Oh, Dakota.

Elijah Astor

~ ~ ~ ~

“Fine, I’ll help you.”

What?

My fingers stilled on the strings of my guitar, and I slowly raised my eyes. The first thing I noticed was a slender pair of hips, and long legs. They were shaped perfectly in a pair of light denim shorts, and results of the sun, I guessed, the skin was velvet smooth and bronzed.

Her hands were placed on those slender hips, and her thin fingers tapping impatiently.

“Elijah, did you hear me? I said I help you.” Her voice sounded irritated now, and I began to realize, I knew that voice.

Dakota Aniston, from Biology class.

My eyes strayed away from her legs, and up over her face. Her familiar emerald green eyes were narrowed at me, and her pink lips were snarled up in a scowl. Setting aside my guitar, I slide down until I’m sitting on the edge of the stage. “Dakota, what a pleasant surprise.”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t play games with me, Elijah.” She raises her arms and crosses them over her chest.

“Call me Eli.”

“I rather call you nothing.”

I sigh softly, and drop my head. Rubbing the corners of my eyes, I ask tiredly, “What are you doing here?”

“Don’t you pay attention?” She seethed.

Not with those legs.

I look back up at her, and give her a grimaced smile. “I heard you, but help me with what?”

She flicks her wrist, dismissing me. “Oh, you know.”

I do.

All school year, I was stuck with the pleasure of being partnered with Dakota in biology. To say the least, we didn’t really get along, we agreed on nothing, and it always seemed to be her number one goal to ruin my day.

Then, I met her best friend.

Stacey Dugan, captain of the cheerleading team. (Cliché, I know, but as ridiculous as it sounds, the cheerleading captain really is God on earth.)

The day I first saw her was two weeks before school was letting out for the summer, and when my eyes first laid on her, I knew I needed her.

It wasn’t a powerful need, expect just a small burning, and the desire to be able to hold her, be able to kiss her whenever I wanted.

If only she knew me.

It’s not like I’m an outcast of any sort, but I’m not popular. Mostly because, I’m not a jock. I’m good at sports; I just never cared for them. Rather, I’m into music, I’m a musician, which never got me far up on the social ladder.