lost love by elizabeth fritz (namjoon book recommendations .TXT) 📖

Lunch.
Emily met up with me, for the first time without Dan.
“Oh hey Emy.” I greeted.
“What’s gotten into you?” She asked.
“Um, why do you ask?”
“First of all, you looked like you just swallowed a sock, and second, we stopped calling each other by what our parents do, Shanny” She said, with extra emphasis on my parents old nickname for me.
“Em! Sorry, not in public, I forgot. Oh and I don’t know why I look like I swallowed a sock, okay?” I said.
Then we got into the cafeteria and I saw Luke and Kelly sitting separately. Then we sat down at our usual tables and anyone sat with us.
“Hello,” Luke said, sitting down beside me.
“Oh, hey.” I replied.
“I asked Kelly out.” He told.
“Did you?” I asked plainly.
“Um, she already told you didn’t she..,”
“No, no, not just me, by now I think everyone knows.” I replied.
“Oh, okay then.” He said, “Do you need a ride home?” he asked politely.
I thought about it, “Sure, why not.” I said then.
He joined in a conversation with someone else, and in a bit the bell rang, and it was almost the end of the day.
The next two classes I had a double period, and it was with Emily. I sat down beside her in class, and the teacher came in behind me and started lecturing about some random stuff, which I couldn’t bother listening to. I soon got a note from Emily.
I heard about Luke and Kelly today.
I passed one back:
That’s old news now, Em.
Is that why you are so down today?

Seriously, Em, I don’t know, and I have to pay attention now so, please stop.
Then we stopped passing notes, and the class finally ended.
Emily, Dan and I walked outside together silently. I waved them goodbye and Luke’s car came by. I could see Luke in it, driving, and beside him was grinning Kelly. I smiled and hopped into the back seat. “Hey guys” I said.
“Hi Shannon” Kelly said from in front of me.
The conversation went like this:
Luke: “So how was school today?”
Kelly: “It was so good actually, one of the best! I didn’t even get in trouble for wearing this skirt today!”
Me: “Fine.”
Luke: “Oh, right, I bet you’re excited today Shannon.”
Me: “Sure.”
Kelly: “Why would she be excited today?”
Luke: “Because she’s…”
Me: (continuing what he was going to say) “…going out with a friend.”
And then the car stopped in front of Kelly’s house. We all waved goodbye as she left. Then it was just us two, Luke and I.
The rest of the ride was mostly silent. I knew I had a lot to tell, but absolutely nothing to say. On the way, he put on some classical music, my favourites. He was singing along, his voice naturally beautiful. I also knew for sure we had the same taste in music. And in books, because that’s what we talked about the rest of the way, when there was nothing to say, and I took out Gone with the Wind.
Him: “Have you read Wuthering Heights?”
Me: “Who hasn’t?”
Him: “A lot of people, it’s also one of my favourites.”
Me: “I like it too.”
Him: “How about Harry Potter?”
Me: “Uh, no way! I know its good and all, but not my type.”
Him: “Oh I was just testing you, I haven’t read it either.”
Me: “Oh, so have you read Pride and Prejudice?”
Him: “Ah, that was a very good story, I just finished it.”
Me: “Oh cool, I read it like a month ago.”
And that was about it. It could’ve carried on, if we weren’t parked right outside our houses. We both got out and headed for our own houses.
“Bye!” He called.
I smiled and waved.
After I was done with everything I checked the time. 6.26 pm…

the night out

I went downstairs, where my mom and dad were sitting at the table, enjoying a nice cup of coffee, and Justin was sitting on the couch watching television.
“I’m going out tonight.” I said to them.
Dad nearly choked on his coffee, my mom looked surprised and Justin moved his eyes away from the TV screen and looked at me.
“With who?” Mom was the first to speak then.
“Oh, just a friend…” I replied.
“Oh that narrows it down.” Justin said from all the way over where he was sitting.
“Michael. Michael Peters.” I told them all.
“Oh, that handsome lad, okay.” Mom said and dad looked at her with his eyebrow raised.
“That dude’s on my swimming team as well, and in basketball.” From Justin.
Dad just nodded.
“Yeah, he’ll be here at 7.” I said.
“Okay, then you go off and get ready.” Mom said and took a sip of her coffee.
I went back upstairs and pulled out some casual clothes of mine: A violet blouse and off white Capri’s. Then I put on a pair of my black Converse shoes. I brushed my short hair and put on some hairpins. A little makeup and earrings, and I went downstairs, with my handbag.
The doorbell rang at exactly 7.00, just as he said. I answered him, “Oh, so you weren’t kidding when you said 7 o’clock sharp” I smiled.
He smiled back, looking at what I was wearing. “No I wasn’t, and you look great.” He complimented.
“Thanks,” I said and looked at what he was wearing, a black t shirt with the peace sign on it, and blue jeans with sneakers. “You don’t look that bad yourself” I said.
“Oh, thanks.” He said, “And let’s go now,” he said, stepping back. I followed him and he led me to a shiny, silver motor bike.
“Whoa, we’re riding on this?” I asked surprised.
He smiled, “Don’t worry, its pretty fun” he said and it was. He gave me a helmet, and put one on himself. “Now, hop on.” He said. And I did what I was told.
He sat behind, his arms were supporting me as he held the steering handle bars, and I held on to something as well. He pushed on the accelerator and away we went.
“Not so bad now is it?” he said, loud enough for me to hear. I noticed he was really close to me.
“No, it’s pretty cool! I said. I noticed where we were going. It was my favourite café where I love to go to. He stopped the bike, and I got off, while he parked it. He took his helmet off and helped me take mine, and put them away. The he chuckled.
“What?” I wanted to know.
“Oh, nothing,” he said and smoothed down my hair, which I bet was sticking up, and blushed a little. “Let’s go now, shall we?” he said and I nodded, taking his arm.
He led us inside, and we went to the main area to order.
“May I help you?” asked the person behind the counter.
“Uh, yeah.” He said to him, and turned to me, “What do you want?”
That wasn’t really hard to answer; I only liked one thing most in this café.
“I’ll take cappuccino with cocoa powder sprinkled on top.” I said.
He nodded and looked back at the man, “two of those please.” He said, and he nodded.
We got our drinks, and sat at a table for two. I didn’t know what to say and it looked like he didn’t either.
“So, how is your cheerleading going?” He asked.
“Oh, it’s just fine.” I said.
“Oh okay,”
“Yeah and how is your swimming and basketball going?” I asked.
He smiled, “How did you know that?”
“I have my ways,” I said, but when he looked confused, I added: “My brother told me.”
He nodded, “That Justin dude huh?”
“Justin, yeah.”
“He doesn’t speak much does he?” He asked
“Um, no not really, he says that he’s a man with few words.”
“Ha, I think even a few is exaggerating!”
“Hey, I said exactly the same thing to him!” I said, surprised.
“Did you really? That proves we have something in common!” he said with a suspicious grin.
I laughed a little, because there was nothing else I could do. “Yeah I guess we do!”
We finished our drinks, and then headed out to the door, but this time he held onto my hand. It didn’t feel the same way when Luke had touched me, but it felt good enough that I didn’t stop him.
He led me all the way back to his bike, and handed me a helmet, and then the same as before, he started to drive towards my place. On the way, again, his face had been pretty close to mine, so that if I turned my head a little to the right, our faces would be touching. I pretty much tried to avoid that. Although I was thankful we were wearing helmets, so that couldn’t be entirely possible.
When we got to our street, he parked it away from my house.
“Come on, I’ll walk you safely home.” He insisted, and I didn’t argue because it was getting kind of dark anyway.
Things weren’t gonna get any better.
This time, instead of my hand, he had slipped his arm around my waist. I did feel rather uncomfortable while walking, but it would be rude if I just walked away. So I let him keep it there. Then thankfully we were close to my house. I was about to tell him that I could take it from here, but he pulled me right in front of him, and I couldn’t escape.
He was holding me so that I couldn’t even move, but he didn’t hurt me. I just looked at him in a confused way. Then he started to speak.
“Now, Listen to me,” he started, “and don’t interrupt.”
I nodded.
“I know that you don’t feel the same way about me that I do about you, but I have changed,” He went on.
I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Just try me, please; I’m really not that bad.” He said then waited for me to respond.
I was not in my thinking mode, and my brain was switched off, so I didn’t quite get it. “Michael, what do you mean?” I asked.
He looked slightly annoyed, “You know what I’m talking about, Shannon, just try me, I wont make such a bad boyfriend.”
That’s when it hit me; I didn’t know how to reply to that.
So I just said what popped right out of my mouth, “Well, okay, I’ll try you.”
His face filled with happiness and joy, and then I noticed what I had said.
I just agreed to go out with a guy, who is not The One!
And then, I was about to tell him that I didn’t mean to say that, and I was about to blurt out all the truth, but he spoke before me.
“This really means a lot to me, thanks Shannon.” He said, and then I felt that I should at least give him a chance, who knows maybe I’ll learn to love him…
That was when he leaned down to my face and his lips, very gently, touched mine. He was kissing me.
And I wasn’t kissing back. Or maybe I was, just a little though. I’ll admit it, he’s a good kisser. So sue me!
But he stopped, very quickly; I guess he didn’t want to get too carried away on our first kiss.
He grinned at me, and I blushed, “Well, uh, good night.” I said to him, and he started walking backwards, still smiling, “Peace out!” He called with his two fingers raised. It really matched what he was wearing, but I kept that