picture perfect

Fifth Picture

Walking towards my locker I got out my books for the subjects I've homework for and I put back in the ones I didn't need anymore. Grabbing my black jacket and my grey shawl from the locker I closed it just when Declan finally reached me. He tried to block my path and won. I hadn't noticed him there, so I jumped from my place.

"Get out of my way, bastard," I gritted out.

He seriously looked taken aback. Is he kidding me right now?

"Why? Are you mad?"

I didn't reply and turned the other direction, but I heard him trail after me.

"Oh come on, Al. I was just doing you a favour," he exclaimed, before placing his hand on my shoulder, roughly. I stopped moving and he walked around me to stand in front of me. I sighed, annoyed.

"Did I ask for it?" I curtly replied, pushing my rucksack on my shoulder.

"No, but that's what friends do, right? Help each other out without a request?" he retorted.

"Not when the other doesn't want it," I said coldly. So, maybe I did want a little bit help, because this is totally new to me. However, I'm not going to admit that to Declan. Heck no.

"Just go talk to her," he pointed behind me, which made me look that way. Eliza was standing with an open locker in front of us, secretly glancing at us.

"Fine," I muttered as if it was the biggest hardship in the world and it was in a way, because what am I going to say to her? Why am I listening to Declan? What is wrong with me for god's sake?

Eliza grabbed a few books from her locker and hid behind its door. Her hair fell in soft curls over her shoulders and her cheeks were tinted a beautiful shade red.

"Hey, Alan," she said sweetly when I was standing behind her. I leaned against the locker next to her, trying to remain cool, though I was failing miserably from the inside.

"Hey, Eliza. What's up?" I replied whilst crossing my arms.

"Uh, nothing," she replied as she closed her locker. Turning to face me she shrugged her hair of her shoulders. "Well, it's not nothing. There is something, basically it's everything. And it's probably going to sound stupid and I don't know how you'll react and I'm scared," she blabbered on, making movements with her hands frantically.

"Eliza?" she kept on blabbering.

I grabbed a hold of her wrist as I simultaneously said, "Eliza." She snapped out of her blabbering trance and regarded me with wide eyes as a soft blush covered her cheeks.

"What is it that you want to say?" What the fuck is she going to say, I thought.

"Uh, well, I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out with -," she trailed of and finally looked me in the eye. Then she averted her gaze from me and shuffled on her feet, "You know what, never mind. I know this was a stupid thing to -." I interrupted her with a soft smile on my face, whilst on the inside I was pumping my fist in the air.

"I would," I glanced away as my cheeks warmed up, "I would love too," I drawled shyly and ran my fingers through my hand after I had let go of her wrists. My hands felt cold afterwards.

Her lips curled up in a relieved smile as her eyes twinkled in delight.

"Really?" she enquired.

"Yeah, that would be lovely," I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket. Her blush spread to her neck. "Cool, that would be very cool. Awesome," she stammered, and then she just grinned shyly like me. "Well, okay. I'll have to hurry home, but I'll talk to you tomorrow, Alan."

Before she left she quickly kissed me on my cheek, leaving me rooted on the spot, flabbergasted. Slowly, I started grinning as my right cheek tingled.

"Well, well, well, look at that," Declan yelled from beside me after he slung his arm over my shoulder, pulling me along towards the exit of the school.

"Someone got a date," he continued with a wiggle of his eyebrows. I shoved him away from me and continued walking.

"It's not a date. We're just going to hang out," I shrugged. It's a date. I have a date.

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes, pushing the door open. We stepped outside the school as a frigid breeze flew past us. At the parking lot Declan's dad waved.

After greeting his dad I was about to enter the car when Declan stopped me.

"Wait," he said and then turned to his dad, "Dad, can you take a picture of us?" I grinned and shook my head. A few locks of my hair fell in my eyes and I pushed it away with my hand.

Declan slung his arm over my shoulder as I nudged him on the side.

"Behave," he whispered like Mr. Cornelli, our principal, and I laughed out loud.

"Say cheese, guys." Declan's dad smiled behind his phone.

"Cheese," we said chronically and click the fifth picture was taken after a girl I had been crushing on since forever simply asked me to 'hang out' on October 21st 2010.