"Hey Vince, you okay?" Gretchen walked up to me. I sat on the steps. I felt so miserable. So defeated.
"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine." I lied. Hopefully she wouldn't read too much into it. But she's the smartest girl I know. She'll probably confront me about it soon.
"Listen Vince. I know how much this election meant to you." She started to say before she sat down on the steps next to me. I turned to look at her. For the first time in my whole life, she looked beautiful. Simply stunning.
"Yeah. I've been class president every year since kindergarten. And now for the first time in my life, I lost." I concluded in a sad voice. Losing didn't feel so hot. I'm not used to it. Normally I win at everything.
"If it's any constellation I was just as surprised as you were." She admitted in almost a laugh. She really doesn't know does she? Guess I should tell her now. I want this humiliation over with.
"I wasn't surprised." I mentioned while looking at my feet. The truth. It's always a hard thing to tell.
"You weren't?" She gasped in shock. I smiled weakly at her.
"Don't let it get around but the one vote you won by it was mine." I informed quietly. As if it were a secret. A secret we'd get to share. Just us.
"You mean you voted for me? Why?" Gretchen questioned in her confusion. She doesn't know anything. For a smart girl she doesn't see the obvious. She doesn't see what's right in front of her. Me. I like her. I really do like her.
"Because you were right! You wanted to win so you could do something really cool. Me? I just wanted to win so I could win." I told her slowly. Hopefully she didn't guess the real reason anytime soon. Hopefully she buys this. I didn't really have time to think of any other excuse as to why I voted for her.
"I-I don't know what to say." She stuttered nervously. I smiled at her. She seemed to calm down instantly.
"Just do a great job. Okay?" I nodded my head. She will do a good job. I know it. She's Gretchen. Gretchen Grundler.
"I will. But first there's something very important I have to do." Gretchen stood up and grinned.
"Oh yeah! You got to put together that council of the students." I remembered one of her plans. She shook her head.
"Nope. More important than that I gotta play a game of tether ball with a worthy opponent and a good friend." She smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. I grinned then nodded my head. For once I was speechless. Both of us took off running onto the playground. I had a feeling this was the beginning of something great. Something fantastic. A crush. My first crush is Gretchen Grundler.