"Ugh, the alarm," Red mumbled, but he was already up. He didn't even need coffee – the excitement of the day was enough. He flung open the curtains, and the sun practically blinded him, like it was shouting, "Hey Red, it's a beautiful day! Let's go!". Another school year, another chance for Red to totally bomb. He was cruising along on his bike, feeling like a total pro, when BAM! He lost his balance, and ended up sprawled on the ground. "Ouch, seriously? I hate this life," he mumbled, trying not to cry.
Right then, some dude, looked like he was in his grade, started laughing at him. "Dude, that was hilarious!" he said, and Red caught his eye. He had these really nice brown eyes, and his whole face just kinda lit up when he smiled. Weird. Red had never seen him before. He felt a little fluttery in his stomach, like a weird mix of annoyance and… maybe something else.
"The steady thrum of the machine pulsed through the air, its rhythm echoing in the quiet room. It felt like a heartbeat, a rhythm that was both familiar and unsettling."
The next day, Red was in the library, trying to decipher the mysteries of chemistry (seriously, why did they have to make it so complicated?) when the dude who had laughed at him earlier walked up. "Hey, that crash was pretty epic, right?" he said, smirking.
Red played it cool. "Uh, do I know you?"
The dude chuckled. "Nah, I'm Dex. I saw you eat it earlier. Totally epic!"
Red just wanted to disappear. He'd totally been trying to be smooth and cool when he crashed, and now this guy was teasing him about it. "Whatever," he mumbled, pretending to be super busy with his textbook.
As Red walked down the hallway, he totally melted. Dex was there, and he was just… awesome. His brown eyes were super dreamy, and he had this whole cute way of moving, like he knew how to dance even if he was just walking. Red felt himself falling for him, hard.
Dex smiled again, and Red realized he was following him. "Uh, why are you following me?" Red asked, feeling a little flustered.
Dex laughed, his smile even brighter. "No clue. I'm kinda lost. Could you tell me where Miss Angela's class is?"
Red's cheeks flushed, but he couldn't help but smile. "We're in the same class. Just follow me," he said, trying to play it cool but totally failing.
As they walked to class, Red realized he was actually enjoying this. Dex was hilarious, and they were totally clicking. He'd even been looking forward to chemistry class, which was seriously a miracle. They ended up sitting next to each other, and by the end of class, Red knew that this was the start of something really special. He just hoped he could keep from totally freaking out every time he looked at Dex.
Red walked out of school that day feeling like he could fly. He'd actually had a good day, and it was all thanks to Dex. They'd even become friends, which was totally amazing. Red was so happy he couldn't even think straight. He practically ran home, and when he finally flopped onto his bed, he was grinning so hard his face hurt. He kept replaying all the funny stuff Dex had said, and he couldn't stop smiling, even as he drifted off to sleep.
"A weird buzzing sound filled the air, like a giant fly was trapped in the room, but it was coming from everywhere, not just one place. It was kinda creepy, like someone was trying to whisper something in the back of my brain, but I couldn't understand what they were saying."