You Were There the Whole Time

Chapter 2

Oh my gosh Joel asked me out?!!! I can't believe he asked me out!! And he felt the same way I have since 8th grade?! How did I not notice in the course of 5 years?!! What is wrong with me?!!

Thoughts swirled around in Skyla's head as she made her way to her locker to grab her books for her next class. She was so lost in thought that she hasn't even noticed when Chris followed her out of the cafeteria doors. Knowing her so well he knew she would be mentally freaking out and wanted to make sure she didnt forget that she still had classes the rest of the day.

Chris stepped up beside her as she opened her locker. Seeing a look of something like panic on her face he asked, "Hey Sky, you ok? You look a little freaked out."

His voice jolted her out of her head and made her jump, "Oh Chris I didn't even see you there." She absentmindedly brushes her hair out of her face. "Yeah I think I'm ok. That was just so unexpected." She laughs nervously.

Chris smiles at her, "Yeah I'm sure it was. But I'm so happy for you. You finally got your man." He winks at her and she shakes her head at him.

"Stop it Chris we haven't even went on our first date yet. I don't know how you could even be saying that I have him when we just now started talking today after he asked me out and grabbed my hand and..."

Chris interrupted her rambling on by grabbing her hands in his. "Woah woah woah calm down, it was just a joke Sky. I know you guys haven't even went on a first date but I'm pretty sure it's meant to be. I mean you've prayed about this for so long. God has finally brought the right guy and placed him right in front of you."

Sky looked down at their hands and takes a deep breath. "You're right Chris. I just need to trust God with this. He'll guide me. I know he won't let me fall. Thanks Chris." She smiles up at him.

Chris wraps her in a big hug, "You're welcome, Skyla. I'm always here for you."

Just then the bells rings signalling the start of class. "Ah man we better go. Do you think you can pay attention in class?" He winks at her.

She pushes him away laughing, "Of course I can. I'm not one of those girls who gets all flustered over one guy and can't remember her own name."

Chris raises his eyebrows and laughs remembered her and her inability to speak words to Joel in the cafeteria. "Right." He says chuckling.

She rolls her eyes at him and starts walking down the hall. "I'll see you in study hall, Chris. Don't get into any trouble in Mrs. Ginfry's class!"

Chris who started walking the opposite direction turns back to her, "Oh you know I will. That old lady hates my guts." Skyla laughs and shakes her head.

Chris watches her walk into her classroom and heads to his. Mrs. Ginfry is going to love the fact that he is late to class...Chris sighs dreading the moment he has to step through the door.

Mrs. Ginfry has already started talking to the senior class about some trigonometry terms that Chris could really care less about when he stepped in the door. He shut the door quietly behind him thinking that Mrs. Ginfry hadn't noticed him but she had.

"Christopher Montgomery tardiness in my class in unacceptable." She glares at him with eyes like piercing daggers.

"Yes ma'am." He sighs with his head down.

The rest of the class calls out "Oooh Chris late again..." but they are suddenly silent when the daggers are turned toward them. "Would the rest of you like to stay with me after class?" Mrs. Ginfry asked them.

"No ma'am." They all chorused as Chris made his way to a seat in the back row of the class.

"Now let us continue." Mrs. Ginfry walked to the white board and began to draw on the board.

Chris zoned out and stared out the window wishing for Sky to be sitting next to him. He hated trig so much and she knew it. She would do everything she could to make this class better for him. The thought of her making faces at him made him smile. She really was his best friend and he didn't know what he would do without her. They'd been best friends since the first time he saw her on the playground in second grade. She was sitting by herself reading a book. He'd walked over to ask her why she was all alone and she had told him she didn't have any friends. Right then he had offered to be her friend and they had been friends; best friends ever since.

*****

Skyla stepped into class quietly. Mr. Johnson was writing out a sentence diagram on the board when she slipped into her seat with a sigh of relief. He hadn't noticed her.

Someone in the row two seats down from her had noticed her though and he smiled at her. Oh dear Lord how I could I forget that Joel had this class too?!! She smiled back at him and absentmindedly shuffled papers on her desk trying to act as though his smile didn't send millions of butterflies to flight inside of her. Just then her mind went to the first time she really noticed Joel.

It was 8th grade year and he was the new guy so of course everyone knew who he was. He had quickly become the most popular guy in school being as he was rich and all.

They were all in the cafeteria when she saw him watching a group of older guys bullying a younger kid. They had dumped the younger kids food out on the table and called him names. She watched Joel's compassion for the younger boy. He walked up to the young boy and began helping him clean up his lunch from the table after the older guys had walked away. She knew she loved him the moment she watched him give the kid money to buy whatever be wanted for lunch since his had been spilled. He had even made the effort to sit with that kid and make sure he was alright after everything that had happened.

To Skyla she had never seen someone act to selflessly, especially someone who was rich and popular. Her crush only grew from that moment as she had watched him over the years have compassion on several other students who all just needed a friend. And when she found out he and his family were giving houses that they had built to the homeless she was pretty sure she had fallen completely in love with the person who was Joel Wilson.

Skyla glanced over at Joel who sat watching Mr. Johnson explain the sentence diagram he had just written. She smiled at him thinking about their date. He had asked her to go to the movies with him tonight. "I hope that's not too short of notice for you. I just can't wait to see what God has planned for us." He had said to her at the table in the cafeteria. Of course she was ecstatic but she had plans with Chris tonight. Chris being the awesome friend he was immediately told her to go on the date and that they could do what they had planned to do later.

She smiled at the thought of her best friend being totally supportive of her and Joel. She had prayed for that too, knowing that she would want her best friend by her side supporting her through everything.

Thank you Lord for a friend like Chris and for this opportunity for a date with  Joel. I put it in your hands and ask for your protection and guidance. May you be glorified. She silently prayed. She just knew in her heart that God had something amazing planned.