Chapter 3 (K)

“What do you mean it’s just me?” asks the boy in front of me. He had short black hair and glasses on. He’s carrying his clarinet case in one hand, so I can tell he’s just had band.

“I thought I told you not to sneak up on me like that! Usually it’s polite to tell someone that you’re following them.” I try to say it in the most serious way I could muster, but I crack a smile anyways.

“If all people were polite, there’d be no stalkers,” he counters. “But anyways, you seemed to deep in thought. I didn’t want to disturb whatever you were plotting.”

“So you’re saying I’m plotting someone’s demise?” I raise my eyebrow questioningly.

“I never said that. But it’s a possibility,” he smiles at me. He glances at his watch. “Hey, I’ll walk you home. I have some time to spare.”

This is new. He’s never offered to walk me home before in the 4 years we’ve been friends. He had always seemed to be the same guy from when we were in grade 5. Is something bothering him?

“Are you sure Drew? We would be passing your house and your parents would be worried… you’re already late according to their standards…”

He waves it off. “I’ll just tell them band practice ran late.” He starts walking ahead of me, leaving me no time to think about that.

We cut through the park about 5 minutes away from my home. Everything’s so beautiful in the fall with the leaves turning red and orange, like torches on the branches. There’s a silence between us as we listen to the birds and the children in the playground laughing.

“I can’t believe it’s almost the end of September,” he says, breaking the quietness between us. “Our first month of being in grade nine has almost passed.”

“Yeah,” I smile. “We’re in high school now. The awkward phase where we don’t know what to do, where we’re between being an adult and a child, and we have a bunch of hormones controlling us.” I stop and raise my head to look at the bright blue sky. This really is one of the days that you could say that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

I look at Drew, and find him looking at me intently with a soft smile on his face.

“Drew? Is something wrong?”

He seems startled, and replies, “No. Nothing at all.” He turns away from me.

The rest of the way home was filled with an awkward silence.

We reach my house, and I’m slightly relieved, as I have no idea how to alleviate the obvious discomfort Drew was feeling.
“Thanks for walking me home, Drew.” I turn to walk up the steps when I feel him grab my wrist.

“Drew?”

He pulls me into a tight hug and I gasp in surprise. I tense and then relax. I can feel his heart beating…or is it mine?

Suddenly he lets go of me. He gives me a gentle smile and says, “See you, Kaya.” He disappears out of view, and I can only stand there in shock.

My face feels hot and I somehow find a way to sit on the steps. All I can think of is his smile, and how I could feel his heart beating next to mine...

Why is my heart beating so fast?!

I suck at writing romantic scenes don't I? If you haven't guessed why Kaya feels this way, I'm sorely disappointed. I took snippets from real life situations, although this isn't exactly how it happened...

And don't even ask if D and I are a couple. It should be completely obvious by now, even if Ronnie doesn't comment about it. Seriously.

And please give us some titles!! And ideas!!