Because of You, Well, Us

Kate

My knee bobbed up and down with nerves. Every single nerve ending in my body stood on edge, despite the short flight. I could feel the people on either side of me get annoyed with my constant motion, but I didn't care. There only thing that mattered? How small my countdown to seeing Chase had gotten. I couldn't believe I had gone three months without seeing my best friend, and the guy with whom I'd fallen half in love, and probably loved for longer than I realized. Even though I could never seem brave enough to tell him, I knew that just being around him again would make me feel better.

Growing up, I had never really been your average girl. While most girls talked about the perfect nail polish or types of bras, I played soccer with the boys. They're what made the outcast with the popular girls at my school. I had guys in my life other than a dad or a brother. I considered meeting and befriending Chase as the best thing that ever happened to me, and then about eighth grade my hormones had to kick in and I started to have weird feelings for him. I don't think Chase will ever feel as much for me as I do him. With ice blue eyes, shaggy brown hair that framed them and an olive completion, I don't see why any girl wouldn't fall in love with him right away.

We got ready for landing, my least favorite part of flying. After I tightened my seatbelt as tight as it would go, I gripped the armrests, pretending it as Chase's hands. Despite how stupid it felt at times, I always imagined Chase with me wherever I felt scared, or nervous, or sick. In reality, Chase could be found right by my side in those moments, and I could never do anything about it.

I thought about what changes I made this summer. Casey and Garrett loved playing outside, and usually I would play with them, which gave me some natural highlights from the sun. Yesterday afternoon, laid out while Casey and Garrett played in the yard. I got pretty dark, for me at least. Over the summer I had gotten more serious about running, something I had picked up as a way to deal with my mom dying about a year before. It helped me grieve, and gave me pretty toned legs. I hoped Chase would notice and like it. Or me. I had watched him go through his first heartbreak last year when a girl turned him down for a date for the homecoming dance. Later, he found out that the only way the girl's father would have let her go was if she just went with her girlfriends. I'd never heard him talk about any other girls, but he had never talked about me either.

My stomach jolted every which way, but I couldn't tell if it was because of the landing, or out of nerves about seeing Chase. As much as I had missed my dad over the summer, the thought of having Chase come get me got me far more excited. Maybe I could reevaluate how I felt about him after spending a summer apart. Who knows, maybe he felt the same way, and he would seem brave enough to tell me.

After I got through security, I walked out through the terminal and saw Chase pacing in the arrivals area. He paced back and forth, wringing his hands together and through his hair, something I knew he did when he got nervous. He had cut his over the summer, Yet it still had the same curl to it, and the same jaw dropping effect. I could tell that he had worked out for the soccer season. Plus added an extra inch or two. Yeah, he had just gotten cuter.

"Chase!" I called.

He didn't see me at first, or didn't notice me. Either way, I ran full speed for him, ignoring the way my carry on bumped against my hip. Once I reached him, I threw it on the ground and wrapped my arms around him. Chase seemed surprised at first, but he still held me tight. He picked me up and swung me around, laughing. I heard people scoff and laugh at us, but I didn't care. Chase and I had reunited.