"Are you even listening to me?" Molly questions as she wrings her hands in her lap. I mumble a yes but my eyes stay glued on Kelly Henderson as she sits by herself on a park bench.

Why was she alone? She is never alone. There is always some girl or group of people surrounding her like a swarm of bees. But I guess that's the type of attention you get when you're queen bee.

"No, you are not. Nathaniel!" Molly waps me on the arm and I flinch back. "This is serious. She kissed me. And..." Molly's face reddens and she gnaws at her lip. Trent talks a lot about Molly's lips. I think he has a crush on her. "I liked it."

"Maybe you're Katy Perry," I offer as insight. Truth is, I wasn't really listening. But my cheeks burn a little at her confession. I did hear that.

Molly's eyes roll skyward and she doesn't smile like I expect her to. Usually I could make her laugh seeming she found me too geeky to function, as she put it, but I like her. She is a little rough around the edges but she has always had my back no matter what the situation.

I think I remind her of her brother that passed away last summer in a train accident. A few boys were playing by the train tracks--drinking, people were always drinking-- when they decided to play chicken. Long story short, Molly's brother didn't move in time and got hit by the oncoming train.

Sometimes I think this town is cursed. But really, people were just too careless and rarely think of the consequences of their actions.

Molly doesn't really talk of her brother, Nick, but I have seen a few photos at her house when she has us over. Him and I have the same colored eyes as well as height.

I think that's why she's latched herself onto me when she joined the chem club this semester. I've known her since the third grade when her family moved here from Brooklyn but she didn't take notice of me until freshman year. I've only known her for a few months but I consider her as good of a friend and Trent and Gavin.

I look back over to the bench that Kelly occupies to see her reading a book. I can't see from this distance as to what it is but she has a light smile on her face. The wind picks up and a long strand of blonde hair intercepts my close to stalker staring. She reaches up and tucks it behind her ear to allow me to fully catch a grin. She laughs and I swear the wind carries it over to where I am sitting and blatantly ignoring my friend who is glaring me.

Molly sighs loudly and it makes my ears prick.

"Of-freaking-course."

"What?" I innocently ask, too embarrassed to have gotten caught staring at the girl that of whom the male species drools over.

Molly rolls her eyes again and begins shoving her books into her backpack. We had come to the park hoping to get some studying done but I knew the moment I saw her a few yards away from me, I wouldn't be able to concentrate.

I don't know what it is about the girl that makes me stare. Sure, she's beautiful, with her icy blonde hair and eyes the color of the ocean when the tide is shallow and the sun is shining but there was something else too. It's the aura around her that makes her seem brighter then the rest of the people walking around.

"What?" I ask again, fully tearing my eyes away from the bench and to my friend who appears furious.

"I cannot believe the male species." She shoves her pencil pouch roughly into her bag before she zips it in jerking motions.

"I'm listening," I say and squint from the sun when Molly stands. "You were talking about Jill's party and how you all decided to play spin the bottle and it landed on some girl and you liked kissing her."

"Yeah, but--" Molly pushes her wild red hair out of her face and for a moment, she blocks the sun. But then her hand goes back on her hip in the way that only girls know how and I know I'm in for it. "You're not really listening because you're too busy oogling Malibu Barbie over there."

I hush her in a panic and bolt up from my spot on the grass. "Would you quiet down. She could hear you."

"Maybe I'll say it louder so she can finally discover that you, Nathaniel Haynes, has a big ol' crush on her."

"Molly, shut up," I say with gritted teeth. I can feel the heat settle on my cheeks and I know it's not from the late afternoon sun.

I chance another peek at her to only have my heart stop. She is looking at me. Or at least I think she is looking at me. All I can comprehend is that her focus is no longer on her book and is now in my general direction.

My stomach tightens and my heart leaps into my throat. I want to duck and cover but I am frozen in fear that she heard Molly.

Kelly smiles. A smile so big that it stretches across her face and curls over her beautiful white teeth. My heart skips a beat at the sight.

She waves.

Oh my God, did she just wave at me?

Molly has grown quiet while standing next to me, silently observing this like Jane Goodall and I am the monkey.

Kelly begins to walk towards me.

My breathing picks up and for a moment my foot about starts carrying me towards her as well until something bumps my shoulder and nearly knocks me to the ground.

They don't apologize, they don't even hesitate, which I don't blame them now as I see them meet Kelly halfway through the lawn to pick her up in one of those hugs that you see in those romantic movies my mother likes to watch. They swing Kelly around in the air, her giggles heightening in volume with every pivot.

I can hear her laughter perfectly now but I wish to not hear it anymore. I grimace when she kisses Daniel Greyson and my eyes bashfully look down at Molly as she shakes her head.

"Girls like her, go for guys like him: testosterone filled, pretty, and stupid." I know she doesn't say this to be mean but that doesn't stop the weight of hurt crashing down on my sternum. "I thought you were smarting than that Nathaniel."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I gather my things as well and shove them into my backpack, being careful to not crumple the blueprint of the mini shuttle the club was going to build for the fair.

"Hey..." Molly's words are now dripping sweet but I twitch away when she tries to lay her hand on my shoulder.

"You think I don't know that Kelly Henderson is never going to notice me, Molly?" My voice is low and laced with hurt that I can't seem to hide. "I know that, okay. I don't need some girl who seems to know girls better than I do to tell me that she is so out of my league."

I regret my words the moment I say them. Molly's face turns bright red and she spins on her heels.

I close my eyes for a moment before allowing myself one last look at the fair haired girl. She and her blockhead of a new boyfriend have stopped kissing and she is now grinning up at him with big eyes in a way that makes my chest hurt.

"Molly, wait up!" It isn't hard for me to catch up to her. Though her temper is one of a fusebox, her storming off is no match to my long legs.

"I can't believe you just said that to me," she seeth out of the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," I say and mean it. "That was out of line and I didn't mean to say it. I just--"I stop her which she quickly shakes me off but I hold my ground. She very much reminds me of my little sister when she doesn't get her way.

Molly holds up a hand and keeps me from talking. "You don't need to explain it to me, Nathaniel. I mean, just look at her."

I don't.

I blush further and turn my head away in hopes that she doesn't notice. She does and she smiles a cat like grin.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about, Nathaniel. She's hot."

I choke on my own oxygen. Molly laughs harder.

"Oh please, I don't have to be a lezbo to notice that."

"So you think you are a..."

"A lesbian," Molly fills in for me with another roll of her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe."

"I mean, that would be fine if you are."

"Thanks for that." Molly doesn't sound sarcastic but she doesn't sound serious as well. She just seems tired.

"Forgiven?" I ask and manage to finally get a smile out of her.

She links her arm with mine. "Forgiven. But you have to buy me a milkshake."

"Okay."

We walk through the park, this time with a slower pace, and I countdown the seconds until I see her at school because that's what boys like me look forward to; looking at beautiful girls as they pay attention to everything but boys like me.