"Dude, who are you looking at?"
I turn around, shaking my head as I'm walking to the car with my brother, "no one."
Lie. It was someone. Gabriella Montez. I was watching her walk away. I was trying to get one last look at her. And apparently, I was making it way too obvious. I knew I was. I kept turning around. I turned around, like, 5 times in the span of 20 seconds. A little crazy, if you ask me.
But I just couldn't help it. I had no idea she'd be here. And I had no idea why I'm all of a sudden running into her everywhere. And why all of a sudden I get excited to see. It's weird. Something I wasn't expecting.
Yet here I am, wondering why she was here, wondering where she was going and wondering so many things about her.
"You hungry?" my brother asks as he gets in the car, him in the driver's seat, me in the passenger's seat, "I'm down for some sushi or Mexican food."
"Yeah, let's get some Mexican," I buckle up and then lean the chair back.
As my brother drove off, I looked out the window and saw Gabriella coming out of the parking lot in her car. With Daniel in the passenger seat. Okay. I know Daniel's dating that girl he had his arm around so yeah, him and Gabriella definitely aren't together. But they're not brother and sister. I know that for sure. He'd be going to our school if he was and he doesn't go to our school. Whatever. Now I know she was here for Daniel.
My brother Seth merged onto the freeway to get to the restaurant we were going to faster and I sat back in my seat and closed my eyes for a second.
Until he started talking about some bullshit, "I saw Megan last night at that party I went to."
Fuuuck. Why would he think I would want to talk about her? "Seth, shut the fuck up. I'm not in the mood."
"Don't be such an asshole," he tells me as he switches lanes to the carpool one, "she was completely nice and she told me to tell you hi. And honestly, you need to get over that. You're not the best guy, either."
"But I wouldn't cheat on anybody!" I pretty much yell at him, but I can't stand Megan talk. Or Megan. I don't want to talk about it.
Seth looks at me like he doesn't believe me which sucks because he's MY fucking brother. "To be honest, you guys weren't technically together so I mean, she didn't cheat on you. And also, you've never gotten that close to anyone to not cheat so how are you going to say that?"
Fuck him. Sure, I hook up with girls a lot. I've cut back, though. But that doesn't mean I would cheat on anyone. I just, I don't think I can do it.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" he apologizes once I don't say anything, "I know you really liked her so I get it. I get the animosity, the anger and shit, but I really think she's sorry for what she did. And you guys were good friends before..."
"Yeah, before, okay? I don't want to be friends with her."
"Fine," Seth drops it as he switches lanes again so he's closer to the exit in a mile or so.
Good. I don't want to talk about Megan. Not now, not ever. Was she the first girl I actually really, really liked? Yes. She was. A month of bliss together and then she goes and hooks up with fucking Grant Anderson. Yes. Grant Anderson, the guy I already hated with everything inside of me. Can you believe that? Out of everyone, she chose Grant Anderson. And the most annoying part of it all, is that Grant made it seem like it was his doing. Like, he's the one who pursued her to get under my skin. To make it seem like he can take something away from me... again. It was just a fucked up situation and I hate thinking about it, talking about it, or giving it any type of attention.
I'm over it. It happened 3 months ago. And I'm fine. I've hooked up with girls since.
I'm good. I don't need Megan.
"Mr. Bolton since you are late, you get the pleasure of delivering these heavy books to Mr. Schaeffer in the history building," my teacher tells me with a small smile on her face as if it's actually that bad. It's not. I get out of class! "Room 210."
She gave me four books which were heavy but it was nothing I couldn't handle. So whatever.
I exited the classroom, made my way to the history building, gave Mr. Schaeffer the books and then used the bathroom before heading back to class.
And as I came out of the bathroom, I saw Gabriella.
There she was, walking down the hall towards me, carrying a hall pass, looking inside every room as students usually do. She was so beautiful. She was wearing jeans, some boots or whatever those little boots are called, I don't know, and a flannel. It was so simple, yet she made it look so good.
"Excuse me," she tells me.
"What?" I realize she's now standing in front of me, talking to me.
"Um, you're in the way," she says and it's not rude at all. She said it with a chuckle and pointed to the door I was standing in front of.
Oh, yeah, I was. I was standing in front of a classroom. Her classroom, I guess. And here I was, being an idiot, not saying anything, but just staring. How embarrassing. She totally knows I find her attractive. How could he not? I'm making it so freaking obvious.
But I don't think I care. I think she should know she's beautiful. And that guys want her.
"Right, sorry," I move over to the side.
She gives me a small smile and reaches for the handle.
And then something came over me to just compliment her, "I like your hair."
Gabriella turned to me, giving me a blank look for what felt like forever and then a small smile appeared on her face. She reached her hand to her hair, and pushed a strand back behind her ear. I don't think she was expecting this. You could tell on her face she wasn't expecting it. "Oh, um, thank you."
"You're welcome," I say before giving her a smile and walking away. Just like that. Even though I didn't want to.
She went back inside her classroom, I went down the stairs and back to my room before my teacher got even more pissed at me.
I did like her hair today. She straightened it. And it's never straight.
Nope. In all the times I've noticed her or seen her, she always had waves. Curly hair or whatever. It was never straight. And sure, she may straighten it all the time, but I don't recall a time I've seen it. So I told her I liked it, because I did. She looked good.
And now here I am, on my way back to class and I couldn't stop thinking about her.
Why? Why am I all of a sudden into the idea of talking to Gabriella Montez?
I never used to think about her like this. I never used to pass by her and think about her. I would just pass by her, think she was cute or whatever, and not give it a second thought. But now, I pass by her and I WANT to talk to her. I want to just stand there and stare at her. I want her to talk to me. And tell me something. I don't know what, but I want it to be something.
It has nothing to do with Grant. I found out about Grant AFTER I first got the urge to just want to talk to her. After I realized that she's actually so beautiful.
Maybe it's because for the past two years, her and Andrew Moore dated. And she was off limits.
That has to be it. I mean, she had to have been this attractive two years ago. That kind of attractiveness doesn't just come overnight. No. She was. But she was taken. So that was probably always in the back of my mind and I just didn't give it much thought.
But her and Andrew broke up 4 months ago. Over the summer.
And now it's senior year, and I'm seeing her in a new light. She's breathtaking. She really is. And she just seems like such a nice, down to earth girl.
Whatever. I don't have to think about her.
In fact, I shouldn't think about her. No. So, I head back to class, pop down in my seat and I tried my hardest to only think about what my teacher was saying, but it's hard to do that when you don't give a fuck about chemistry.
Of course my mind wanders back to Gabriella, like it has been for the past few days.
And I can't, for the life of me, figure out why.