Allie

I looked at the paper satisfied with my work. It had taken me almost an entire week to finish it. I slowly began to write my name.
Allie Adams
English .Mrs. Mohan

“You should write my name like that,” my friend Lance said sliding his paper over mine.

I looked up at him and raised my eyebrow.
“Why?” I questioned.
“Because you have perfect handwriting, maybe Mrs. Mohan will look at that and give me a better grade.”
“Maybe if you actually tried, it took me almost a week to write this.”
“Please.” He sat down next to me. “With a cherry on top”
“Fine,” I ripped the paper over to me and wrote his name.
“Thank you so much!” he kissed my cheek and smiled at the paper.
I rolled my eyes and sighed annoyingly.
“Is Lance bugging you?” His sweet voice filled my ears.
“No,” I turned and smiled at him.
He gave me his innocent crooked smile and blinked. I stared into his huge brown eyes. He sat slowly down next to me on my other side and took my hand. Lance looked annoyed. I turned to face Max and ignored lance’s aggravated sigh.
“So, how’s my sweet little Allie,” I smiled at my nickname. He had given it to me because of my tiny built figure.
I wrapped my free arm around my tiny waist.
“Amazing,” I smiled.
He shifted his broad shoulders and flexed.
“That’s good. Ugh, all the weightlifting for football is really making me sore.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
I smiled and Lance’s arm brushed my back. I had completely forgotten he was there.
I watched Max look off. I followed his gaze. His friends were beckoning him over. He gave me a questioning look. That slowly turned into a plea.
“Go,” I sighed.
“Thank you so much,” he kissed me softly for a second then got up.
“He couldn’t last in the library anyways,” I smiled to myself.
I turned to look at Lance who had been patiently waiting. He was reading my paper.
“Is it any good?” I asked.
“Yea, you must have worked hard on this.”
“Oh, I did, believe me.”
“I always believe you.”
He looked at me calmly then smiled. I couldn’t help but, to smile back.
Lance
Why did he always do that? Whenever I’m talking to Allie he runs over to her. And she just lets him sweep her off her feet and lead her in the wrong direction. I had known Allie all my life. Then about a year ago Max came into the picture. He pulled her right in like a fish stuck on the hook but, she wasn’t struggling to get away. No, she went willingly, right into his boat.
I couldn’t say he didn’t love her. I’m sure he did, but I loved her too. Probably just as much as him or even more. She saw me as a brother. Someone she could go to if she needed help or a hug. Hey a boyfriend can do just that too.
I sighed and looked away from her. She cocked her head questioningly.
“Lance-.”
“I gotta go. I’ll see you in English,” I said standing up.
I grabbed my paper and walked away. I didn’t want to turn back. Whenever I thought about them I just wanted to yell at her and tell her she was making a huge mistake with him. I wanted to just tell her everything but, if I did that she would never forgive me and possibly never speak to me again. I couldn’t ruin that. This was the only way I got to see her. To talk to her, at least I had that.
!!!
I walked slowly into English. I got a view of Max with Allie. I froze and looked away angrily. The bell rung and Max pulled away from her quickly and ran past me yelling good-bye.
She was smiling at our table. She played with her ring calmly. I tried to focus on listening to Mrs. Mohan but I kept my eyes on the window. Just day dreaming about Allie.
Allie
“Romeo and Juliet is our next subject. We’re going to look into the eyes of Shakespeare. We’re going to find out why he wrote this well-known play, but first we must read the play. I want you over the next few weeks to read this book with your partner. Keep in mind this question. What do you think Shakespeare was thinking when he wrote this?” Mrs. Mohan asked passing out the books. Lance snapped back to reality as she handed him one.
“What?” he asked me in a whisper.
“We have to read this. My house 4:00 okay?” she asked calmly. “My parents won’t be home. So I’m parking my car in the garage. So don’t think I’m not there.”
He nodded his head and smiled. I looked into his sapphire eyes.
He looked away instantly. I reached into my bag and grabbed a mirror. I looked nothing was different about me nothing was wrong with my hair or in my teeth. What was that all about?
I looked at Lance who was now flipping through the pages of the book.
“What?” I asked.
“Huh?” he sounded confused.
“Why’d you look away like that? What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing…”
“Tell me!”
“Maybe later,” he looked away again just this time stared out the window.
Lance
There wasn’t anything wrong with her. It was just I couldn’t stand to look at her when I knew Max did too. When I knew she let him do anything to her. She just went with it. What was she afraid of? A heart break?
I sighed getting mad at myself. I couldn’t be mean to her. Even when I was just thinking.
After class Max came to get her. She was too excited. I heard him ask her if she was ready to go
She just frowned slightly.
“Actually, I was going to catch a ride home with Lance. We have to do some English work,” she bit her lip.

Max looked me up and down.

“I guess. Hey I’ll see you later okay?” he poked her stomach slightly.

“I’m looking forward to that.”

He kissed her good-bye. She watched him go.

I cleared my throat. She turned around and followed me outside to my truck.
Allie

We sat there reading out loud.

“Where for art thou Romeo?” I read.

“I’m confused.” Lance laughed. “Is she asking where he is?”

“I think,” I smiled.

He smiled back and set my book down, threw his body along my bed, and used my legs as a pillow.
“Remember when we were kids?” he asked. “How we used to go catch fireflies?” he asked looking at the celling.
“How we used to wait here and watch the window, waiting until they came.”
“Yea.” he smiled. “Those were the better days.”
“What’s wrong with the days we have now?” I asked brushing his hair out of his eyes.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No.”
“Hmmm.”
We sat there in silence. I looked at him. He had his innocent look on. He was thinking. I could tell just by how he moved his eyebrows.
I laughed softly to myself. He heard me and looked straight at me.
“What?” He demanded.
“Nothing.” I looked at his eyes. They were grey. “Your sad.”
“What makes you think that?
“Lance, I’ve known you for how long. I know for a fact something’s bothering you when your eyes are grey.”
“Well, it’s not important.”
“Yes it is! Tell me, it’s already bothering me.”
He sat up putting one arm on the other side of my legs and leaned on it.
“If I told you, you wouldn’t understand. You’d probably get really mad at me.”
“Try me,” I leaned closer to him.
He smiled and chuckled kind of but leaned away.
I looked at him and smiled.
“Lance. Can I ask you something?”
He looked up at me and his eyes seemed to brighten.
“Why… why do you hate Max so much? Can’t you two just be friends?”
His face dropped. “That wasn’t what I was hoping to hear.”
“What do you want to hear?”
“I can’t just tell you. You have to know.”
I sighed and looked at the book.
“I want a Romeo,” she brushed her hand on the cover.
“Don’t you have one?”
“Who Max? He’s not the Romeo type. He’s too…. well he’s not sweet enough.”
“Who do you think is sweet? Well enough to be your Romeo.”
I looked at him and it just slipped. “You.”
He didn’t respond.
“I-I- I mean… um your personality,” I said scratching my head.
“Don’t take it back,” he pulled my hand from my head. “I’m glad you said that.”
I felt my cheeks begin to burn.
“Your blushing,” he teased.
“No! stop,” I laughed.
He smiled and looked at me. His eyes were crystal clear blue now. I smiled.
“I love you,” I murmured.
He froze and looked at me.
“In what terms?”
“I just love you,” I smiled.
“No a real answer.”
“No.”
He smiled and looked down. His hand still was lying on top of mine when he pulled it from my head. I turned my hand and intertwined our fingers. He looked at them. My stomach filled with butterflies, and my heart fluttered.
I leaned close to him causing our foreheads to bump.
“Don’t tell Max,” I whispered.
Then I kissed him, softly just once. Then I answered his question.
“I love you more than a friend.”