When I walk into eighth period, I pick a seat next to a friendly looking girl that is engrossed in the book she is reading. When I sit down, she looks up from her book and turns to me. “Hi, I’m Amy. You must be new.”

“Cassie” I say as I take my notebook out. I look around the room and my eyes fall on Trevor in the back, hunched down low in his desk.

Amy sees me sneaking looks in the back of the room. She turns around and I see a knowing look pass through her face. “Trevor Walsh, every girl wants him but he doesn’t date anyone. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time with him.” I turn away from him, but not because of what Amy said (I could care less), but because I got so caught up in staring at the little glimpse of a tattoo under his sleeve that I didn’t notice him staring right back at me.

Embarrassed, I turn away feeling my cheeks get hot. The rest of the class period, I stay with my head down not glancing at the back of the room.

I am walking across the parking lot heading home when I hear the rumble of the engine that is as familiar as my dad’s car, before I see it. I step out of the way of the moving death trap before it could plow into me. But it seems like my books didn’t take the scare as well seeing that they are sprawled all over the pavement as if they were part of the cement.

I look up into the blue eyes that I know are behind that helmet. As he passes, I bend to pick up my books. Right as I am reaching for my books, I feel a hand brush against mine. I look up into a new set of eyes, this time a bright green.

I look towards where I seen Trevor head, and can’t help but wish that it was his blue eyes that I was seeing, not these unfamiliar green ones. Green-eyed boy brings me back to reality by saying “Trevor doesn’t care much for anything but himself.” He hands me my books and helps me to my feet.

“Thanks” I say.

“Name’s Marcus by the way.”

I walk away, now knowing what he expects me to do. I don’t know if this is his idea of a crude joke to play on the new girl, but I’m not falling for it, whatever it is. I mean Marcus is one of those guys with blonde hair and green eyes that all the teachers, parents and girls like because he looks like an All-American good guy. He’s probably star quarter-back or whatever and I’m not pretty and I’m not a cheerleader, so I don’t know why he even stopped to help me.

“When someone tells you their name it’s only polite to tell them yours back” he says as I am turning away.

“Cassie” I say as I walk past him.

As I pass him though, he grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. “It wouldn’t do you any good to get involved with Trevor. He’s nothing but trouble” he says.

I look up at him, meeting his green eyes with my own brown ones. “Thanks for the advice” I snap as I take my arm out of his grasp.

“Sure, thing” he says. Either not noticing my sarcasm or choosing to ignore it.

I’ve only been here for a week and I already found my favorite spot in the whole town; a little grassy area by the river that is enclosed with trees. I have been going there almost every day to get away and spend some quiet time reading. After the first day I’ve had, I need this quiet time.

I am walking down the little path that I found that leads down to the riverbank. I was too busy thinking over what happened today that I didn’t notice anyone sitting on the big rock in my area until I am almost right behind them. I can see the back of a black motorcycle jacket where he is crouching by the water skipping rocks across the surface. He must have heard me come up behind him because he turns around. It’s Trevor. How did he find my secret spot. I think to myself as I stand there like an idiot, not knowing what to do. I can’t believe I missed that black motorcycle on the street.

“I was just leaving” he says as he gets up looking as if I disturbed the peaceful nature. As he pulls his jacket back on, I can’t help but notice his muscles moving under his shirt. He starts to walk towards me and I can feel my breath catch in my throat. Now, he is standing right in front me.

“Excuse me” he says in a whisper as if he’s afraid to break this peaceful silence around us. That’s when I realize that the only reason he is standing right in front of me is because I am blocking the only way out.

Blushing once again, it seems like that’s the only thing I do in this guy’s presence, I move over so he could squeeze through. As he is moving past me, his chest brushes against my upper arm. I look up into those beautiful eyes and before I know it, he is gone.

I stand this way for a while, lingering in the spot, still feeling the tingling of where our flesh touched. After what seems like hours I walk down to the rock where he was sitting and take out my book.
I lose track of time quickly and realize that it is getting dark. Oh man I think as I get up and grab my backpack mom is so going to kill me. Hurriedly, I go the way that I think is the way home, but I’m not sure since I’ve never done this is in the dark. I find myself in a back alley somewhere. I see a group of guys and I turn away, but not before I recognize one of the guys from school and he sees me. He nudges another guy, who has his back to me, and nods in my direction. The guy in question turns around and I see that it’s Marcus. He makes his way towards me calling out my name. I turn away, hoping to get to the street before he can reach me. I can hear him vastly approaching. Just as I’m thinking that I will make it, I feel him grab my arm and push me against the wall.
“Where were you going so fast. Don’t you want to hang with me and my buddies?” he says. At this distance I can tell that he’s drunk, I can smell it.
“Let go of me” I say, trying to sound tough, but the last words come out as a squeak.
“Oh, now don’t be like that” he says as he cages me against the brick wall with his arms. Trembling, I don’t say anything as I look for a way out. “What is a good little girl like you doing out so late at night? Don’t you have a curfew?” he says as he strokes my face. I turn away and flinch at his touch. He laughs when he sees me trying to hold back tears.
“Please, just let me go” I say. I see is mouth open, like he was going to say something and then the sound of an engine interrupts him. He turns to the source of the sound, without loosening his grip. I turn my head to where he is looking and I see a black motorcycle come into the alley. Before he takes his helmet off, I know who it is.
Trevor gets off his bike and walks towards Marcus. “Let her go” he says as he stops in front of us. For a minute, his eyes flicker to me and I can see a look of concern in them before they turn hard again and he turns his attention to Marcus.
What are you going to do about it” Marcus asks. “Are you really going to protect her, is she even worth it.” Trevor looks at me once more and says to Marcus “Let her go” I can see Trevor’s fists clench.
Marcus still doesn’t let go of me and I can tell that he won’t without a fight. I didn’t even see Trevor move and the next thing I know Trevor has his fist in Marcus’s face. Finally, I can leave, but for some reason I don’t. I just huddle behind a crate, not even bothering to try and stop the fight because I know they won’t listen. Trevor throws another punch before Marcus gets up and backs away. I can see that his face is all bloody and bruised. For a minute, I feel sorry for him, he actually sounded like a nice guy in the parking lot, warning me and everything about Trevor, maybe it was the alcohol talking to him, telling him to scare me. But I’ve never seen anyone throw punches as hard as Trevor did, I’m actually sort of scared right now of him, because looking at Trevor’s face, it doesn’t look like Marcus got a single punch in.
Trevor starts to walk towards me. He bends down in front of me and holds his hand out, not saying a word. I take it and he helps me up. He takes one look at me and I realize that my face is tear streaked. I didn’t even know I’ve been crying.
“Where are your glasses” he says as he continues to look away from me.
I didn’t even notice they were missing “I didn’t think you knew I wore glasses. It’s not like you looked at me long enough to notice” I say as I look around for them. I find them, lying on the ground a few feet away. I bend down to pick them up, but when I get back up, I wobble a little and I feel a hand at my back steady me. No matter how good it feels for him to voluntarily put his hand on me, I have to know why he saved me.
“Why did you do it?” I ask as I turn around, fury rising up inside of me that I needed to take out on somebody. “Why didn’t you just let Marcus have his way with me?”
I stand there, my own fists clenching. “Why? It’s not like you like me anyway. I mean, you almost hit me with your bike and you didn’t even stop to see if I was okay. You just rode right past me.” I enunciated every word with a fist to his chest and he just stood there taking all the punches. I punched out that very last word and slowly slid down the wall onto the ground letting my tears slide down with me. I sat there with my head in my hands not noticing when he slid down with me. He kept his distance, like he was afraid that I would lash out at him again.
I stand up and walk away, I can sense him following me. “Why?” I whisper to nobody in particular. “Why did you do it? Why won’t you answer this simple question?” I ask as I turn around. “Was it really that hard for you to help me?” I see that he isn’t going to answer me, if his standing there is any indication of that. I turn away, thinking I’ll find my home by myself.
“You want a ride home” I hear him ask.
“Now you talk” I ask. “I’m fine, I can manage walking just fine. I don’t need you to play my night in shining armor anymore. You’re free to go rescue another damsel in distress. I don’t need your help anymore.”
I can hear a hint of a smile in his voice as he says “Do you even know your way home from here?”
Deciding to give in I turn around put my arms across my chest and say “I hope you have another mode of transportation because I’m not getting on that death machine.”
“Listen, I’m sorry about earlier. I just had a lot on my mind earlier and you standing there like that isn’t helping matters either.”
As a hot flush creeps up my face, I pin my arms to my side.
“Seriously, I am sorry about earlier. You’re different from other girls in this school. You aren’t scared of me like everyone else is and I can’t get your gorgeous brown eyes out of my head. I think I may love you.”
“What makes you think I love you back? I’ve only known you for a day.”
As he talks he takes little steps closer towards me “It’s the way you blush every time I come near you or touch you the slightest, that I know you feel something for me too.” With that last word, he is standing so close that I have to tilt my head to see him.
“I do not blush when you are near me.” I say as I look at the ground.
He puts two fingers under my chin as he gently tilts my head up to force me to look at him. “You’re blushing right now.” I can hear the laughter in his voice.
“So what if I blush when you’re near, it’s not like it means anything and you can’t prove that, that means I love you.”
The laughter leaves his face and voice as he leans closer. Before I know it, I feel his soft full lips upon mine. This is nothing like the innocent contact that is hand made against mine in the hall earlier that felt like a little static shock, this kiss makes me feel like I stock my whole finger in a light socket, just teaming with electricity. He pulls away. “Are you sure you don’t love me.” He laughs against my lips as I pull once more into me, never wanting to let him go.