1

I noticed her my sophomore year. I noticed her because she came in during the new school year when we started trimester 2. The school was small and everyone knew each other, but when I saw her during lunch I didn't recognize her, but I was too nervous to talk to her that year.

I would watch her or look for her whenever I heard her voice, but I never had the guts to talk to her. She always looked passionate whenever she did something. I would catch her reading or telling stories to little kids in the lower school. She would help people, no matter what grade they were in, hell she played with the girls when she found out when they were down a player and the girls immediately loved her as a teammate, because of how great of a defender she was.

Soon enough my junior year rolled around. I was with my friends walking in the hallway passing our 'favorite' (I use this term loosely) history teachers classroom and I saw her. She looked so bored and I couldn't stand the look on her face because she was always passionate and full of energy, even in the worst classes. I couldn't just leave her like that so I convinced my friends to burst into the classroom to say hello to our 'favorite' (again using this loosely) teacher.

When we busted in for the first time, I scanned your face first and saw that your face had brightened up with wide eyes as you looked at us in confusion, and then you were laughing, so to continuously see that brightened face in class, I would bust in every day, sometimes more than once. We would get pushed/dragged out and eventually yeah, I got in trouble from that point on, but honestly I didn't mind because I accomplished what I wanted so I would always flash a smile at the end to show that it would be ok.

I was able to talk to her when my female friends brought her around me often. Through these interactions I found myself liking her more. She was extraordinary, shy, funny, talented, compassionate, and creative. She was the mother hen, but I loved it. Sometimes she tries to hide her feelings when she was upset, but I could always see right through her and I would do everything in my power to make her laugh or smile and didn't stop, I had to do this with the other girls so they wouldn't suspect a thing.

Senior year was when we talked the most. We both played soccer and would often have to walk to practice after school together along with our other friends, but I would only listened to her. During practice I would notice that you would look at me even though you thought I wasn't looking and it made me wanna always do my absolute best (and then some) during practice.

The more we talked the more I began to realize that she was different. That was something I knew but yet it still surprised me. Her words were always packing a punch, there was something mysterious in her words, but that just compelled me to listen further, sometimes I couldn't even catch up so I would stutter and stumble over my words frequently, but she was always patient and had a gentle look in her eyes.

In February she went to a conference and I was in the area so I figured I would visit everyone, they brushed me off and I sat in the lobby, then she came down to sneak me into her hotel room, I couldn't stop laughing as the to of snuck into the room but I caused such a commotion that the chaperone watching her and the others came out of their room. She had to kick me out, but she was dying as she did so. She called me after as I walked home we joked about how the next time I was going to sneak into the hotel differently.

We talked a lot and spent a lot of time with each other, but all good things have to come to an end. This, however, was my senior year, this was my last year seeing her, I wouldn't get to see her every day anymore, it saddened me I was trying to take in every moment we had together.

Our last soccer match came. The girl's team lost, but we won. There were so much cheering and excitement, but I only scanned the crowd for her and that's when I knew I fell in love with her.

I came to realize that confessing my love for her was difficult. I would get too nervous and scared to tell her so to get more comfortable I would just constantly flirt with her she would return the flirting, sometimes it seemed to go over her head, so it confused me.

Then graduation came around, I walked across that stage, with my head lifted up high, and my shoulders squared I scanned the crowd and saw her with her mouth covered, but her eyes were glistening and soft.

We still talk through text and we hung out during the summer before I had to move on campus. As I unpacked and set up my room was when I realized I didn't want to be without her and that I had to tell her how I felt before anyone else could. She's a beautiful and caring person, you would have to be a total moron to not see that. *Cough: Tristen, Trent, Mark, Sparrow: Cough*.

She makes me feel so many things, things that surprise me do a double-take, but that's exactly why I love her. I love the way she walks, talks, and speaks. I love the sound of her voice, her laughter, the way her eyes hold a certain shine in them, her shy smile, and how I always feel like there are fireworks always going off in my stomach whenever we talk. I love her I truly do.

I made it crystal clear to myself that I would confess this year, I don't know when and I sure as hell don't know how, but I'll figure it out and I'm going to tell Kalina Eden how much I love her.

~~~~~~~~~~

I hadn't seen Kal since the summer and I wanted to visit her and the others, mostly her though. I missed her. Since the beginning of the school year, she's been telling me how much she misses me and how she misses me bursting into class so I decided that I might as well visit today.

So I did. It was afternoon when I reached, close to the end of the school day so like four o'clock. I enter the building seeing Cat and D walking around in the hallways.

"Damn I thought when y'all were seniors you would stop skipping class." I said walking closer to them. The surprise and happiness that crossed their faces made me laugh.

"First of all, we're on break and then we were about to head to class. " D said rolling her eyes.

"Sure you were." I sarcastically say and D punched my arm, "Ouch, where's Mother Hen?"

"Kal? I don't know she went into the caf but she's not in there now. She'll come to class though."

"She's in the bathroom." the three of us jump in our skin.

"Why can't you be normal and give a greeting before coming over?" Cat asked Yas.

"Hi." Yas said smiling.

"Too late now." D mumbled. 'I missed this.' I thought smiling as Yas left.

"Darren, can you save us from Chemistry? Please! He's killing us." D begged.

"Even Kal is dying in class." Cat said making me narrow my eyes at her, "Its the truth I promise!"

You see Cat is one of the two people who know about my affections toward Kalina, her now-boyfriend Shawn knew before Cat for the simple reason that Shawn was going through something similar with Cat and I related which led me to tell him. Cat is close to Kal and I trust her, not saying I don't trust D, but Cat's gone through shit like this and personally I need all the help I can get. Cat is very supportive of me confessing to Kalina, but that doesn't stop her from teasing me whenever she finds the opportunity to do so.

'Cat better be telling the truth.' I thought sighing before looking at both of them, " I did come to visit y'all, so I could help you guys." I say and they bounce in excitement Cat and D dragged me into the familiar Chemistry classroom.

Upon entering the room I looked around for Kal and when I didn't see her I narrowed my eyes at Cat as D walked to her seat.

"Calm down Romeo, Juliet is coming," Cat said walking to her seat as I walked over to the science teacher smiling as I greeted him still looking at the door to the classroom.