They just stood there and laughed at me as I lay there on my face like it was nothing new in my book. I couldn’t stand up for the life of me this time it hurt too much. I knew one day that they would turn on me and let me fall on my face in front of the entire school just like in my dream. Never again could I show my face because I would never hear the end of it until the laughing stopped. Someone wrapped their arms through mine and picked me up off of the floor. That person let go of me and I spun around to find the star football player standing behind me with a small smile on his face.

“Are you okay Ms. Urban?” he asked me as I stared at him.

I couldn’t speak to the guy at all I was at loss for words for once in my life. Here I was the outcast in school being taken care of by our star football player and the most wanted guy in school. He looked behind me at the others that were just standing around staring as well. He gave them a dirty look and they just scattered like mice.

“I’ll take you to the nurse and she will take care of you.” he said taking my arm escorting me to the nurse’s office.

We walked in then over to the chair and he sat me down with a small smile on his face. I think I was turning red knowing this was the guy that was taking care of me. Mrs. York walked in spotting us walked over and started asking questions. Mark answered every question for me, the nurse didn’t seem to mind at all looking at him intensely. I just sat there quietly while the nurse looked me over making sure I was okay and didn’t have a concussion.

“You seem like you will be just fine Ms. Urban, but you might hurt a little bit later so take some aspirin. Here is a pass to go back to class.” she said with a smile on her face.

Mark had to leave me to go back to class, but he found me after school was over to make sure I was okay.

“Don’t worry about me please Mark I will be just fine. Couple of bumps and bruises though those will heal in time.” I told him trying not to look at him in the eyes blushing in the process.

Mark Lock is our school most popular guy even the senior girls want him though he is just a junior. He stands around 5 foot 6 with long brown hair that goes down a little past his shoulders. His eyes are a mix between blue and green which is rare around here plus he wears glasses. Short he may be but his solid body makes up for it because he is not too built, but it’s enough to make even me blush looking at him. We have been classmates since elementary school. Yes he has been this popular since then as well nothing will ever change with that.

As for me my name is Nina Urban also a junior I‘m ahead of my class by a year so I‘m basically a year younger than all the other juniors. I am the outcast since elementary so nothing has really changed for me. I stand at 5 foot even so people call me hobbit all the time. My dirty blond hair is always pulled back out of my face; never down because people put gum in my hair once when I did let it down. A blue eyes girl I’m just your average quiet type that keeps to herself. I don’t really like to be in the spot like at anytime, I get embarrassed easily.

“Do you need a ride home?” he asked me.

“No thank you I will walk it isn’t too far away from school.” I said to him still looking at the ground.

“Are you coming to the game tonight? This is our biggest game of the season and I really want you to be there. I have seen you at all of our other games though you think no one sees you.” he said and I saw a smile on his face once again.

I know the other girls over heard him saying that because they walked over to our private conversation.

“Marky why in the world do you want a complete dork at our biggest game of the season?” the girl asked.

“That is none of your business Danielle so buzz off this is a private conversation between Nina and myself.” he said then gave her a dirty look so she walked off.

He put his attention back on me and I just stared at him this time.

“I want to know as well why you are asking me if I’m going to be at this game. I am nothing to anyone around here Mark so why start now there is no point.” I said to him, but he stopped me when he put his face next to mine.

“Because I have something I want to ask you and I want to do it in front of everyone tonight after we win this game.” he whispered in my ear that made my eyes go wide.

I felt a gentle kiss brush my cheek as he pulled away then walked off to his car. I just stood there stunned not knowing what to do after that. My head spun around in so many circles I couldn’t tell what was up and what was down for the few minutes I stood there. I guess I had no choice now in the matter because I had to go to our biggest game of the season and watch them win.

My parents were away in Paris for business and my sister was at a sleep over so I was alone all night. I took my time getting ready tonight for the first time in my life I had to look decent, but I had really nothing to wear. I decided to just be myself and wear what I was wearing at school plus a jacket, it was getting colder lately.

I walked over to the football field, got my ticket and found a seat up near the top of the bleachers. I knew that he wouldn’t find me up here this way I could hide from everyone else as well so I wouldn’t be harassed during the game. I found myself with a smile on my face before the game started as they introduced the starting lineup.

I found myself cheering most of the way through the game because it was a tough game for our guys. Mark seemed to have a hard time concentrating on the game tonight and the coaches were yelling something fierce at him making him keep his head in the game. This was the only time and practice he really wore his contacts so he wouldn’t break his glasses while getting hit so many times. I cheered my heart out with no one really around me to make fun of my cheering skills; because I really had none.

The game ended with us winning by 3 points so it was pretty close, but the guys did work their butts off to win. I watched Mark ask something to the people around him until he apparently found what he was looking for…a microphone.

“I want everyone’s attention for a few minutes. First I want to say how proud I am of our guys winning this game we fucking earned it tonight. Second thanks coach for pushing us so hard this week. Third I want Nina Urban to step down onto the field.” he said then paused looking over the crowd.

I sat there glued to my seat not wanting to move, scared of what Mark was actually doing. I watched his expression drop when he grazed over the crowd to find me and couldn’t. I sat there staring at him not moving from my spot I knew it would be a prank in the end like everyone else was in the joke but me. The smiled faded from his face and my heart dropped into my stomach watching him then feeling like it was all my fault.

It took me a few minutes but I stood up finally and walked down the bleachers to the field watching the faces of everyone turn to me. Someone nudged Mark to look up and he did so I found his eyes along with his smile as I walked down slowly to stand in front of him. He looked up at me like I was the only person standing around him in this stadium.

“What people don’t know is Nina and I have been classmates since elementary school. What she doesn’t know is that I have been watching her grow up since then as well. People ask me all the time why I don’t have a girlfriend so here is my honest answer for everyone to hear. momentary pause dramatic I know Just because I’m the star football player and the most popular guy in school doesn’t mean anything to me. I have wanted the girl that no one has noticed since elementary school, that everyone picks on and calls freak. So Nina I’m handing you my heart for all to see…”

I..I didn’t know what to say again this guy is running a 2 for 0 streak. The whole stadium seemed to have held their breaths and I think the girls behind me were about to bust out crying at any moment. My mind raced back to elementary school following our life as classmates till this moment and I realized something…I fell for him a long time ago. I didn’t even see it in my own two eyes so here I stood in front of the one person I never thought saw me giving me his heart.

“Okay.” I said to him smiling like no one was around.

He dropped the microphone picked me up over the stands. I came over the stands with ease and into his embrace tightly. I started hearing clapping coming from the audience then it got louder along with cheering. I felt his breath on my ear then he said something that I never thought would come out of his mouth to me.

“I have loved you for a very long time. I wanted the world to know who had my heart because I’m not scared to hold you like this in front of everyone. So let me love you and treat you the way a young lady should be treated.” he said into my ear.

“I love you too Mark.” was all I could say back.

Shine (Keith Urban)

Winter's weighin' on your shoulders

It's hangin' around a little too long

And I can see it in your eyes

You've taken on a load that's just too strong

Oh, but let me get down to the heart of the matter

Baby, if you want I can make it better now.

When the sun is hard to find

When it's rainin' in your eyes

When the shadows block those pretty little blue skies living inside you

When the fallin' of your tears makes a candle disappear

When you just can't see the light

Baby, I'll find a way to shine I'll find a way to.

Everybody's got a cross to carry

Everybody's got a story they can tell

Ya know you're not the only one counting on a quarter & wishin' well

Woah, don't you sit there with your heart under lock and key

Gimmie one chance baby, I can set you free.

When the sun is hard to find

When it's rainin in your eyes

When the shadows block those pretty little blue skies living inside you

When the fallin' of your tears, makes a candle disappear

When you just can't see the light

Baby, I'll find a way to shine

I'll find a way to shine.

Sometimes in this life good luck don't shine like it suppose to do

When there's no one you can trust

And they just keep on givin' up on you

Baby, don't ya know that I won't ever let ya down

Come on now, wooo.

-- Instrumental --

Oh, don't sit there with your heart under lock & key

Just gimmie one chance and baby, I can set you free.

When the sun is hard to find

When it's rainin' in your eyes

And the shadows block those pretty little blue skies living inside you

When the fallin' of your tears, makes a candle disappear

And you just can't see the light

Baby, I'll find a way to shine

I'll find a way to shine

Find a way to shine

Find a way to shine

You know I'll find a way.

Find a way

Find a way.

-- Instrumental --

Find a way to shine...