In ten minutes, Travis is supposed to be here, and I’m nervously rehearsing what I’m going to say over and over again. I have so many versions of what happened last night. “I forgot my cell phone at home and went out for a bit. I lost track of time.” “I fell asleep and my aunt thought I wasn’t home. You know how it is.” “I was doing a project with a classmate and forgot to cancel on you.” And a dozen other excuses. I don’t know which will sound the most believable and require the least explanation. I’m not good at lying, I get nervous instantly and stutter a lot. That’s what I used to do when trying to deceive my father about why his money was missing.
Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I began watching as members of the team and cheerleaders – my cousin one of them – left the gym for the sports field. All of them ready to practice. The girls laughing and walking, capturing the gaze of all the boys, while one of them had his eyes fixed solely on the bleachers, solely on me.
“Hi,” Travis greets, approaching me slowly.
“I’m sorry, I really am,” I blurt out before he can continue. “I forgot about the date, honestly, I swear I didn’t mean to stand you up.”
He looks at me amused and lifts the corner of his mouth in a very sexy way. With his team uniform and in the sunlight, he looks even more handsome than usual. I like his lips, they’re almost a feminine shade of pink, nothing like mine. His skin is perfect even with the sun rays on his face.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t matter, I was a bit upset yesterday,” he takes my hand, “I can’t be anymore.”
Seconds after he touches me, something feels wrong. By allowing him to approach, I seem like one of those silly girls who fall for the team captain in a second, and to top it all off, he’s the most handsome player of all. I wasn’t going to fall for it, so I pulled his hand away and immediately backed away.
“Listen Travis, I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but I think I’m not what you’re looking for.”
He comes closer to me again, confused by my rejection.
“Why are you always running away? Don’t you like me?”
A column of the bleachers stops me and he corners me.
It reminded me of when Donovan cornered me in the alley, but it didn’t feel the same. This situation only makes me uncomfortable.
“Seriously, am I thinking about him in times like these? Donovan, get out of my mind.”
“I’m not interested,” I say, trying not to look into his eyes. Can’t he take no for an answer?
“But you don’t know me,” he says again, a little closer to my face.
He wanted to kiss me.
I moved my face just a second before his lips would have crashed into mine.
He only gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek.
I wasn’t going to let him kiss me.
I pushed him away. “Don’t you get that I’m not interested?! Damn it!”
I practically stormed out towards the school exit. If I hadn’t turned my head, he would have kissed me without my consent, what did he think? That I would be happy?
“Celina!” Travis yells, trying to make me come back.
“You’re an idiot!” I yelled back, showing him the middle finger, and ran in case he wanted to follow me.
“Don’t run,” Travis grabs my arm. He’s quick. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m in unknown territory. I don’t know what to do. I like you Celina, and I want to go out with you, but it’s so frustrating that you won’t give me a chance.”
“You have thousands of girls after you, go for them, not me,” I said, wishing I could add, “I’m broken,” but I didn’t, I wouldn’t explain it to him.
“You’re different, you don’t need to badmouth anyone, you’re not arrogant, you don’t like drawing attention. I like that. I like you. I just want one date and if after that you don’t want to see me again, I’ll understand,” Travis smiles and kneels. I widen my eyes and beg him to get up, but he just laughs more. “Give this poor boy the opportunity of a beautiful night with this beautiful girl who is a bit stubborn, but nonetheless managed to conquer this big heart in a short time…”
“I don’t want to Travis! Can you please get up? You’re drawing attention.”
Many students were watching us. He knows I don’t like to draw attention and that’s the first thing he does. He did it on purpose.
“Are you going to reject me in front of everyone?” His tone of indignation makes me laugh.
“I’ve been hoping since I got here that you would understand that I’m not interested,” I emphasized, tired. I turned to go to the bus stop when he grabbed my arm again.
He was going to earn a slap any moment now. “Let go of me,” I muttered, feeling my whole body tense. God, there are so many people around us.
My idea since I got here is to go unnoticed. The world is obviously against me.
“Listen to me…” he grunts. He’s as embarrassed as I am about this. The difference is that his “heartbreaker” reputation is at stake, for me, it’s just the emotional instability this whole situation will cause for the rest of my school year.
I turned a bit to see my cousin laughing at me with her friends. That was the last straw.
“I want to go!” I yelled without looking at him.
I was hyperventilating.
I need all these people to go away.
I need to be alone.
I need my mom.
“She told you to let her go,” demanded a voice behind us. Instantly, Travis’s hand was replaced by Donovan’s back. “Or would you prefer to be short an arm?”