I remember knowing he was trouble but I could feel his eyes all over me. he was kicked out of class the first time i saw him, the only person i ever saw to still be the teachers favorite while she made him sit out in the hall. I remember opening the heavy door to the science hall and hearing him laugh. thats when he saw me, he fell quiet as he watched me walk what felt like miles to my classroom. i couldnt hear a sound when i looked at him, only my heart beating so loud i thought he must have heard it too. i don’t think it ever really slowed down after that moment. knowing he existed made my heart race.
After class, guided by butterflies and fear i got lost in the crowd hoping to get away. Even then, I think i knew he would find me.
i was fifteen and this seventeen year old in tight jeans and converse with long shaggy hair and braces was the beginning of everything.