Chapter 6
6
Brennon
M y heart feels like a bass drum, pounding loud and hard as I wait for the bell to ring. Why the fuck am I so nervous? That’s never been the case before. But this girl… She’s been giving me the brush-off for almost a week now. We used to play online every night, but she’s barely been on lately. Every day it’s a new excuse. She has a test to study for. She’s having dinner with her cousin. She’s working on a group project for school.
Today, she’s apparently staying after school to help the librarian, which is why I’m here. I’m going to see if she’s telling me the truth or not. And I’m going to find out once and for all why she’s dodging me.
The final bell rings and students start pouring out the front doors of the building. I quickly hop out of my truck, stalking across the lot to the first girl I see. “Hey! Could you point me in the direction of the library?”
She practically blushes as she tucks her hair behind her ear, looking toward the doors. “Just go inside and you’ll see it straight down the hall on the right.”
“Thanks. Hey! Any chance you know a girl named Willow?”
She shakes her head, but she looks like she might be a freshman or a sophomore, and with a school this size, I doubt she knows everyone.
“All right, thanks for your help.”
I head into the building, passing all the kids who are rushing out to get home, while I’m rushing in to find the girl who’s become my obsession. The closer I get to the library, the more nervous I become. I loosen my collar, feeling like I’m overheating. I’m second-guessing my outfit now, hoping I didn’t overdo it with my button-down and jeans. I wanted to impress her, but now I’m wondering if I should’ve gone more grunge. Being a gamer, she might be into guys who dress more Emo. Maybe I should’ve gone with a black sweatshirt and a beanie. Fuck. I’m worried I’m going to screw everything up.
Maybe I should ask around first and find out more about her before I go inside. I only get one chance to make a good first impression and I don’t want to fuck it up.
I snag another girl’s attention. “Excuse me, any chance you know a girl named Willow?” I wish I had a last name to give her, but my Kanturian princess has been evading me every step of the way. No picture. No name. No phone number. I’m just thankful she shared which school she went to before she found out I was a guy, because she probably would’ve bogarted that fact too.
“The Sputtering Carburetor?” the girl asks, looking confused. It’s like she doesn’t understand my question. And I certainly don’t understand her response.
“Willow?” I ask again. “She’s a senior. Do you know anyone by that name?”
“There’s only one Willow that I know of. Her name is Willow Carber. How come you’re looking for her?”
Carber… Carburetor… Is that some kind of nickname? It sounds like my girl had car troubles and now people don’t want to let her live it down.
“I’m supposed to pick up something from her,” I lie. “But the person who sent me forgot to give me her last name. Do you happen to know where I can find her?” I know where Willow told me she was going to be, but that doesn’t mean that’s the case.
She’s shaking her head. “I have no clue where that girl is. But you may want to try the sped hall. It’s that way.” She points down the left hallway. “Room 105.”
I’m going to check the library first, but if I don’t find Willow there, I’ll try that room.
“Thanks.”
I opt not to ask any further questions. I’m not getting the vibe this girl has anything nice to say about anyone, so I don’t need to know what she has to say about my girl. I walk past her, ignoring the fact that she was checking me out. That’s never going to happen. Snooty is not my type.
I enter the library, surprised to find it so packed. At my school, the library is like a graveyard at the end of the day. But here it seems like the place to be. No wonder the librarian needs help. I scan the room, looking for the one who told me she’d be putting books away. When I spot a girl pushing a cart down an aisle, the air rushes from my lungs. She takes a book from the cart, scans the shelf, then places it where it belongs. Please tell me that’s her. God, please let that be my girl.
I turn to the girl sitting at the table closest to me. “Is that Willow Carber?” I whisper, not for the sake of trying to be quiet in the library, but I’m struggling to speak.
“Yes.” The girl nods, and I feel like I may need to take the seat next to her.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the girl I’m looking at doesn’t even come close to what I’d envisioned. I thought Willow would be on the nerdier side. Dressed in dark, baggy clothes, brown hair that was a little stringy because she spends so much time in front of her computer screen gaming and doesn’t have time to wash it. I was picturing the typical male gamer but in female form. But that is definitely not the case.
Her hair isn’t stringy at all. It’s long and silky and runs halfway down her back. And it’s red. My favorite color. The Irish look has always been my type. Fair skin. Bronze freckles. Green eyes. Although, her eyes may be blue. It’s hard to tell from this light, but from here they look like sea glass. Crystal clear. Absolutely gorgeous. Everything about her is gorgeous. Even her white T-shirt and jeans are sexy. Simple. Understated. Exactly like the girl I’ve come to know.
Willow turns back toward her cart, pushing it down the aisle to the end, and I’m caught in a trance, admiring her backside like it’s a Dickens novel. A work of beauty. Round. Plump. Meaty enough for me to sink my fingers into. Accentuated by the curve of her hips. The way her waist tapers in—just like an hourglass. She’s definitely petite. A perfect little package that I could pick up and carry right out of here.
She stops again, picking up another book, looking at the number on the side and then scans the shelf to find its home. She tucks it between two books and then turns in my direction. I do an about-face, not wanting her to see me. I’m not ready to reveal myself yet. I wasn’t prepared for her . I don’t even know what I’m going to say now. All the words just got erased by her beauty.
“Does she have a boyfriend?” I ask the girl sitting at the table who’s now curiously watching me.
“Who? The Carburetor?” She looks back toward Willow. “Please tell me you’re not interested in her. That girl is weird.” And the girl before me is a bitch. I’m not just interested in Willow, I’m falling for her.
“How so?” I ask, curious as to what it is exactly that she thinks is weird about my girl, because the girl I’ve come to know is one of the coolest chicks I’ve ever met.
“Just go talk to her and you’ll see for yourself.”
I have been talking to her. Every day for almost a month. We’ve talked about everything. Willow gets me and my stupid sense of humor. I’ve never been more in tune with anyone. But the girl staring up at me with her Botox’d lips and fake eyelashes probably doesn’t understand the world of Kanturia or football player stats. Or how to hold a conversation without judgement running through her head. She’s probably too wrapped up in fashion trends and girl drama to see that Willow is a badass. What she thinks is weird, I think is amazing.
I look back towards the beautiful girl. She’s pushing the cart back into the librarian’s office, and that’s my cue to go. I need to take off before I’m spotted. I don’t want to shoot my shot and miss my chance with her. I need time to prepare. If I go up to her now, nothing but gibberish is going to come from my mouth. I’m completely struck, and I’m not willing to risk losing my chance with the one girl who looks like she walked straight out of my dreams.