*Geek Boy*
I see you.
The words thrummed through my fingers as I read the text message. I blinked once, wondering if I was imagining it.
Did Ellie Kent just send me a text message?
Rapidly, I swiped the screen, my eyes devouring the words.
I glanced up, and froze.
Ellie Kent sat on a bench across the path. Blonde curls spilled down her shoulders, a golden pool sparkling beneath the lanterns as it poured down to her waist. She wore a red crop top over black jeans, revealing a glint of tanned stomach. Between her fingers was her phone, locked between frozen fingers. She was luminescent, giving off a glow that could permeate the deepest depths of my heart.
Abruptly, the area was calm and I saw nothing but her.
And she was looking right at me.
I couldn't stop the joy boiling up in my chest. A grin stretched across my face. Her eyes widened.
I glanced down as I rapidly typed back:
Hi. I see you too.
Did that sound creepy? Or weird?
I couldn't tell. My mind was filled with the pounding of my heart. Anticipation sang beneath my skin.
I watched her as she glanced down, reading the text message. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes widening. Finally, she glanced up, her eyes locking with mine.
Another pulse goes through my chest.
Dang it.
Her gaze went back to the phone and she typed rapidly.
I steadied my breathing as I waited impatiently. Finally, my phone vibrated.
I like your jacket ;)
I paused.
How I felt about her, even now, I couldn't believe it. No one could feel the way I did. This sensation was just...impossible.
My chest ached and my fingers froze over the keyboard.
What I would give, what I would sacrifice, to be with Ellie, it was immeasurable.
Finally, I typed out a response:
Thank you.
I bit my lip, then rapidly, before I could change my mind:
You look beautiful.
Beautiful would never be a strong enough word to describe her.
I glanced up, my stomach coiled in anxiety, to watch her reaction.
Red permeated her cheeks as she glanced down. Her lips parted.
She glanced up slowly, and her eyes, large and full of surprise, met mine. For a moment, I saw a spark of vulnerability behind her eyes. I saw a piece of her that didn't match her usual cheerleader countenance.
It only made her more beautiful.
Woah.
Blinking rapidly, her cheeks becoming ever redder, she glanced down at her phone and typed rapidly.
My heart stopped when I read the words:
Want to meet up?
I read the message twice. Then again to make sure I'd read it correctly.
I didn't even have to think about my response:
Where?
I watched her as she texted a reply.
Next to the corndog stand at the end of the park.
I pressed my lips together, trying to think of a response. Finally, I texted:
Cool.
Ugh, why did I text that? It sounded so apathetic.
But I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe I was going to meet up with Ellie Kent.
This was a dream. Â I was sure of it.
Across the path, Ellie stood up. Her movements were elegant, sleek. Her gaze met mine and a grin broke across my face. Scarlet bloomed over her cheeks as she glanced away. She stumbled and instinctively I stepped forward, ready to catch her.
Red danced over her ears and neck. She turned, making her way across the park.
My gaze followed her as she slipped through the crowds. No matter how many people blocked me, I could still see her clearly, her lithe frame swaying as she walked. The crowd split around her, almost as if they could feel her presence. It was impossible for her not to notice the way men stared at her, with wide  disbelieving eyes. As if an angel walked among them. Wolf whistles filtered through the crowd, yet she kept walking, completely ignorant of their presence.
She was so out of my league.
I watched her until she was out of view.
I couldn't think about anything but Ellie as I manoeuvred through the crowds. The memory of her cheeks reddening swam in my head. Then her lips...kissing her.
This was definitely a dream.
I felt a nudge on my shoulder. "Will."
Catherine peered up at me with an irritated look on her face. "Are you even listening to me?"
I stepped back. "Sorry, Cath, let's talk later okay?"
I took off at a jog, dodging grumbling festival goers as I scanned stand after stand. Finally, I noticed the corndog stand, standing in a secluded area of the park. A few people, none I recognised, wondered around the area.
She knocked the breath out of me.
Ellie stood with her hands clasped behind her back, looking into the trees. She was radiant. Every moment, she seemed to get more and more beautiful.
She brought her hands up to her lips, blowing heat onto her fingers.
I jolted back to reality.
"Ellie?"
She spun rapidly, facing me.
She tripped as she turned and I leaped towards her, catching her arms. My brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"
She peered up at me, her lips parted. Her scent flooded over me, fruity and sweet.
Dang, she was gorgeous.
Her fingers clutched my arms. Rapidly, her gaze dropped to my lips before meeting mine.
"Y-yeah, I'm OK," she replied, her voice shaking.
I smiled, trying to calm her nerves. "Good."
For a few moments there was silence. But the feeling of her hands on my arms still pulsed through my flesh, sending shivers down my spine.
Her gaze honed in on my hand on her arm.
Oh yeah, I'm supposed to let go.
I step back abruptly, dropping my arms.
In the silence, my eyes brush over her, taking in her clothing up close. There was no way I could get used to seeing her.
Her eyes scanned over me, lingering on my clothing before she glanced away, blushing.
I would pay a lot to know what she was thinking.
"Hey," I said, my voice quiet.
Her face reddened even more. "Hey," she mumbled.
What was I supposed to say?
"So..." I watched my feet. How is revision going? Did you do any exercises lately.
Are you kidding me, Will? You couldn't be more of a geek if you tried.
"How has everything been?"
Great save Will, note the sarcasm.
"Good, I guess." She shot me a surreptitious glance, then looked away, cheeks darkening. "You?"
"Pretty good," I answered.
Seriously, Will, think before you speak.
For a moment, the week ran through my mind and my smile tightened. This hadn't been a good week. I stared at the ground as I remembered the news that my mother had delivered. He was coming out of rehab.
Things were going wrong and no matter how much I struggled, everything was slipping through my fingers.
"The fireworks are coming on soon, want to check it out?"
For a moment, I paused. Fireworks?
A smile stretched my face. It still surprised me, how interchangeable my emotions were in her presence.
"Sure."
I would take advantage of the joy she gave me. Even if it was only fleeting.
Ellie turned, striding towards the trees. I followed her, watching the smooth way she walked, a slight bounce in every step. Exactly like a cheerleader.
I sighed internally.
She stopped as we reached a secluded area within the trees. The land was slightly raised. The trees split apart at the perfect spot, creating a perfect view of the sky.
"This is a really good view."
For a moment, I stared up at the sky. I'd only ever attended the festival once. Most of the other times, I had tutoring sessions or I had to study, courtesy of my mother.
It was cool here, a slight breeze rustling the branches. Before we moved here, my family often went on outings together. Festivals, parties, events, games. Every weekend we ate out together. My mother and father would laugh as James tried to force feed me. And Jed...
I exhaled.
I wasn't thinking about that. Not today.
I glanced down. Ellie was staring up at me. She blinked rapidly when I caught her gaze.
I frowned. She rubbed her palms together, trying to generate heat. "Ellie?
"Y-y-yes?"
I leaned closer. "Are you cold?"
She blinked, as if she were coming out of a daze. She glanced down at her fingers, which were glowing red.
Impulsively, my fingers curled around hers, pulling them towards my lips. I blew warm air onto her fingers, imitating something my mother used to do when I was a child. Her hands were so small, her fingers so delicate.
"You must be freezing."
I was definitely an idiot, not noticing that she hadn't been wearing a jacket the entire time.
"Wait, let me give you my jacket."
I dropped her hands gently before pulling off my coat. She didn't move as I pulled the jacket over her shoulders. Electricity sparked over my fingers as I let go, leaving my hands boiling hot.
I pulled her hands up to my lips, blowing warm air onto her fingers again.
"T-thank you," she murmured.
I smiled, "It's my pleasure."
This could possibly be one of the best moments of my life. I should be thanking her.
We both glanced up as a blast rang through the air. Fireworks decorated the sky, exploding in a plethora of luminescent colours. I glanced at Ellie, watching the way her eyes latched on to the fireworks. A soft gasp left her lips.
She turned to face me, her eyes still glittering in the moonlight, like a pool of endless ocean.
My gaze dropped, for a rapid moment, to her lips.
I realised how impossibly close we'd gotten, our bodies only inches away from each other and electricity sparking between our touching fingers.
Up close, I could see every perfect crystalline detail in her eyes. I could barely breathe just looking at her.
Her lips parted. "Will..."
She spoke my name as a breath, yet her voice still managed to pulse beneath my skin. My gaze jumped to hers, catching sparkling cerulean blue eyes. A chill ran down my spine.
Dang. Would she ever stop being so completely and totally perfect?
In this moment, I completely forgot about my family, about all the problems plaguing our broken relationships. With her, I was free of pain. All that mattered was her beautiful eyes and the fireworks blasting overhead.
Everyone in town knew the legend. That if you kissed beneath the fireworks, you and your partner would be together forever. I can't count the amount of times I'd dreamt that we'd meet beneath the fireworks, on this particular day. The amount of times I'd dreamt that Ellie would look up at me with those luminescent eyes, as if I was more than just a geek in her classes.
And now, her hands, delicate and soft, were clasped in mine and she was staring up at me with those large doe eyes as if I was worth something more than I am.
And my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
This cannot be happening. I'm sure I'm dreaming.
A feeling I didn't understand, a completely irrational sense of anticipation, poured over me.
Her lips parted and her breath, the scent of strawberry mint, fanned the small distance between her faces. Her words were a breath, "Will..."
My heart slammed in my chest.
"Will, I li--"
Abruptly, our connection broke.
A body toppled over us, a glimpse of black.
Ellie squealed, jumping back. My hands were frozen in mid air, the sensation of Ellie's delicate hands still reverberating through my entire frame.
Wait a second...
"Catherine?" I asked, my voice full of disbelief.
Catherine, the figure who'd toppled into us, was hunched over, gasping as she clutched her knees. Abruptly, she turned to face Ellie, her lips parting.
"Catherine, what are you--"
Catherine vomited all over Ellie.
*
Thank you for reading!
This chapter is dedicated to a very nice person who left absolutely wonderful compliments about BATGB ;D
God bless
xxx
Yemi Everest