ONE
"Love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all." — Toni Morrison, Beloved.
• • •
Theo woke up to the sound of his blaring alarm for the hundredth time.
'For the love of Satan, I really gotta decrease that volume .' He mumbled while switching it off forever. After laying in the bed for ten minutes more he headed for a shower.
When he finally looked at his phone after the shower, panic started to rise in his stomach. 'Shit. I'm going to get late for school, again.' He hastily tried on five shirts and decided on the first one, as always.
'MOM! I'll have breakfast on the way, I'm leaving.' He said while putting on his sneakers. 'Aren't you forgetting something Theo?!' Mom shouted from the kitchen. He ran over to her to give her a kiss on the cheek-'Love you mom, bye.'
Unlike many teenagers, he was pretty close to his mom as she was the strongest human he knew, sometimes more so than his dad.
As he walked to the gate he heard Ashton's incessant screaming. 'Dude! I have been honking for the past ten minutes, took you long enough.' Ash was his best buddy, he'd known this guy practically his whole life and Theo still believed that he was the most annoying human to walk on earth. No kidding. But despite his goofy ways, girls seem to drool at his feet because, as much as Theo hated to admit it, Ashton was hot and what girls liked to call 'funny'.
Theo scoffed, 'My man, I know you just got here a minute ago, quit whining like a baby.' 'Well, You got me, I'm just really hyped for the first day of our senior year man.' Ash replied as he chuckled.
They hopped into the car and jammed on ACDC songs all the way to the school.
• • •
When Theo got out of the car, he could see that all the eyes were on him. He smirked–not denying the attention given by the swooning girls–and headed for the first class of senior year with Ash. This year was going to be a blast.
'Listen, did you see the new chick everyone's been talking about? She is sizzling hot man.' Ash mused as they entered the class.
'No, but I bet she'll fall for me, I mean whats there not to like.' Theo replied while smirking. 'We'll see, what if she likes funny guys? You have no chance then.' Ash grinned mockingly. 'Man if she is into funny guys, you can keep her.' Theo laughed.
They took the last bench, and as He was removing his book, Ash nudged him. 'Dude look, there she is.' He whistled lowly.
It was like this scene from a cliche movie where the girl enters the classroom and everyone just loses their shit at how hot and beautiful she is. Because she truly was.
Theo observed her as she strutted across the classroom and sat on the seat ahead of him. She then turned and addressed him. Game on.
'Hey! I'm Rebecca Hawthorne' she exclaimed sweetly while extending her hand. He smirked and took her hand only to kiss the top of it. 'I'm Theo. Nice to meet you.'
She giggled and turned around. Theo just knew that they were going to be making out in some closet by the time of break.
Theo noticed that Ashton was observing this whole ordeal with amusement dancing in his eyes, and he was trying to stifle a laugh. He nudged him playfully as Theo knew exactly what he was thinking: what a player. 'Do not even think about saying it out loud.' Theo smirked. 'Yes yes whatever floats your player boat' Ash chortled in response.
The English literature class pretty much went by with Rebecca and Theo not-so-subtly flirting. As he was leaving the class, she came ridiculously close to him to say goodbye. After she pulled away, only then he realised that she put something in his pocket. It was her number messily scribbled on a chit. He chuckled and mentally pat myself on the back. Great start.
• • •
Theo was making out with Rebecca in the library's most unattended spot. This was the first time he had chosen the library as his hookup spot. Usually, it was either the abandoned corridor on the left side of the school or besides the football field, underneath the bleachers. But he figured new year, new spots.
Although, Theo and Rebecca hadn't conversed much, she was a great kisser. A great kisser indeed, Theo thought as they continued to play tonsil hockey.
'Shit!' a girl who just entered the aisle shrieked. 'I didn't mean to intrude, I'm sorry.' She shuddered while keeping one hand on her eyes. 'Ugh, I'm going to be scarred for life.' She muttered as she remembered to get the book she came here for. After retrieving the book she bid her goodbye with an awkward wave, adjusted her glasses and left. All the while she wasn't aware of the pair of eyes that were following her every movement.
Theo stared at the mysterious girl's retreating figure. 'Why were you staring at her like that?' Rebecca hollered. 'Huh?, oh I- it was nothing' Theo replied as if suddenly breaking from a trance. Wow, that girl seemed oddly familiar. Something was different about her. Theo pondered.
He was so deep in his thoughts, he didn't hear Rebecca rambling about how unappreciative and shameless he was. 'I'm gonna go, call me when you feel like the need to say sorry.' Rebecca reprimanded angrily and stomped off.
'Why the hell is she mad?! Jesus. I will never understand women.' Theo admitted after breaking out of his mini space out session.
For the rest of the break, he decided to join his group of friends in the cafeteria. But somehow his mind was still in the library thinking about the mystery girl. With her luscious curly red hair, goofy but cute glasses, wide grey eyes and an hour glass figure for a body. What struck Theo the most though, was the familiarity of her face. 'I have to see her again.' He thought.
