3 MONTHS LATER
"H-Hey, Catherine."
"Y-Yes?"
"I...I love you."
It was the beginning of May. A hot and humid morning. I always hated summer. I preferred running in colder weather. You sweat too much in the summer, you get tired too easily, and sunburns are quite frequent.
But none of those factors contributed to the burning inferno that I felt all over my entire body. It felt even hotter in my chest.
I've been going out with Catherine for three months, but it felt like years have passed. Maybe it's because of school? Either way, I hope it continues to feel like this.
Spending a day with her when it feels like it's been weeks; it's like having extra years dedicated to her. I wonder if she feels the same?
Suddenly, she nodded her head. Her face looked like it completely morphed into a tomato.
"I...feel the same way," she said. "I...I love you too, Jaden."
The joy that suddenly surged throughout my body overwhelmed me. I smiled as tears rolled down my eyes.
"Even though it's only been three months, I felt like I've..."
"...known you my entire life."
I finished the sentence for her.
"That's how I feel as well." I said.
Ever since Catherine became my girlfriend, I started following her advice and cleaned myself up a little. I fooled around with my hair until it looked a little more decent. I started looking at some fashion trends to see if there was something that I could try.
I've even started popping mints in my mouth every now and then. And I'm really glad that I popped one after I had breakfast, because, before I knew it, Catherine's lips met mine before I could even question why she was getting closer to me.
Her lips felt much softer than I ever though they would. Soft...and really sweet.
...Cherries?
As if to say we had enough for now, we both, instinctively, pulled away from each other. My eyes couldn't look away from her, even if I tried. The blush on her face just made everything else that was already beautiful look heavenly. I almost couldn't believe that this goddess was my real girlfriend.
I felt myself leaning in for another kiss, when suddenly-
*SPLAT*
I felt something his my face.next thing I knew, there was water all over me from the shoulders up. Next, came laughter.
"HAHAHA!!! Nice toss Dre!"
"That's why I'm the quarterback."
The guy, Dre and the girl, Cherry, next to him were laughing their asses of as if they has just seen the funniest thing ever.
"You ok Jaden?" Catherine asked, grabbing my hand.
"I'm fine," I responded casually. "It's just a water balloon."
"Seriously guys, that wasn't funny!" Catherine shouted at them.
"Hey! It is summer after all! You gonna have to cool off someway or another!" Dre shouted to me from the other side of the street.
"Shouldn't you be at school," I asked. "Finals are today you know."
"Those of us with the good grades are allowed to exempt them. Then again, you wouldn't know what that means since you been sleeping a lot in all of your classes."
He does have a point. Lately, I've been a little too relaxed in school.
"Anyways, I'll see you guys later," Dre said as he grabbed the girls hand. "Need to start my summer off with a bang. Let's go Cherry!"
The girl named Cherry happily ran along with Dre as they ran off into the distance.
"Why the water balloon though?" I asked to no one.
I held onto Catherine's hand as we walked to school. The scorching sun would normally exhaust me, but Dre's water balloon kind of negated all of the sun'a glares. Guess I should be thankful to him after all.
"Um...h-hey...Jaden." Catherine said nervously.
"Hmm?"
"I-I was wondering. After this day is over, do you want to come over to my place? My parents won't be there for a while, so we can...you know...umm..."
I felt my entire body freeze. Only my legs were moving at this point. There's no way, right? She can't actually be serious. I mean, if she's thinking exactly what I'm thinking, then...
"Uhh, can I ask something?" I asked her, my entire body shaking.
She nodded. Her entire face was even redder than before.
"You say that you want me to come over to your place. Umm...could you be implying umm...s-sex?"
I swear to god I saw steam shooting out of her head. Her grip on my hand tightened a little, but she was still gentle. Then, out of no where, she smiled and nodded.
I turned my entire body towards her and placed my hands on her shoulders.
"A-Are you sure," I asked her frantically. "Because you don't have to feel like you're being pressured to do that. Don't worry. I do believe that you're in love with me. And I know that I'm in love with you."
She placed her hands on my shoulders, as if she was trying to reassure me.
"I'm don't feel pressured," she said "I want to know even more about you. Your scent. Your gentle touch. Your warmth. I want to know even more. I want to know everything because..."
She rested her arms around me neck and leaned in closer to me, wanting another kiss.
"...I love you, Jaden."
I would do anything just to hear those words again. Even if it was only once, it would be enough.
*BANG*
That sound never left my dreams. It haunted me at nights. I just wanted to be with Catherine. Is that so bad? Why would someone be against that. Why are people always so difficult to understand? Why can we just all be happy with everyone? Why does one person's hatred turn into justification for killing?
It was all going well to. Catherine was helping me with my appearance. Eventually, we were approached by a small group of people. We met another couple, Dre and Cherry, and befriended them as well. I wasn't ever bullied again. I was finally living life happily. Catherine had helped me through everything. She was the one who grabbed my hand and lifted me out of my shell. She was the one who surrounded me with warmth and she was the one who loved me with everything she had.
But now, it's all being taken away from me. Just like last time, I've lost everything.
The last thing I felt were Catherine'a tears falling on my cheek. I couldn't see anything, but I knew that she was there, holding me close to her. Even though every ounce of warmth had already left my body, I still never felt cold.
That is, until I opened my eyes, only to be surrounded by snow.