Feel The Romance
My Beautiful Romance
A cheerleader walking through school halls, dressed in full regalia and shooting disdainful looks to the normally unnoticed at the edge of doorways. Smiling prettily at her acquaintances, grinning and waving to her friends, and pretending to blush and duck passing any good looking guys. A sheet of smooth and silky dark blonde hair sweeps in front of her deep chestnut eyes, surrounding by soft smoky lashed coated perfectly with a new mascara brand; she brushes it back behind her ear, showing off clear and smooth white skin, treated with the best dermatological aids her money can afford. Long legs are admired by all, skirt swishing from side to side as her hips sweep in the opposite direction. Side to side, side to side. Boys stop to stare; girls whisper enviously.
And halfway down the hall, she almost runs into a tall, built senior, dark brown hair grazing his eyes as he looks down at her petite form stumbling back. He laughs, and he has a deep voice. She can tell he's interested in her, and there's no sense in trying to fight the fact she's interested in him as well. A popular student with good grades and an early acceptance into one of the good colleges, she forgets which one. Plays for the school team and for as long as he's been playing and she's been cheering, she's never seen him lose a game. It's then she realises she's staring and has been for long seconds, and drops her head, blushing as she rolls her feet awkwardly, then begins to quickly move around the boy.
A strong but gently hand lands on her shoulder and she looks at it in confusion before staring again into the boy's strong square face. Still blushing, hoping to God that she doesn't look like some complete fool. She clears her throat with a small squeak and a new wave of fire races across her cheeks. She tries to smile like she would normally do, but it's impossible.
There's no girl in school who can act cool in front of this boy.
His mouth moves, slow deep drawl entrancing her, and it takes a few seconds for her to recognise the words he's put forward without an ounce of shyness or reason.
"Coffee this afternoon? Starbucks, downtown?"
She's stuck for words, opening and closing her mouth, half-words sputtering out that make no sense anyway, should he manage to catch any of them. His face falls slightly, and he lifts his hand before turning and making his way through the flow of other students suddenly packed into the corridor. She's still opening and closing her mouth like some sort of fish before something settles over herself and she calls out for him to wait. She's at his side again before he has time to turn around, and breathless in excitement she answers:
"I'd love to. I'll be there."
A grin begins to form, and before they know it they're both grinning insanely, ignoring the fact two bells have already rung and a teacher is heading for them with a stern glare. However, it doesn't last much longer, and before the teacher reaches them they've broken eye contact and are rushing to class.
***
Sitting at a booth, she flicks open her contact for the eighth time in ten minutes to check her face. Not a feature out of place. Her eyes are big and bright, cheekbones high and glowing with a natural blush, skin clear and hair faultless. It was a lucky twist of her genes that made her this way, and she's fully aware of it. She's also fully aware of how to bring out the best in her features to suit who she's meeting, but for this meeting she needs nothing; somehow, her features and James' match together. Within a week of the meeting, the whole school will link their names together. Probably, in years to come, they'll still be doing it. The beautiful couple, the perfect couple.
She's worried he won't show, but she shouldn't. There's a genuine attraction between herself and James, as little as she can sense from his side of it. She snaps the compact closed again, and just in time; he's walking in the door, and sliding in beside her, ordering two coffees and smiling at her. She smiles back. She needn't have worried.
***
Just like it was predicted, people immediately join the two names together. If one is mentioned, the other is sure to follow. It's a strange sight to see one without the other. Girlfriends sigh in jealousy, and boyfriends struggle to see what he's doing that they aren't. But it's not a question of what they’re doing, it's just something that is. It can't be replicated and deep down everyone knows how amazing this relationship is. Especially being in highschool. Especially being in the real world.
***
It's been over a year since that meeting in the hallway, that date at Starbucks. She walks down the hallway, books in arms but no boyfriend. She looks almost strangely lost, beautiful in an almost melancholy way.
He finished school last year. She might not see him for a week or more now, at the very least. People will notice, and her friends will comfort her with movies nights and makeovers, but she won't keep her mind off him for more than an hour at most. Sometimes the intensity of her feelings scares herself, and she wonders if she's being too clingy, but it doesn't matter; when they’re together, she feels whole again. She snorts at the cliché, but it's true.
She bumps into people as she winds through the human flood, not quite watching where she's going, and automatically twists the combination lock and the locker springs open. There's a surprise waiting in her locker, a flower so fresh the sap's still oozing its way from the cut on the stem and the petals are cold from the early spring morning outside. It rests on a single torn piece of paper that she flips over and reads.
Look behind you, the slanting writing reads.
Turning around, on the opposite side of the hall, she sees him. Her whole face lights up, and his face reflects hers. She pushes through those in her way before she's suddenly in his arms, legs wrapped around his, and face less than a centimetre from his own.
It's a gentle kiss, one that goes on and on with no end and no beginning they can remember. It's not a needy kiss, or a greedy kiss. It isn't a product of teenage lust or the need to prove themselves to the people around; in fact, they don't even know if anyone's watching. There aren't any wandering hands. It's just a pure kiss, and even if they don't last, it doesn't matter between those two highschool sweethearts.
For now, it's a beautiful kiss.
And halfway down the hall, she almost runs into a tall, built senior, dark brown hair grazing his eyes as he looks down at her petite form stumbling back. He laughs, and he has a deep voice. She can tell he's interested in her, and there's no sense in trying to fight the fact she's interested in him as well. A popular student with good grades and an early acceptance into one of the good colleges, she forgets which one. Plays for the school team and for as long as he's been playing and she's been cheering, she's never seen him lose a game. It's then she realises she's staring and has been for long seconds, and drops her head, blushing as she rolls her feet awkwardly, then begins to quickly move around the boy.
A strong but gently hand lands on her shoulder and she looks at it in confusion before staring again into the boy's strong square face. Still blushing, hoping to God that she doesn't look like some complete fool. She clears her throat with a small squeak and a new wave of fire races across her cheeks. She tries to smile like she would normally do, but it's impossible.
There's no girl in school who can act cool in front of this boy.
His mouth moves, slow deep drawl entrancing her, and it takes a few seconds for her to recognise the words he's put forward without an ounce of shyness or reason.
"Coffee this afternoon? Starbucks, downtown?"
She's stuck for words, opening and closing her mouth, half-words sputtering out that make no sense anyway, should he manage to catch any of them. His face falls slightly, and he lifts his hand before turning and making his way through the flow of other students suddenly packed into the corridor. She's still opening and closing her mouth like some sort of fish before something settles over herself and she calls out for him to wait. She's at his side again before he has time to turn around, and breathless in excitement she answers:
"I'd love to. I'll be there."
A grin begins to form, and before they know it they're both grinning insanely, ignoring the fact two bells have already rung and a teacher is heading for them with a stern glare. However, it doesn't last much longer, and before the teacher reaches them they've broken eye contact and are rushing to class.
***
Sitting at a booth, she flicks open her contact for the eighth time in ten minutes to check her face. Not a feature out of place. Her eyes are big and bright, cheekbones high and glowing with a natural blush, skin clear and hair faultless. It was a lucky twist of her genes that made her this way, and she's fully aware of it. She's also fully aware of how to bring out the best in her features to suit who she's meeting, but for this meeting she needs nothing; somehow, her features and James' match together. Within a week of the meeting, the whole school will link their names together. Probably, in years to come, they'll still be doing it. The beautiful couple, the perfect couple.
She's worried he won't show, but she shouldn't. There's a genuine attraction between herself and James, as little as she can sense from his side of it. She snaps the compact closed again, and just in time; he's walking in the door, and sliding in beside her, ordering two coffees and smiling at her. She smiles back. She needn't have worried.
***
Just like it was predicted, people immediately join the two names together. If one is mentioned, the other is sure to follow. It's a strange sight to see one without the other. Girlfriends sigh in jealousy, and boyfriends struggle to see what he's doing that they aren't. But it's not a question of what they’re doing, it's just something that is. It can't be replicated and deep down everyone knows how amazing this relationship is. Especially being in highschool. Especially being in the real world.
***
It's been over a year since that meeting in the hallway, that date at Starbucks. She walks down the hallway, books in arms but no boyfriend. She looks almost strangely lost, beautiful in an almost melancholy way.
He finished school last year. She might not see him for a week or more now, at the very least. People will notice, and her friends will comfort her with movies nights and makeovers, but she won't keep her mind off him for more than an hour at most. Sometimes the intensity of her feelings scares herself, and she wonders if she's being too clingy, but it doesn't matter; when they’re together, she feels whole again. She snorts at the cliché, but it's true.
She bumps into people as she winds through the human flood, not quite watching where she's going, and automatically twists the combination lock and the locker springs open. There's a surprise waiting in her locker, a flower so fresh the sap's still oozing its way from the cut on the stem and the petals are cold from the early spring morning outside. It rests on a single torn piece of paper that she flips over and reads.
Look behind you, the slanting writing reads.
Turning around, on the opposite side of the hall, she sees him. Her whole face lights up, and his face reflects hers. She pushes through those in her way before she's suddenly in his arms, legs wrapped around his, and face less than a centimetre from his own.
It's a gentle kiss, one that goes on and on with no end and no beginning they can remember. It's not a needy kiss, or a greedy kiss. It isn't a product of teenage lust or the need to prove themselves to the people around; in fact, they don't even know if anyone's watching. There aren't any wandering hands. It's just a pure kiss, and even if they don't last, it doesn't matter between those two highschool sweethearts.
For now, it's a beautiful kiss.