First Grade:
"Kita, come play with me on the swings!" Leah yells from the other side of the playground.
I start to run to her but before I can get there her big brother Mike steps into my path. I freeze, more then just a little intimidated. Me being a tiny first grader, I gawk at the third grader that has actually acknowledged my existence. I gulp, hoping it's not to kill me.
"You're friends with my baby sister, right? It's Nikita isn't it?" He asks.
I nod my head shyly, my brown eyes huge with little kid wonder.
"Well you better be nice to her. Or else." He warns, his light blue eyes narrowing with concentration.
I nod again, looking to Leah and hoping she'll come and save me.
"Promise me you won't be mean to her!" Mike demands, his voice firm but not exactly mean.
His intensity breaks as a few locks of his light brown hair falls into into his eyes and he shoves them away.
"I promise." I say in a tiny voice.
He smiles brightly, the action lighting up his whole face.
"Okay, then I'll see you around." He says and waves.
I wave back, dazed. I watch him for a few more seconds, unable to tear my eyes away from him. I watch as he joins his friends on the bright green and yellow slide with his fellow third graders.
I stare at him in wonder until he looks back and catches my gaze. Unable to pinpoint exactly why, I blush a deep scarlette. I shake my head and run over to Leah.
"What'd he want? Was he being mean to you?" She demands, glaring daggers at her brother.
"It was nothing." I answer evasively.
She studies my face for a few seconds longer then grabs my hand and pulls me to the two swings she'd been saving for us.
The warm breeze ruffles my baby fine, brown hair a bit. I push it behind my ears, looking down at my new Dora The Explorer sneakers. When I look up, Mike's watching me from the other side of the playground. I smile and wave then turn back to Leah who's introducing me to her cousin, Lisa.
Fourth Grade:
"OhmyGawd Leah, your brother is so hott!" I exclaim, watching him and Jake play football in their backyard.
He catches the ball and passes it to another of his friends, pushing a piece of his sweaty hair out of his eyes. I stare at him adoringly and pray he doesn't decide to look up anytime soon.
"That's what everyone says." Leah sighs.
To anyone else this would have just sounded weary but a pro like me can tell she's annoyed.
"Sorry, I'll forget him. I swear." I hold out my pinky reassuringly.
She laughs and waves my promise off with a, "I just think you can do better."
"Kid's, dinner!" Her dad yells up the stairs while her mom leans out the front door and lets Mike know.
We run down the steps and into the kitchen as the other boys are leaving for their own homes and Jake and Mike are coming in the back door. They deposit their muddy sneakers on the matt and take a seat at the already set table.
Leah groans and walks up to Mike, thumping him on the side of the head.
"That's my seat Pea Brain." She says.
Mike mimicks her in a high pitched, squeaky voice that sounds absolutely nothing like her. I giggle anyways. He smiles at me and make's a face at his sister. I giggle again. He looks at Jake and they whisper something. I blush and look away.
"Mo-om!" Leah whines.
Mike mimicks her again in the same high pitched voice as before, sneaking a glance at me.
I try not to laugh or even smile, going for a stern look since I know I'm only encouraging this but my face screws up and laughter bubbles out. Leah looks at me, irritation evident on her face. I clamp a hand over my mouth and vow to myself to try harder.
They argue back and forth, making things so loud I can't even hear my own thoughts.
"Just because you like Nikita, doesn't mean you have to show off!" Leah finally screeches, then realizes the whole room had been quiet enough for people in Tanzania to hear her.
Mike's face reddens and he becomes very interested in his pasta.
"I'm not going to let you both have friends over if it's just going to cause a problem every time." Their mother warns.
I smile shyly at Mike and whisper to Leah, "Can't we just sit over here?"
"Would you like me to start picking out wedding rings a while, too?" She whispers back with a sly smile.
I blush even redder.
"Daddy, make them move!" She whines to her father.
She looks up at him, her baby blue eyes widening in the "Daddy, please?" look that gets her everything she wants.
"Don't do it Dad." Mike warns.
Their father's eyes dart back and forth between them.
"Dad, stay strong."
"Daddy!"
"Dad, don't do it."
His gaze lingers on Leah's face and we all know he's going to give. Mike groans and moves his plate to the other side of the table.
"Brat." He whispers as he passes Leah.
I smile at him and sit where he had been sitting. He smiles back then whispers something to Jake again. I feel my face going hot again.
"Pass the salt please?" Leah asks, breaking the tension,
And so the meal begins.
Sixth Grade:
"Oh God, I'm going to throw up. This place is so big and I'm so lost!" I think to myself.
I nervously pace down the increasingly empty hallway. I pull my maroon and whit schedule out again and check the room number for the billionth time. I curse myself inwardly for not coming to orientation last week.
I fold the crumpled piece of paper back up and shove it into my purse. I look up just in time to see myself walking straight into an older boy.
"God, I'm so sorry!" I blurt, looking up to find an extremely hott guy looking back.
"No problem." He smiles. "Sixth grader, aren't you?"
I smile and nod shyly.
"Why don't you just skip and come hand with me and my friends instead." He grins leeringly.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I pull my under shirt up just a little farther.
"No thank you." I smile politely. "Can you just show me where room 207 is? It's my first day and I really shouldn't miss any classes."
"No one will miss you, they're just handing out first day packets and you can get them tomorrow." He urges.
I force my smile to stay in place, losing my patience.
"I'd really rather be there."
The boy grabs my arm menacingly. I grit my teeth and rip it from his grasp.
"I'll just find it myself." I snap and walk down the hall angrily.
He catches up with me quickly, letting out a low whistle.
"Your rear shakes nicely when your mad, you know?" He puts his arm around my shoulders and starts pushing me towards a group of boys by the staircase.
"Let me go or I'll scream and all the teachers will come out here. What do you think will happen then?" I look into his eyes, fear gripping my stomach.
"I think your life will become a living Hell."
I bite my tongue against the snarky comment I would have spit. If playing nice and being tough didn't, I still have one trick up my sleeve.
I take a calming breath, knowing how embarrassing this is going to be.
I cower back from the boys he's stopped me in front of.
"Please, I'm scared." I whisper, my voice quavering.
I tremble against his side and my eyes glisten with fake tears. A few boys laugh. I swallow my pride and try again.
"I swear, I'll hang with you later. Please just take me to class." I beg, feeling disgusted.
"Sorry sweets but that can't happen." He looks down at me, his eyes cold and hard.
I sniffel loudly, hoping to break one of them down.
"I'll do anything you ask, just let me go." I whimper.
God, I deserve a Grammy for best actress. Here I am, a girl who's taken self defense classes since the age of seven, and I'm cowering. If I can just get out of his grip...
I pull away, twisting my arm the way the instructor had showed us but at the last minute his nails dig into my skin painfully. Blood slowly trickles from where his nail bit into me. I bite down on my lower lip to keep from cursing.
"Mark, just let the poor thing go. Can't you tell she's terrified" I hear Mike, my best friend Leah's brother, yell.
I twist out of Mark's grip and kick his legs out from under me. In an instant all of the guys swarm, pushing me against an old, beat up locker.
I turn, my ego put aside, and beg Mike with my eyes to save me. He doesn't notice me, his eyes locked with Mark.
He walks up to the guys surrounding me and push them away one at a time, trying to figure out who I am. I'm tempted to yell to him but squasg that idea. I've been humiliated enough for one day.
"Come one and save me already. As if this isn't embarrassing enough, you want to take your good old time about it too? Your hott but you've got to work on your rescuing skills." I mutter under my breath.
The guy closest to me snickers.
"Awh, you know we're just having some fun. She's just a sixth grader anyways, nothing special. Though this one is particularly feisty and hott." Mark laughs innocently.
I look at Mike, standing a few feet away from us now. There's an intensity in his eyes I've only ever seen a few times. My breath catches. He looks so dangerous. So sexy.
"I don't care who she-" He shoves a guy out of the way, finally noticing who I am. "Nikita?"
I smile sheepishly and nod. I try to think of a way to escape but thoughts of Mike always make my brain fuzzy.
"Yo, you gotta let her go. She's like my sister. Let her go!" He demands.
The boys instantly release their hold on me. They all disperse, going in different directions as fast as they can. I look around, finding myself alone with Mike.
My heart begins to pound against my rib cage and my breath decides to come faster. Great, I'm planning my perfect escape one minute and the next my knees are going weak for a boy. A boy who's practically my brother no less. I'm becoming so pathetic.
"He's not just any boy, he's Mike. He's been your crush since the first grade!" My subconcious whispers.
"No, I've been over him for a long time!" The more rational part of my brain hisses.
I grimace and try to stop the sudden babbling in my mind.
"Thank you." I smile and look at my schedule again. "I'm guessing there's not much use in going to class now, is there?"
I pull my phone out and check the time. I'm about twenty minutes late and classes are only fourty five minutes long. I scowl. Stupid, idiots making me late to class...
"I'm sure you'll be fine, just tell the teacher you had a little, uh, run-in with Mark Levoux and they should let you in and catch you up." Mike interupts my internal babbling.
"Um, one more thing." I smile shyly. "Do you think you can show me to room 207? I'm so lost right now."
He grind broadly and leads me to the stairway.
"Sure, it's upstairs."
Great, so I wasn't even on the right floor. I'm so freaking lame. He puts his arm around me the way he always does, making my heart flutter painfully. We walk down until we find a classroom half hidden by many bookshelves.
"Thanks." I say as he removes his arms.
"What, you favorite brother doesn't get a hug?" He pretends to pout.
I giggle and give him a hug before turning back to the door. Through the window, I can see most of the students are staring at me, the lucky sixth grader who actually knows an eighth grader.
"Oh, one more thing." Mike's voice stops me. "If you have any more trouble, just casually mention my name. I know you're not big on the whole protection thing but it should stop them in their tracks. If not, come and let me know. I'll take care of it."
I swallow, my throat dry with nervousness.
"Thanks." I finally choke out and reach for the door.
"Allow me."
He opens the door and holds it for me while I walk into the class full of gawking kids.
"You know Mike?" One finally stammers after a moment of akward silence.
"Yeah, he's like a brother." I smile.
And like that, all the girls swarm. I laugh, embarrassed. They ask question, after question. How did we meet, have I ever been to his house, what's his favorite food?
The teacher clears his throat. I smile apologetically and the rest of the girls go back to their seats.
"Sorry, I'll just take my seat now-" I go to sit down. "As soon as I figure out where it is.
He points to the back of the room. With flaming cheeks, I walk back and try to focus on the pointless stuff he's saying.
Gender:
Points: 1040
Reviews: 47