Sorry this took so long to get up! For full effect, listen to El Tango de Roxanne while reading!

"Betsey, wait! I need to talk with you!" Christian said urgently.

"Class is about to start," Betsey hurried to her seat, not even looking Christian in the eye.

"Betsey, please," Christian begged. "Just... just give me one minute."

"Christian! Sit down," Ms. Ellroy demanded. Christian soon realized that the whole class was silent and staring at him. He quickly took his seat.

He got out his history book and discreetly slipped the poem out of his pocket. He read it over and over again and felt that it was his best work. He could not and would not change anything about it. His stomach churned back and forth the entire two hours before lunch.

As the students filed outside to eat, Christian kept his eyes on Betsey. He had to make sure he was sitting near Betsey and her friends. He set down his lunch pail, worked up all his courage and walked over to her.

He stood before her and her friends and a few of them took one glance at him and giggled. Christian, however was not put off. He was going to fall in love someday and that day was going to be today. "Betsey, I'd um... I'd like to speak with you."

"Sure, Christian," Betsey turned to her friends only to be returned by giggles. She stood up and she and Christian began walking.

"I em... realized it was your birthday today an I'm eh... sorry I couldn't come to your party so I... well, I wrote you this."

Betsey smiled politely and took the fresh, neat piece of paper out of his sweaty hands. She read to herself...

Like a medal of gold,

You are always shining.

You make me want to smile myself.

Like a spring bird,

You are always happy.

You make me want to sing you a song.

I don't know what I would do,

If you turned dark and gloomy and blue.

So keep shining, Betsey.

You make me want to smile myself.

Betsey's wide smile grew wider as she read the poem. Christian busied himself by watching the swift breeze make the grass tremble and watching the clouds swamp the blue sky. He hated the feeling that grew in his stomach when people were reading his work. He could never truly tell what their reaction would be without looking directly at them. And he found it rude to stare at someone while they were trying to read. He took a deep breath in and Betsey looked up from the poem. "This is great, Christian," she beamed, "Thank you."

"Do you really love the poem?" Christian asked with concern.

"Yes, I love it," Betsey said gleefully.

"Do you love me?" Christian asked hopefully.

Betsey's laugh was full of embarrassment. "I... I don't know, Christian."

"Oh," Christian bowed his head.

"No, no, no," Betsey smiled. She tried to look into his eyes, but his hair was shielding those slate-grey gems. "I like you, Christian. You're a nice person. But I'm not ready to go on a date with you. And I just don't... love you."

"I understand," Christian smiled weakly and began walking over to his lonely lunch pail. It was just like him--lonely, abandoned but shining. Shining with the beams of sunlight pouring from above. It was glowing and waiting--hoping for someone to find it.

So... I hope you all enjoyed this short little story about that precious boy, Christian. You'll probably catch more Christian fics by me later--I absolutely love him! No matter how you feel about this story, I accept all reviews! Especially LONG reviews that tell me how wonderful I am. Hehehe...

-Got Scots?