Everyone is looking.

All attention is on Nate and me as I step out of my car and walk over to his side. He opened the door himself but I am right there to grab onto his hand to walk into the school.

It's comical really, how everyone's heads are turned and their eyes and mouths are wide open. Danny and some friends stand in the grass, tossing a football around like they do most mornings, staring, watching, most possibly in shock as Nate and I stroll hand in hand by them. The football hits Danny in the side of the shoulder as he is caught off guard at our public outing.

I try my best not to make eye contact because though I feel slightly uncomfortable at the moment, I feel more proud to have Nate holding my hand in public. This was a large step from the shy, timid, boy who stuttered his first and fifth sentence to me.

"I don't have to have working eyes to know everyone is looking at us," Nate says low in his throat, his head ducked closer to my ear as we walk across the front court.

I give his hand an extra tight squeeze hoping that will relax him but I know it does the opposite. Nate's movements are quicker paced than normal. He's trying to run. I cover his hand in mine with my other, telepathically trying to make him understand that I care about him. That I don't want him to run because I'm not running anymore.

"Would you like a play by play?" I can't keep the humor out of my voice because it is all too much for my cryptic self. We pass Alyssa and Mariah by the stairs and I don't miss the shake of her head as she watches us continue. I cast my eyes away so I don't see anymore.

"Most definitely," Nate replys, unintentionally bumping his shoulder against mine as we walked through the doors of Stanton High.

I shake my head and laugh for what feels like the umpteenth time this morning. It all started when I had to drag Nate into my car, him accusing me of trying to kidnap him again. It took me kissing him to distract him into backing up and ducking his head into the car. His pout is still fresh in my mind and it makes it hard not to kiss him in front of everybody as I admire him now.

One step at a time.

Once we were seated in our front row seats in Biology, Nate and I took out our research notes and began. It doesn't take long to feel the constant electric current surge between our bodies as we both hunched over our desks and try our best to focus.

My foot taps relentlessly against the floor and out of the corner of my eye I can see Nate doing the same rapture with his pencil. I scoot my desk closer to his. Nate flinches at the sharp sound and I continue tapping my foot. I just needed to be closer to him.

With slow movements I reach over and lay my hand on his thigh pretending to lean closer to him to get a peek at something in his textbook. Nate's body goes rigid under my touch. I make a leisure trail of my fingertips up and down his jean covered thighs loving the warmth his body admitted to the pads of my fingers.

"Kelly, what are you doing?" Nate's voice is low, husky even, as he shifts in his seat.

"Nothing," I innocently say and lay my palm flat on his thigh. I lean my shoulder against his and relish in his body heat, so warm and safe. I turn back to my textbook and jot down more notes.

"T-that doesn't f-feel like nothing." His adam's apple bobs dramatically and it takes everything in me not to press my lips to his throat.

I blush like a wanton woman. Instead of following my hormonal wishes, I remove my hand and use it to tuck my hair behind my ear. Okay, I needed to pull myself together.

Nate shifts in his seat and I can tell he's embarrassed by the situation. His face is blotchy red and his nostrils are flared. I can't suppress the giggle that bubbles up in me as I run my fingers through my hair.

"You're so adorable," I say smiling at him. My eyes flicker down once more and I bite my lip to stop my grin from growing further. I've never had that instant power over a guy before. It does something to a woman's ego.

He blushes, the redness seeping up the neck collar of his shirt and to his cheeks and I burn in it. He is so innocent it's shocking. How could this beautiful boy not ever get the attention he deserved? He is kind, funny, sarcastic, generous, and so much more. He is all I could ever hope for. And he is mine. At least in my head he was. I have staked large signs in bold hefty red letters that this boy is off limits to any other worthy lookers like a pending sign on a house. You snooze, you lose, folks.

Class goes by quickly, me keeping my hands to myself because I think Nate would combust at the seams if he had to endear me torturing his innocent soul anymore. But halfway during class, he placed his arm over the back of my chair as I sang the song on how I remembered the bones of the body. He laughed, a dimple appearing on his cheeks that made me stop and kiss him on the one closest to me. I couldn't help it. He turned crimson again but his smile didn't waver, just turned boyish in a way that heated my insides. It was adorable.

I don't care if people saw. Give them something to look out, my mind gloated shining brighter than the sun.

"So when are you going to take me on this date?" I ask Nate as we're walking out of Faunt's class. I hug my books tightly to my chest as if I'm trying not to explode with happiness. I don't think I've stopped smiling yet today.

People pass us in a blur, my eyes solely on the beautiful boy walking next to me. He doesn't have his walking stick out but is being lead solo by me. This pleases me because it tells me that he trust me enough to do this with hundreds of kids bustling past us as we maneuver through the hallway.

"How about tonight?"

I groan and tilt my head back in adolescent anguish. "Tonight's the annual bonfire. I told Alyssa I would go with her. The cheerleaders are prepping the ceremony."

"Oh, right," Nate says, his head casted down. I pull him away from a group of students that turned a corner too quickly and hold him to my side while we wait for them to pass.

"But I'm free afterwards." I would rather do something fun than work on our project, biology the last thing on my mind. I don't like hearing the uneasiness in his voice. I hated telling him no. In fact, I don't even want to go to the bonfire anymore. It doesn't seem as fun as it would be if Nate was there. "The game won't run late. Maybe ten. Is that too late to do something?"

Nate stops walking once I stop at his next class. We were still on first floor and I needed to go to second to get to mine. "We can just do something tomorrow," he suggests with a shrug.

"Are you sure?" I can't really read him right now but something tells me I'm making a bigger deal out of this than what it really is. I'm too used to making Danny mad at the slightest bump. "I really don't mind leaving the game early."

"It's fine, Kelly," Nate assures me. He starts to lean into his classroom but stops before he actually takes a step into the flat carpet. His hand levitates in mid air and not knowing why I do so, I lean into it by instinct. His fingers skirt over my cheek like little butterfly kisses. His hand is gone before my brain starts to work again and he walks into his class leaving me a fleeting mess.

Pressing my lips together to stop swooning against the white washed walls, I back away in a daze and walk up the stairs to my next class.

* * * * *

"WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?"

"WIN!"

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?"

"WIN!"

Jumping bodies gather in a mass in front of the football field before the game against the Greensboro Giants. A large bonfire roars to life in the center of the circle and us cheerleaders wave our pom poms front and center while the football players punch their fists in the air.

I'm absolutely freezing in my short skirt and sleeveless top, not even my hair giving me warmth because it is pulled back tightly off my neck. But this is tradition and you don't complain when tradition is in order. Greensboro, though much bigger than us, is in the same division as us Stallions so we prep our team before they go out to get their butts whooped. We know we are going to lose but a little over zealous, ego boosting, cheers and hotdogs, never hurt.

Alyssa has ignored me the whole night. She got into my car without a word no matter how much I tried to get something out of her but I received nothing on her end. I didn't really care at this point though. She is being immature.

Paige, a junior who we allowed on Varsity because of her sturdy structure for our base stunts, smiles at me while I wedge past her to get a Coke. She is quiet for someone who is a cheerleader and always seemed really nice but I never really talked to her before. I guess today is a first of many.

"Hi," I say as I crack the top of my soda can open. Her eyes grow big.

"Me?"

"Yes, you," I laugh and take a sip. The fizzy drink burns my raw throat. Cheering in this cold weather always took a toll on my voice.

"Sorry," she says. Her hands flap around her body like a penguin trying to fly. "It's just you've never really talked to me before unless you are telling me to take a lap to work off the Three Musketeers you catch me eating or to tuck my arms in tighter to my body during stunts." She then blushes after saying this and I feel my face heat up as well.

Am I really that bad? Of course I am.

"I'm sorry," I find myself saying to her. Paige looks at me warily as she sees the sadness sweep over my features. "No, really, I am. I'll try to do better."

Her large smile wavers as she watches me. "It's fine, Kelly."

"It's not." I reach forward and rub her goosebumped arm. "Really, Paige, I'm sorry if I've ever said or done anything that hurt your feelings. I shouldn't personally victimize you to take a lap or blame you for things that aren't fully your fault. Forgive me?"

She nods her head slowly, seeming frightened by my sincere confession. I smile at her and walk away before I can make this moment anymore weird than it was. It needed to be done though. After seeing Nate scared of me when I first met him, fearful and apprehensive at me for even saying hi, made me never want to put or see that fear in peoples' eyes.

This boy has ruined me for all future endeavors.

I don't even try to talk to any of my friends for the rest of the night and by the time the game is over and we indeed got out butts whooped, I am exhausted and just want to go home. Because Alyssa didn't even make an effort to talk to me during the bonfire or the game, I leave without her, figuring she will get a ride with someone whom she is actually talking to.

I drive by Nate's house on my way home and catch him letting Hannah out at the exact moment I pull into my driveway.

"Hey you," I say as I walk up to him.

"Hi Kelly. How was the game?" He asks staying at his spot on the step. He doesn't even sound surprised that I'm here. I sit down beside him, the porch light creating a golden glow over us, as we both sit and watch Hannah sniff the ground.

"We lost."

"That's too bad."

I know that he doesn't actually care about sports but the fact that he is pretending to care makes me smile. "What time are we planning on getting together tomorrow?"

Nate calls for Hannah to come here and she trots over giving him a nozzly rub before she runs back to where she was sniffing in the flower beds. I wanted to pat the little lady on the head for giving us some space.

"Do you, um, think you can borrow your dad's truck for the night?" He asks. I can tell that he really wanted Hannah to listen and stay with him because he suddenly looks awkward and restless.

Excitement fills me. "I'm sure I can pull a few strings."

"Good. How does eight sound?" He's trying really hard not to smile which makes me smile. I place my hand on his knee again and think of all the possibilities Nate and I could do in my father's truck.

But before my head can go too far into the gutter, I squeeze his knee once and retract my hand letting it fall back to my lap over my short mini skirt. "Sounds wonderful. What are we going to do?"

Nate taps his finger to his lips in the silent sign of shush.

"Come on, Nathaniel! You can't not tell me."

"It's a surprise." His smile in blinding. He is so adorable. There's no other word to describe him. I can tell he is just as excited as me about our date. Our last date--which only I thought of as a date and told him this as much--was to the arcade and I had a blast.

I absolutely loved surprises so this makes me more excited for tomorrow night.

"Fine. Be that way." I lean over and plant a haste kiss in his cheek. I knew that if my lips lingered anymore, his mother would be flickering the lights for her son to get off the front porch and stop making a scene with their overly attentive next door neighbor. "Can you at least tell me how to dress?"

"Wear something warm." He stands on the steps and whistles for Hannah to go inside. She comes bouncing over, licking my hand as she approaches her master, and pounces at the door. She is sure hyper tonight. She must be in as good of a mood as me.

"See you tomorrow, Nate." I step off the porch and head back into the night.

"Looking forward to it, Kelly." He ducks his head as his openness.

I can't stop my feet as they bound up the steps again and carry myself to Nate. He is ready this time, as if he knew I would do it, and he catches me around my waist as I latch myself to him. I kiss him deeply trying to push every emotion I feel for him into that kiss. The feeling of his mouth pucker under mine makes my limbs heavy.

When we pull apart from each other we are both breathing heavily. Stepping away from him, slightly embarrassed at my lack of self control, I pull the length of my skirt lower down my thighs and back away from this alluring boy.

I trip over my feet as I'm backing down the stairs and I awkwardly laugh into the night air as I fix myself and continue on my merry way.

"Goodnight," I say again.

"Goodnight." He has yet to open the door, his body angled towards me as he speaks and Hannah is practically pouncing at him to let her in.

When I'm about halfway in the yard over, he finally walks into his house, his dog pushing passed him and him feeling his way inside. I feel like him, blindly walking back to my house from the lovely daze of the result of his lips against mine.

It's a feeling I don't ever want to go numb to. But I am brought out of that feeling when that truck from the other night roars to life and passes down the road.

They were watching me and I know exactly who it is. My blood chills as I try my best not to let the paranoia seep it's bone crushing tendrils under my skin.

I like to think I have tough skin but there are some people who knew how to cut deep.