
Evan felt himself staring so he diverted his attention, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He began mumbling impatiently, “What time is it? Where’s Tara?”
Finn looked at him with a confused look on his face. “What is up with you? You keep talking to yourself? Do I need to admit you, dude? What were you talking about earlier?”
Evan, standing next to Finn, leaned over and whispered out of fear that Tara would walk up behind him and overhear him talking about another girl. “Look casual, dude.”
Finn stopped spastically looked around and crossed his arm nonchalantly.
Evan resumed giving instructions. “Look at the cheerleaders. See the one with the V-neck tie-dye and the gray shorts? I know her.”
Finn looked around until his eyes finally landed on the person to whom Evan was referring. “You know her? How?” Finn said in disbelief, never taking his eyes off of Aliza.
“She’s a friend of a friend. I’ve seen her over at his house a few times,” he said looking at the way Finn was ogling Aliza before he focused his gaze on her himself.
They watched as Aliza put her hands on her hips and moved into the huddle to listen to what their coach was saying about the upcoming performance. As they continued to watch Aliza, they saw all the heads of the cheerleading team look in their direction. Someone must have pointed out that they were there and had been staring since their arrival. Evan noticed that Aliza looked in their direction before looking back at the girl standing beside her. The girl next to Aliza had her forearm resting on Aliza’s shoulder and began laughing at whatever Aliza had said to her, probably about Evan and Finn. When the attention went back to the coach and the Aliza’s teammate re-focused, Evan noticed that Aliza took another longing look in his and Finn’s direction before she smirked and looked away.
Suddenly, Tara came bouncing up to them and gave Evan a kiss on the cheek as a greeting. “Hey,” she said with a huge smile. “Sorry, I had to stay in detention for five extra minutes because I was late by two minutes.”
“It’s no problem,” Evan murmured as he swung around her shoulders and all three of them—Evan, Tara, and Finn—left the school.
At the same time, Aliza was leaving her team huddle and went over to the sidewalk to pick up her gym bag and backpack. She had not recognized Evan in the slightest, but decided that she should talk to Tara and do some snooping to find out who picked her up that afternoon because she was interesting in knowing more about the cuter one with his arms crossed.
Aliza had on her practice gear, which included a pair of shorts that he knew she would never be caught in around him. With that, she had a tie-dyed, V-neck shirt. With her hair tied up in a long ponytail that danced along the back of her neck with every move, Evan found himself studying the girl who, at that time, was still a mystery. Before this, Evan had only seen Aliza in passing at Jeremy’s house. When he saw her, she was always quiet and kept to herself. He figured that she was just a snobby girl that thought she was too good for everyone around her. Now, he saw her—actually saw her, with a smiling doing something she loved and was so good at it. He watched her across the lawn as she stood in the first row, which became the second row when the captain assumed her position.
“Whoa,” Evan whispered barely audibly. Finn, however, still heard every word.
“What?” He responded cluelessly.
Evan ignored his friend, but continued looking at Aliza when the music started. To say she was talented would be putting it lightly. As a sophomore, she was leading with the captains. When watching her, Evan could easily figure out why. She moved with precision and danced with heart. Her jumps were at least four feet off the ground and her smile gave light to the world. The sun was demoted to a hot ball of fire. Every movement and curve in her body was near perfection from the sway of the hips to the dance to the way her right foot slightly turned inward when she walked to the next place in the routine. He watched her as she squatted for the cheerleading stunt that was coming up next. Evan noticed that she had a hard focus during these death-defying tricks and an even harder derriere. She had to squat so low to lift one of the other girls. When she stood back up, he noticed the perfection even more. Her hands were raised above her head forcing the back of her shirt up every so slightly and exposing the dimples on her lower back. In the process of the quick movement, the bottom of her shorts flipped over itself, leaving the bare minimum to his imagination.
Evan felt himself staring so he diverted his attention, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He began mumbling impatiently, “What time is it? Where’s Tara?”
Finn looked at him with a confused look on his face. “What is up with you? You keep talking to yourself? Do I need to admit you, dude? What were you talking about earlier?”
Evan, standing next to Finn, leaned over and whispered out of fear that Tara would walk up behind him and overhear him talking about another girl. “Look casual, dude.”
Finn stopped spastically looked around and crossed his arm nonchalantly.
Evan resumed giving instructions. “Look at the cheerleaders. See the one with the V-neck tie-dye and the gray shorts? I know her.”
Finn looked around until his eyes finally landed on the person to whom Evan was referring. “You know her? How?” Finn said in disbelief, never taking his eyes off of Aliza.
“She’s a friend of a friend. I’ve seen her over at his house a few times,” he said looking at the way Finn was ogling Aliza before he focused his gaze on her himself.
They watched as Aliza put her hands on her hips and moved into the huddle to listen to what their coach was saying about the upcoming performance. As they continued to watch Aliza, they saw all the heads of the cheerleading team look in their direction. Someone must have pointed out that they were there and had been staring since their arrival. Evan noticed that Aliza looked in their direction before looking back at the girl standing beside her. The girl next to Aliza had her forearm resting on Aliza’s shoulder and began laughing at whatever Aliza had said to her, probably about Evan and Finn. When the attention went back to the coach and the Aliza’s teammate re-focused, Evan noticed that Aliza took another longing look in his and Finn’s direction before she smirked and looked away.
Suddenly, Tara came bouncing up to them and gave Evan a kiss on the cheek as a greeting. “Hey,” she said with a huge smile. “Sorry, I had to stay in detention for five extra minutes because I was late by two minutes.”
“It’s no problem,” Evan murmured as he swung around her shoulders and all three of them—Evan, Tara, and Finn—left the school.
At the same time, Aliza was leaving her team huddle and went over to the sidewalk to pick up her gym bag and backpack. She had not recognized Evan in the slightest, but decided that she should talk to Tara and do some snooping to find out who picked her up that afternoon because she was interesting in knowing more about the cuter one with his arms crossed.