Blush and Crush
Chapter 1: Pumpkin
I was fast-pacing towards my bus when I suddenly felt a hand haltingly pull my arm back. Storming back around to give the intruder a piece of my mind, I was quite surprised to be greeted by grayish-blue eyes shining with…solemnity, regret? Were those actually emotions THE Trey Williams felt? At other times it would be mischief or jest, but this golden boy looked as if he wanted to talk to me, yet in a sober and thoughtful manner. It intrigued me to say the least.
"Why are you so intent on leaving so soon?" He spoke at last, but rendered me in silence. What an odd question to ask. Since when did he care about what I'm doing at the moment or my whereabouts? Why was it so different now?
I decided to respond back before continuing to get so caught up in my torrent emotions. "Well, school's over. I'm going home. Since when did anyone want to remain at school when it's over?" I asked rhetorically.
He averted his gaze from mine towards the ground almost as if he was ashamed. Then, albeit very slowly, he brought it up once again and blurted out, "I want to know why you looked so annoyed during the assembly!" This exclamation tugged at my heartstrings. I was torn between hating Trey and loving him. Lately I put on a façade and expressed irritation towards him, yet I know in my heart I felt the opposite. How terribly elementary-school-ish of me, eh?
"Why?" I repeated as if someone would immediately respond with an explanation. The question persistently stuck in my mind as if any other thought irrelevant to this wasn't allowed entrance to my thought process. The answer, I discovered, was right in front of me this whole entire time.
"You."
"Me?" A puzzled frown spread over his face, and I could almost vision him pondering the vague response I gave.
I sighed impatiently, "Yes you, you with your all too typical vain and conceited and arrogant attitude. I loathe your personality. You throw women to the side as if they're defenseless creatures, rather than in the full flesh human beings. You're so mean and cruel and a jerk to everyone simply because, you think you're better than everyone else. And you know what, it just makes me sic-"
My sentence was not finished. Obviously I don't need to point that out for you. You're probably wondering why. Does the fact that his lips are covering and devouring my own present a plausible enough conclusion? I thought so.
We continued to make out as the argument previously said went out the window as if it never existed. I noted that his lips were so soft and he happened to be an exceptionally wonderful kisser. However, as I opened my eyes, the vision of Trey kissing me diminished, and I found myself back in my own bed.
The dream's effects showered me as the tips of my mouth upturned into a goofy smile. Dreams like that should never end.
The momentary feeling of happiness left me and was replaced by the reality of school. I sighed and slipped out of bed as I began my usual routine of getting ready.
------------
Looking at the clock a little later, I realized the bus would be here in a mere two minutes and it takes that amount to walk down to the bus stop. I quickly gathered my belongings together and grabbed a breakfast bar on my way out.
Three minutes later I occupied the front seat of the bus much to my relief. I knew if I missed the bus my mom would have to drive me and lately she hates doing it. I don't know why though. Before I knew it the bus arrived at school and I jumped out eager to meet my friends. But of course I had to intercept someone along the way and that someone had to be Trey. A hint of red crawled up my neck but I desperately willed myself not to do the God awful habit I've picked up ever since I started talking to Trey and that is blush.
I started to panic as I realized Trey was heading this way. He sauntered over to me and said in a teasing fashion, "Nice shirt."
I automatically looked down to see one of the bands I used to listen to portrayed on my shirt. It was the Smashing Pumpkins. "U-um thanks," I stuttered with a weak smile.
He smirked and continued heartlessly, "I was being sarcastic. Who the hell would listen to a band called The Smashing Pumpkins?"
I decided I needed to defend my taste of music. "Hey it's called good music, which I'm sure you don't know the slightest meaning of."
He looked taken aback that I actually was able to stick up for myself, but that didn't last long as he said patronizingly, "See you in English," and then added for the hell of it, "pumpkin." My hard gaze lingered on his back, but wasn't able to distinguish it anymore because of the growing crowd that started to occupy the hall. Sometimes I wonder why the heck I ever started liking this huge jerk…
As usual I was the first person to show up to English class. It was first period and I always had trouble finding my friends before class actually started. So I'd lug my huge backpack, the one that stuck out like a hump because I practically shoved everything in there. I sat down in my seat as I waited for the rest of the class to fill the room and the teacher to actually show up.
The kids showed up a few minutes later and frequently Trey would always be second to last or even last to make himself present. Most of the time he would even get tardy. I guess the whole concept of being on time didn't really matter to him that much.
He occupied the seat in front of me and the teacher began the lesson for the day. I however wasn't paying attention due to my knowledge of literary terms already because that was what we were reviewing. I instead let my thoughts carry to Trey. How exactly did I meet THE Trey Williams, the one that always was the center of attention and couldn't just keep to himself sometimes like I did often? Oh yes, now I remember…
It was the first day of sixth grade at Mountainside Elementary School. I had just moved from the very grand state of California to the not so grand state of Arizona. I definitely wasn't used to the climate and was finding that the heat was unbearable. My mom spotted the gate to the main playground and we both headed over there. I saw countless kids playing and just generally messing around all over the place. My mom turned to me and said, "Junie, be brave. Just give this school a chance. I'm sure you'll grow to love it." After these few words said, she begin to walk to our car, but I didn't want her to leave just yet.
"Mom wait," I called her and to my relief she was at my side once again.
"What is it June?" Her eyes clouded over with confusion yet were overpowered with concern.
"I just don't want to be alone," I admitted.
She gave me a small smile. "Well honey I can't exactly stay, but tell ya what. I saw those girls over there and they look really friendly. Want me to walk you over there."
"I guess." And we did. Her prediction was right, they were really nice until I was starting to feel like a third wheel. But she didn't know that, she left.
I decided to explore the playground but as I found myself just wandering around, the sun glaring at me, the option of finding shade became much more appealing to me. I discovered some to the farthest side, opposite of the parking lot, under a huge tree. I stood under it, but I couldn't quite get over that growing feeling of loneliness.
Suddenly my ears perked up at the sound of boys shouting certain things to each other. I looked over and not too faraway were a group of rowdy boys playing a game of football.
I heard this one boy shout to another, "Brett over here!" I noticed that the boy who was supposed to catch it was getting a little bit closer to the tree I was still under. The ball touched the boy's hands, but tipped over and rolled to my feet. The boy stopped running and just stood a few feet away from me. By now I could see him clearly. My eyes ran over his body as I observed he had beautiful wavy chestnut hair, grayish-blue eyes, a little bit of a chubby physique and towered over me at least a foot.
The boy rolled his eyes at me as he stuck out his hands expectantly, "Ball?"
"Huh?" I said intelligently. A few seconds later it registered in my mind what he meant. "Oh!" I exclaimed a little too loudly. He slightly winced. I blushed from embarrassment and kneeled down to retrieve the football. I gave it to him with a sheepish smile.
He looked at me amusedly. "Thanks uh…" he frowned as he couldn't quite place me with a name.
"Oh I'm new. My name's June. Hah, that rhymed, but I'm sure you didn't notice that. Only I notice silly little things like that," I rambled on to my chagrin. I really needed to start learning how to act around boys my age.
He looked at me weirdly and just uttered one word before walking away, "Trey." (A/N: Away, Trey, haha I keep on rhyming…oh sorry I'll let you guys get back to the story). Yup, from the very start, from our very first encounter I had a bad feeling he'd make fun of me for the way I acted. I was correct. And did he stop there? No he just kept on going and going and going…you know like the energizer bunny.
The sound of a something being slammed onto my desk brought me out of the past and back into the present. I noted Trey's hand had found it's way on top of my desk and he was giving me a derisive look. "Somebody's spacing," he said with his trademark smirk.
"Yeah so?" I said, trying my best to give him a look of indifference when really my heart was pounding a mile per minute.
His smirk widened into a grin. "Just wondering if you're such a good student as the teacher says, then why aren't you paying attention in class?"
"That's really none of your concern Trey." I'm so proud of myself these days. I am able to send back a well structured comprehensible sentence without the unnecessary blushing. Go me!
But what confused me next is when he started to snigger to himself. "You realize your face is like bright red, right?" he said a few minutes after laughing at me TO MY FACE. What!? How can my face be red? What is the meaning of this!?
"Just shut up!" I said feebly. His response was just laughter. Luckily the bell rang a few minutes later and I shot out of my seat and raced out of there like no tomorrow.
------------
I breathed a sigh of relief as lunch arrived and my stomach rumbled crazily. I waited a little bit for my friends to show up to our favorite lunch spot, which happened to be out in the quad and not the cafeteria where most of the kids were including Trey and his group of cronies. But that's beside the point.
All three of my friends, Heather, Jackie, and Christy all walked up at once and greeted me in a friendly manner. To tell you the truth though, I wasn't very close with any of them, especially Heather due to an incident that happened which involved us. But I'll delve into that another time.
I got my sack lunch out of my overstuffed backpack and took out an item, which was a sandwich and chewed it slowly.
"So what's going on with you and Trey?" Heather casually brought up. I spit out little bits of sandwich in shock in response to that question.
"Eww, gross Junie," Christy said and screwed up her face portraying disgust. I ignored her and replied to Heather who had one eyebrow raised, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, give us the update on your world of Trey," she clarified.
I snorted in disbelief. "What's to say? He teased me and teased me some more and that's about it."
Jackie spoke up for the very first time and said, "Aw how boring, give us the juicy details!"
"There are no juicy details Jackie," I said while blushing.
Heather's eyes widened in delight. "Aha!" she said, pointing a finger at me as if she were accusing me of a crime. "There has to be juicy details or else you would not be blushing right now!"
Christy chuckled, "Heather you know that's like all she does now."
I protested, "I do not!"
Heather grinned, "You're absolutely right Chris." Jackie had to cover her mouth to hide the escaping giggles she was easily susceptible too.
"You guys are so messed up," I shook my head fighting the smile that was about to form on my face.
"Hey we're just teasing ya June!" Heather said good-naturedly.
"I know and I realize that I will never be able to escape from teasing," I said accepting my fate. Hey who knows, maybe things will get better?
------------
"June Marie Sommers," the Spanish teacher said, indicating to the desk I was supposed to sit at. We were getting a new seating chart so hopefully Trey would be sitting somewhere else, somewhere not near me as he used to sit on the left side to me.
I set my stuff down and plopped right into my seat. "I don't usually say the person's whole name, but I thought your name is just so pretty June," the teacher, Ms. Baker beamed at me and said it loud enough for the whole class to hear. Some of the class cracked up, but most controlled themselves. Surprisingly, one of those sources of sound didn't come from Trey as our eyes met and he just smiled. Suddenly, he winked! I blushed instantly and looked away.
"Trey, right here," the teacher said pointing to the desk…to the right of mine. My eyes widened to the size of saucers as I realized I was promised most likely another quarter of never-ending torture.
Trey sat down and immediately turned to me with childish excitement. "Buddy!" he cried.
I groaned. This is going to be a long year.
------------
A/N: Woo, I FINALLY updated! Thanks to jennycraig10. She helped me get going. And the rest just fell into place. Hopefully this is satisfying enough for you guys. And thanks you each for those reviews. Thirteen…I was so surprised when I checked how many I had. So thanks again you guys!