'Lets play 10 questions.'

That was the first thing I saw when I opened my cell phone. I didn't recognize the number but replied anyways.

'Who is this?' It only took a moment for them to answer.

'I'll tell you at the end, but only if you'll play with me.'

'Rules?'

'None.'

'Fine. I get to start though,'I texted back. Normally I wouldn't… talk to strangers but I still had a half-hour on the bus home from school, it was a Friday, and I was board.

'Deal.'

I decided I would start out trying to figure out who it was so I asked:'1. Do I know you?'

It took longer for them to reply so I closed my phone and watched the passing houses and building pass by in a colorless blur of motion. It was dreary out today. The entire sky was a mix of grey and white, which seemed to make everything else look washed out and boring. There was no snow on the ground yet, but I knew it wasn't far away. When my phone did finally buzz I nearly jumped out of my skin. Flipping it open the reply flashed across the small white screen.

'You know me, but not well.

My turn.

1. What's your favourite colour?'

I typed back quickly, having nothing better to do. It was an innocent enough question after all.

'I have a lot. Mostly it's any shade of blue though.

2. Guy or girl?'

The reply was quicker than last. 'Guy, unless you were referring to sexual preference, in which case I'd say: girl.' I could almost see him smirk at the end. '2. Favourite music genres?'

I smiled as I typed back.

'I was asking you if you were f or m. Guy hmm?

I like all music except R&B, but lean towards alternative and rock.

3. Do you go to my school?'

Glancing out the bus window I realized I still had a good twenty minutes until my stop, then a five-minute walk home. I hated living so far away from school, but in reality it would be a ten-minute drive to or from school if not for all the other stops the public school bus had to make. I was saving up for a car, but still hadn't pulled together enough, even with allowance and a job. I wish I had a car like so many kids at my school did, the best of them belonging to my crushee, a blue Infiniti. I love blue.

'Yup, I sure do go to your school.

So…question 3: Do you have any siblings?'

'Yeah, I have an older brother in collage, and a little sister who just started kindergarten. And a dog, if that counts.' I don't know why I'm telling him this; if I get raped I will only have myself to blame.' 4. Will you just tell me who you are after the 10 questions?'

'I already told you I would at the very start.

That was a wasted question. Tsk tsk tsk.

Now onto number 4:

Where is your favourite place to be?'

It took me longer to reply to that question. To be honest I didn't really know. After a few minutes I narrowed it down to a place I used to go when I was little, I hadn't been there in a while, but before I would always just go and sit on a bench, do my homework, read or think.

'Hawthorn Park, at the back near the lake,

5. Favorite colour?'

I asked the last question out of surrender, having decided to give up on figuring out who it was if they were telling me at the end, like he said, waste of questions.

'Getting unoriginal with your questions aren't you?

(That doesn't count as one of my ten by the way)

And I like green.

5. Favourite word to say'

Okay, weird question, favourite word to say?

'Uh…I will probably have to go with—I ran through a list of words in my head, trying to find the right one—zealous.

6. Favourite food?'

'Ah, stole my question right out of my head! And I like…hmm…pizza best, any kind as long as it has cheese, bread and tomato sauce.

6. Same question.'

'Pft, now look who's unoriginal!

And even though I'm a vegetarian and should say something like

"Meatless, high protein soy dogs – which, by the way aren't bad if you find the right brand – my sweet tooth simply wont allow it.

So my answer is regular ripple chips dipped in ice cream.

'Eww'

He replied before I could send the next message. I had to write my question in a different text because I rambled so much in the last, that I ran out of characters I was allowed to use per message.

'Its actually really good,

Now my question…

7. How did you get my cell number?'

After a moment my cell buzzed again. 'I got it from Ashley, but don't be mad, I told her I needed it because I was doing a school project with you.' Leave it to my best friend Ashley to buy that line. Maybe if I get raped I can blame her instead.

'S'okay, as long as you don't try to kill me.' I joked… kind of.

'Don't worry, I promise I wont.

7. Do you have a crush on anyone?'

'Getting a bit personal are we not?

But, yes, I have a crush,

And, no, I will not tell you who its on.

My turn again,

8. How old are you?'

Decent enough question, although I am truly running low in the ideas department for what to ask. By now the bus had pulled up to my stop and I was starting the long walk – of an excruciating five minutes – home.

'I turn 17 in two weeks.

And fine. DON'T tell me. But I'll figure it out sooner or later.'

'Let it be the later…or never' came my reply. I hadn't even told Ashley who I had a crush on; no way was I going to tell some random guy I was texting. My pace was slow, feeling no need to walk fast just to get home and do nothing all night, and I could see cars out of the corner of my eyes trotting past on the road beside me.

'8. Most rebellious or unlike you thing you have done.'

'He he… I…uh… got a tattoo when I was mad at my mom freshman year.

9. (I'm running out of ideas, so…) what colour is your hair?'

'A tattoo? Wow, I didn't peg you for the tattoo type.'

'Hence the unlike me and rebellious part of it.'

'True, true.

I have black hair.

9. Will you go out on a date with me tomorrow night?'

'Su—'wait! WHAT? I quickly backspaced the start of my reply and instead wrote: 'Date? I don't even know you! How do I know you aren't some sort of creepy stalker? Out to kill me? On parole for some heinous crime?'

'You would have to trust me.'

'No.'

'If you know who I am, might you consider it? Anyway, you still have one more question left to use.'

'Fine, I might consider it.

10. Who are you?'

It took a second for them to reply. By now I was standing outside the children's park I usually cut through to get to my backyard, cutting off five minutes from my walk. I could hear kids laughing and running around, gravel crunching under little feet, and moms sitting on benches talking together. Finally my phone buzzed again.

'Turn around.'

'That wasn't a question, nor was it an answer.'

'10. Please?'

'Fine.'

This game was getting really annoying, but curiosity as to why he wanted me to turn around got the better of me and I obliged. Only to find my self face to face (or rather face-to-chest) of a tall boy.

His lack jacket fit him perfectly and was left unzipped to show the black concert tshirt underneath. As my eyes traveled upwards I studies his strong jaw and sharp, straight nose. The boy had piercing blue eyes, a messy mass jet-black hair and naturally tanned skin. A small black phone was clutched open in his hand, his thumb on a button.

"Jake Fletcher?" I asked surprised, as I took a step back. He gave a heart-melting grin, showing off his perfect white teeth.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and when I glanced down to read it all he had written was: 'Surprise?' My head snapped back up to Jake. He had been the one texting me.

"Hey, Kaylee. So, what do you say? Will you go out with me? Please?" His gorgeous blue eyes were almost pleading with me, but was he serious? Why would the most popular, not to mention nicest and most dazzling guys at school, want to go out with me? I mean, he's gorgeous and I'm… not. And now the stunning guy I have liked since I saw him reading to kids in the children's hospital wing two years ago, is asking me out?

Don't get me wrong; I'm not putting myself down. It's just the truth. Jake Fletcher's league and my own league cant even see each other they're so far away. I'm tall – like 5'8" tall – and have long, dull brown hair. And where as other people can say things like 'I have eyes as blue as the ocean' or 'eyes like melted chocolate' I get to say things like: 'eyes as green as moss.' It just doesn't have the same affect as the ocean or chocolate does. Plain and simple, I was nothing special, right down from my heart-shaped face to my torn up converse sneakers.

As all of this was going through my head I realized Jake was still waiting for an answer. And me being me with my excellent control over my mouth and what comes out of it – ha! – blurted out the fist thing that came to mind. Which just so happened to be along the lines of, "you're kidding right?"

Something I didn't recognize flickered in the back of his blue eyes and his once grinning lips turned down in the corners into a small frown.

"Of course not, Kay. Why would I be kidding?" I couldn't help but snort out a laugh – a very unladylike snort/laugh might I add – but immediately stopped when I saw genuine hurt and confusion cloud his eyes.

"You don't have to be rude, if you don't want to go out with me a simple 'no thank you' would suffice," I could see him start to make a move to leave.

I quickly grabbed his arm before he could turn away and made him face me again; finally realizing he was serious. Even through the jacket he was wearing, electric shocks ran up and down my arm, making my hand tingle where it held his sleeve. Cool, I thought that only happened in books.

"When did I say I don't want to go out with you?" I practically whispered, for some reason I could not get my voice to go any louder, especially when I caught sight of his fathomless cobalt gaze.

"… So is that a yes?" he asked hopefully, his eyes lighting up and a crooked grin spreading across his face. I nodded, unable to speak. His lips softly brushed against my own for a moment before he pulled back and smiled at me, resting his forehead against my own.

"I was afraid you would say no," he admitted.

"Of course not," I whispered, my voice oddly husky, before pulling him down into a proper, lasting kiss.

XxCrossMyHeartxX