Boyfriend for the Summer

This is Seph’s school. It has an amazing music program, and when camp ended, I wasn’t sure if I had made it into the program. I didn’t want to disappoint her or give her false hope. But I’m here now, and I can’t wait to find her. I want to see her face when I tell her that I’m going to be here every day, and yes, I still want to be with her. Yes, I’m still in love with her. That I’ve been in love with her the entire time and this is the time to really tell her.

But right now, I’m nearly late for my first class. I’m looking at the map that the office gave me while simultaneously at the students I pass for the girl who’s face haunts my dreams. This is a much bigger school than the one I’m coming from, and it’s probably going to take me a bit with the navigation.

“You look lost,” a voice says. A pretty blonde approaches me. “New?”

“Yeah,” I nod. “First day.”

She bats her eyes and gives me a smile. It would definitely work on me, if it was something I was looking for. “Where are you headed? I can point you in the right direction.”

“AP Bio,” I say. “Mr. Sanders.”

Her face lights up. “That’s where I’m going! Come with me. The science hallway is terrible to find.” She loops her arm through mine and practically marches me down the hallways until we reach the correct room. I’m happy she at least knew where she was going, but I don’t see Seph on the way, and she doesn’t seem to be in the class either.

“What’s your name?” I ask her.

She pulls back and smiles again, not being subtle about putting her cleavage on display as she does so. “You can call me Elle.”

“Nice to meet you.”

She pulls me further into the classroom and guides me to a table, sitting on the stool next to mine. “What brings you to Anderson High?”

“Music program,” I say. “It’s better than my other high school.”

“A musician,” she coos. “That’s fantastic. You’ll have to play for me some time.”

I send her a tight smile. My eyes keep flicking to the door, hoping that Seph is going to walk through it. My hands are itching to pull the number out of my wallet and send her a text that I’m here. But I really want to see her face for the first time.

A burly man walks through the door and surveys us coolly. “I hope you like who you’re sitting with,” he says. “That’s your lab partner.”

Elle smiles wide, and I feel like I walked into a trap. Because it hadn’t occurred to me. I was so busy thinking about Seph and directions that I forgot about partners. I sigh. It’s fine. Once I find Seph, Elle will see that I’m happily taken, and she’ll stop with the flirting.

Thankfully, since today is the first day of school and the classes are short, I manage to break away from Elle and find my next class on my own, and then my next. Still no sign of Seph.

My next period is lunch, and I’m desperate for her to be there. As I’m about to enter the lunchroom, Elle slides up to me and slips her arm through mine again. “I’ve been looking for you! Let me show you around. I love introducing new students to people.”

I swallow. “I’m really okay.”

“Don’t be silly. No one needs to be alone on their first day.”

I take a breath. She’s being nice, and I don’t need to make any enemies on my first day here. So I nod, and let her take me into the cafeteria. “By the way,” she says as we work through the line, “I would love it if we could go out sometime. I can show you the town. We would have fun.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Great!”

I follow her to a table, and before we get there, I see her. Red hair, pale skin, book in front of her and one hand moving with a pen while she writes. My heart kicks up into a gear that’s so fast that I might pass out. Elle moves forward. “Seph!”

She looks up, and then sees me and goes pale.

Elle sits down across from her. “Is this going to be our new table? I like it. It’s very central, but still far enough away to be cool.” She turns and looks at me, patting the chair beside her. “Come on, don’t be shy. Seph,” she giggles, “this is my new boyfriend, Eric.”

What? I stare at Seph, and then I stare at Elle. I sit down because I think that my knees are about to give out. This isn’t exactly the reunion that I imagined.

Seph is staring at me like she’s seen a ghost, and I can’t take my eyes off her. “When exactly did that happen, Leena?”