A/N: Okay, so this is basically my first try at a one-shot romance story, based on the song "Sometimes" by Britney Spears. I know, it's an old song, but I was inspired...I probably haven't done a very good job with it, but at least review! Review review review!! MIGHT be made into a long story if I get any suggestions...

Edit: Reposted after making some slight changes, fixed the darn typos....read read read!!

I walked down the empty hallways of the school, clutching my books. I looked around furtively as I made my way to my locker. There was a full hour before school was due to start..nobody should be around. Despite that, my traitorous heart was hoping for a miracle...that he would be leaning against my locker, waiting for me. Impossible, my mind argued. Yet, it couldn't stop the feelings...

My heart thumped with apprehension and excitement. I took a deep breath, rounded a corner, and walked to my locker. No one was there. I let out a sigh. Of relief, or…disappointment? In any case, my heartbeat slowed. I tried to shrug the feeling away. I opened my locker, put away my Math textbook and took out my English textbook, which was what I had next. I closed the locker door and turned around, only to collide with someone – hard.

“Goodness, I’m so sorry! I-” I was cut off mid-sentence when I looked up into the eyes of the person I had collided with.

Warm hazel eyes stared back at me. The corners of his mouth lifted up in a dazzling smile.

“Hello, Sasha.”

Miracles do happen.

“I…uh…hi, Chase.” I stammered, caught off guard. I wanted to look away, but somehow I couldn’t look anywhere but into his captivating hazel eyes that brimmed with humour and promise.

He stepped back a step, brushed the fringes of his raven hair out of his eyes and looked away, fidgeting a little. I looked at him curiously, and saw that his tanned cheeks were tinged slightly with pink. He licked his lips, those soft, full lips, nervously…? I almost laughed at the Newell was anything but nervous. And yet…I squinted carefully at him. It almost looked as if he was…

He turned his head back to look at me. “I…uh…I have something important to tell you, Sasha…” he said hesitantly.

I cocked my head to one side. “Sure, Chase, go ahead.”

He stepped up close to me so that our bodies were almost touching. I could smell the scent of his aftershave, and I liked it. If I leaned towards him just a little more, I would be leaning against his tall, strong frame. The urge to do so was overpowering, but my body stepped back unconsciously away from him; it was a reflex I had developed whenever I was near him. Why? I didn't know, either. He looked a little crestfallen, but stepped up to me again.

Before I could move, he bent his head down to mine and whispered softly in my ear, so soft I could barely hear him. “I love you, Sasha.”

My heart nearly stopped beating. Oh my gosh. This can’t be happening.

He stepped back a little and stared deeply into my eyes. “You’re beautiful, Sasha, you know that? I couldn’t take my eyes away from you when I first saw you. Even though I’ve only known you for three months, I feel like it’s been three years…” he trailed off.

“I…I…” I couldn’t think of what to say. My mind was in shock. He came closer. “Sasha, are you okay?” he asked, concerned. He lifted up a long-fingered hand to caress my face. No, my mind screamed. Too close. TOO CLOSE! Suddenly, I was scared of him. My first instinct: Run. I turned and hightailed it out of there as fast as my long legs could carry me. I heard him behind me. “Sasha! Wait!” I didn’t know why, I just knew that I had to escape from him. Desperately, I swerved left into a corridor and came face-to-face with a familiar door: The janitor’s closet. Without thinking, I opened the door and thrust myself inside.

The footsteps came down the corridor. It must be Chase. They came closer, closer…I held my breath. Would he find me here? My heart pounded so loudly, I was sure he could hear it and would barge in at any minute. But no, I was wrong…the footsteps ran past the closet. When the footsteps finally died away, I slumped down slowly onto the dusty floor amongst the still-damp mops and dusty brooms.

I wanna believe in everything that you say
'Cause it sounds so good
But if you really want me, move slow
There's things about me you just have to know

I put my books aside and dropped my head in my hands. I’m such an idiot, I thought, silently cursing myself. I had fantasized about hearing those words from Chase for so long, and at every chance I got…but when it finally happened, what had I done? Run. Like always. Yes, I had basically ruined any chance I might have had with Chase when I turned tail and bolted from him after his ‘confession’. Oh, Chase. Charming, handsome, dreamy Chase. Everything I didn't deserve to have.

Don’t you believe him? A little voice in my mind asked.

Yes, I do…but it’s too fast.

Yes, that was it. Everything was happening too fast. Chase, a former Prom King, had barely known I existed until about 3 months ago. Heck, he barely knew anything about me, and now he was saying he loved me? It sounded too good to be true.

Sometimes I run
Sometimes I hide
Sometimes I'm scared of you
But all I really want is to hold you tight
Treat you right
Be with you day and night
Baby all I need is time

I raised my head up and drew my knees to my chest, hugging them tightly, rocking back and forth, all the while thinking about Chase. I was confident around other guys, even the most popular guys in school…so why did I act this way around him? Every time he walked next to me, came close to me, touched me…I felt the urge to run, to hide, to protect myself…but from what? From Chase? My thoughts whirled like a hurricane in my tired brain.

Yet, when he wasn’t around…I found myself daydreaming about him, my overactive imagination creating alternate universes where I could indulge in my fantasy of cuddling up with him day and night, in a world where we knew that we were meant for each other.

I sat up straight. A lightbulb had just gone off in my head. We were meant for each other. I knew it. I was just…in shock, I suppose. I needed some time to think about this. I wasn’t the type of girl who made rash, impetuous decisions…I needed to weigh all my options, mull things over, before finally coming to a conclusion.

I don't wanna be so shy
Every time that I'm alone I wonder why
Hope that you will wait for me
You'll see that you're the only one for me

“Why am I so shy…?” I whispered aloud. Silence. The mops and brooms stood at silent attention all around me, like loyal soldiers surrounding their princess. If only you could talk. I sighed. Why was it I could never manage to have a single conversation with Chase without messing it up? Even if I didn’t mess up, some girl would come along and throw herself all over Chase, which would be my cue to leave. I didn’t want to be a third wheel in any relationship, thank you very much.

But now it was clear that he liked me…loved me, even, if his words could be believed. I snorted and pushed away a lock of my chestnut hair which had come loose. With that realization, it suddenly dawned on me:

I loved him too.

My breath caught in my throat, and my heart plummeted. Did I just think that? Oh yeah, you did. A blush crept up my pale face. However, that quickly dissipated when I remembered what had happened earlier this had probably given up on me. What if he didn’t understand that I needed time…? Would he set his sights on another girl? I squeezed my eyes shut at the unwelcome images that had entered my brain and fought to erase them, but to no avail.

Perhaps there is still time, urged the small voice.

I stood up hurriedly, sending a few brooms clattering to the floor. I picked them up quickly, collected my books and bolted out of the janitor’s closet to find Chase.

However, he found me first.

I wanna believe in everything that you say
'Cause it sounds so good
But if you really want me, move slow
There's things about me you just have to know

Just as I closed the closet door behind me,a hand shot out and caught my wrist, spinning me around. Caught unawares, I dropped my books. I found myself crushed against a six-foot-tall, lanky athletic figure. Familiar hazel eyes narrowed down at me until they were mere slits. I could feel his heart pounding furiously in his chest, and he was panting slightly, no doubt from running all over the school, trying to find me.“Why, Sasha? Why did you run away from me? Am I… not good enough for you?”

Sometimes I run
Sometimes I hide
Sometimes I'm scared of you
But all I really want is to hold you tight
Treat you right
Be with you day and night
Baby all I need is time

I shook my head wordlessly, biting my gripped my arm even tighter, and it was really starting to hurt. "Then why, Sasha? Can't you tell me?" he pleaded. I looked up at him. Everything that I had planned and rehearsed carefully to tell him…had flown out the window the moment I gazed into his liquid brown eyes. I couldn’t go through with it. Instead, I dropped my gaze and tried to wrench my hand free to pick up my books, for Chase’s vice-like grip was cutting off my blood circulation. Apparently Chase had realised this as well, for his grip slackened, though just a tiny bit. "Look at me, Sasha." I looked up, and forgot all about the books. I glimpsed a flash of the unbelievable hurt and devastation that flitted across his eyes, just for a second. My heart twisted. I couldn't bear the idea that I, I was the one who had caused him such pain. That single glance alone was enough to harden my resolve. I stopped trying to escape, and took in a deep breath. I opened my mouth, tentatively. “Chase, I…I need some time to think about this.”

Just hang around and you'll see
There's nowhere I'd rather be
If you love me, trust in me
The way that I trust in you

He sighed and nodded, then released my arm reluctantly. I rubbed my sore arm where he had gripped me with my free hand. He noticed and had the grace to blush. "Oops. Sorry." His gaze turned dark again. “I understand that you need time, but…don't run away from me again, okay, Sasha?” Chase asked. I gazed into the depths of his dark eyes. I was drowning in his intense stare. Suddenly emboldened, I stepped up and whispered into his ear, “If you love me, trust me…the way I trust you.”Chase nodded silently, unsmiling, his intense stare unwavering. “You know I do, Sasha,” he whispered seriously. “But it’s like every time I try to really talk to you, you always run away..you don't know how much it kills me inside.” My heart pounded in was crazy about me! And so am I, I realized.

Sometimes I run
Sometimes I hide
Sometimes I'm scared of you
But all I really want is to hold you tight
Treat you right
Be with you day and night
Baby all I need is time

But I had always been scared of love…I had seen my girlfriends getting hurt time and time again. But maybe...Chase was different. I didn't know. I needed time to think, to sort out my confused thoughts. My heart ached, but I knew I was doing the right thing, even as I yearned with every fibre of my being to touch Chase again, to hug his warm body, maybe even…kiss him. As if he could read my mind,Chase took my hand, and this time I did not flinch.

“I’ll wait for you. For as long as it takes.”

I smiled at him for the first time that day.

Sometimes I run
Sometimes I hide
Sometimes I'm scared of you
But all I really want is to hold you tight
Treat you right
Be with you day and night

Baby all I need... is time.