Maybe This Is Love, |✔️

Chapter 6

"So, as I was saying..." Kimberly rolls her eyes as she re-applies her lip gloss for the twentieth time with her ridiculously small compact mirror. We were standing in the middle of the common room where all the sixth formers hung out between classes. "The party went really well, I didn't even throw up in the pool this time." She made smacking sounds with her mouth to ensure that her thin lips were fully coated with the gloss. She was a clever girl just like her sister but felt the need to mask this and make being a dumb, party girl her whole personality. The shy and clever 14-year-old Kimberly I remember from Chem Club would cringe at the sight of her now.

I'm not even sure how I got myself into this conversation.
I definitely didn't ask her about the party and I couldn't care less about what went on at hers last weekend. All I said was 'You're stepping on my trainers, Kim.' and she took this as an opportunity to fill me in on the 'latest gossip' from her party.

If there's one thing I hate, it's gossiping. Why do people feel the need to discuss others as a form of entertainment? Now, useless information such as "Sander kissed Cassie" and "Brett's little sister hooked up with a year 12." was clogging up my brain instead of the important stuff like why the cold war happened which I actually needed to know for a test I'm having in an hour. Crap.

Still, I try and be polite as I always am. "It sounds like it was great, Kim." I put on my signature smile which earns a blush from her. I always wondered if she had a thing for me but I guess I'd never want to know now I've got Harley. "What a shame I couldn't make it."

"Yeah, it really is a shame, isn't it? Hey, there's a rumour going around that you were spending your Saturday with a certain someone." She states, blowing a bubble with her gum. "What was her name again? Hermione something ?" She puts her perfectly manicured fingernails on her chin as if she was thinking really hard.

"Harley-Blair." Hermione something? "I don't have time for this, I've got to go." I salute her and head out through the fire exit door at the back of the room, hoping she doesn't follow me.

"Wait! You didn't tell me if it was true or not!" She shouts after me, waving her arm in the air like a lunatic.

I decide to go by to the back of the school where the bins are, hoping to see Harley again.

She isn't there.

I'm not disappointed. Okay, I am. But I don't know what I expected. I haven't seen her since we hung out.

It was great. I miss her already. She didn't even flinch when she met Rose. She admired my art and better yet she liked my snacks.

It's crazy and cliché at the same time. I never thought I'd be in this position again. Yeah, sure I've been in relationships and all of that but I haven't had a crush like this before.

After a few minutes of hiding behind the vending machine, I make my way back to my locker, praying that Kimberly wouldn't pop out from anywhere again.

When I finally open my locker door, a small pink note falls to the ground. I make my way to pick it up but another hand beats me to it.

"What's this? Valentine's Day is months away," Zacchias unfolds it carefully and reads it, I don't even try and stop him; I've never been one to hide anything from him and I'm not going to start now.

"Dude!" He smirks, and his crazy blue eyes light up with mischief. "Is this from that Harley-Blair girl?" At least he got her name right.

I roll my eyes and quickly snatch the paper away from him and read it myself. My heart skipped a beat when I see my name in her handwriting.

Sure, it's written on the back of a napkin and the writing is rushed and messy but to me, it's perfect simply because she wrote it.

The only thing it says is "Parker- bins after school?" and one small X.