Heartbeats

A Love Story

Chapter One: Jackson and Melissa

Day One: Meeting Melissa

Jackson

I see her for the first time. Beautiful. So beautiful. I knew that already.

I sit by a tree and read my book.

She is staring at me and her eyes linger like she knows I love her even though I won't admit it yet. I'm not that kind of guy.

Badass. That's what people say and they might be right but I don't care. It's not me.

At least not on the inside.

"Hi, I'm Melissa."

She's talking to me!

"Jackson." I shake her hand and it feels warm.

I like her touch already.

" Where'd you transfer from?"

"From- um- another school." I don't want to get into it with somebody like her because she won't understand.

"Well, if you want I could show you around. I've been here since kindergarten."

I smile inside and start to visualize what she looked like in kindergarten.

I bet she was cute.

"What grade are you in?"

Shh. Don't speak baby. I just want to stare at her all day and then she laughs and says her name again.

" Melissa."

I love that name.

Because it's hers.

And I love her.

"Melissa, got it." She walks away and I keep reading not at all concentrating on the book. I want to write her name in the book and refold the pages of my Robinson Crusoe book- I've read it like fifty times and like it so much that I read it again because it's my favorite-and put the book away, putting this moment in my memory as one I won't ever forget.

And I don't have those kinds of days very often.