Seven years earlier

Lucas

The only thing worse than Valentine's Day is having a secret crush on Valentine's Day. Even worse is when she happens to be your best friend.

I clutch the packet of Skittles in the pocket of my jacket as I lean against her locker, waiting for her to arrive from history class. My palms start to feel sweaty as I think about giving them to her once she gets here.

Will she realize I like her? Will she think it's lame? Is it too much? Too little?

I almost bang my head against the locker to stop overthinking this. I've already decided—I can't back out now. I glance at the clock in the hallway for the third time. She should be here by now. I know this because I wait for her at her locker every day before heading out to math class together.

Claudia wasn't on the bus this morning. I begin to worry that maybe something happened to her. She's always on time and it's not like her to cut class. She also seemed completely normal yesterday, so I doubt she's sick. But then I see her rounding the corner of the hallway, and all my worries evaporate.

That is until I notice the rose in her hand and the guy walking next to her with a big fat smile. Brian must have given it to her. He recently decided that she would be his next conquest. I overheard him bragging about how easy it would be to win her over, just like all the other girls he's gone after. He's never been one to keep anything to himself. Asshole.

She says something to him and he leans down towards her, grabbing her by the waist. My heart stops as I realize he's about to kiss her, but she side-steps him at the last second and he ends up giving her a hug. Jealousy as I've never known consumes me as I witness this interaction, and I force myself to look away.

I wish I were wearing my baseball cap so I could lower it over my face and block everything out. I take a few breaths to try to calm down, and when I look up again, she's rushing towards me with her eyes cast down and a nervous look. Usually she smiles at me, but today there isn't the slightest hint of one. I straighten up and try to pretend that the biggest jerk on the planet did not just make a move on my girl.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she says, opening her locker without looking at me. She tosses the rose inside and pulls out her algebra textbook. I don't respond because I can't find the words. I don't want to acknowledge what just happened and I can't think of anything else to say. Normally I can talk to her about anything, but right now all I feel is tension between us. She slams the locker shut and finally faces me. "Okay, I'm ready."

Her hazel eyes pull me in like they usually do, but this time it's her mouth that keeps me in a daze.

"Lucas?"

No, I didn't imagine it. She got her braces removed. And she looks absolutely beautiful.

"What?" she asks, a slight edge to her voice.

"Your braces," I manage to say.

She visibly relaxes. "Oh, right! Can you believe it?" she says, finally smiling and showing off her teeth. "My orthodontist took pity on me yesterday. I feel like I've been waiting for years."

"You look great, Audi," I say, calling her by the nickname I gave her when we were younger. What I really want to say is that she looks stunning.

She tucks a strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear as she glances up at me with a sparkle in her eyes. "Thank you, Lucas."

Just like that, everything feels right again. It's amazing how she's able to enchant me with a single look and a few words. I grab her textbook as we walk to class. "You weren't on the bus this morning," I say, putting Brian and his stupid rose behind me.

"Did you miss me?" she asks, sweet and teasing all at once.

Of course I did.

I shrug my shoulders instead. "I got stuck sitting next to Gwen and she wouldn't stop talking. I mean, how can anyone have that much to say at seven in the morning?"

Claudia laughs. "It's because she likes you."

"Yeah right," I say, shaking my head.

She rolls her eyes at me. "I swear, you're such a space cadet sometimes."

"So your dad drove you?" I ask, trying to get back to the topic.

"Yeah. He was quiet though. We didn't talk much," she responds.

Her dad has been acting kind of weird lately. Normally he's a nice guy, but I think I got on his shit list the last time our families got together for dinner. My dad and her mom are partners in a law firm, so that's how we became close over the years.

Claudia had been sharing her latest theory on why she thought Mr. Kauffman from history was the Zodiac killer, and as usual I was playing along since I love how she gets so into it. She got up to help clear the table afterwards, and as I watched her chatting with my mom in the kitchen, something just clicked. I knew at that moment that my feelings for her ran much deeper than friendship.

Then I heard Claudia's dad clear his throat at the table. The look on his face told me he had caught me staring at her, and he certainly wasn't pleased about it. He didn't say anything to me, but now every time I go over he makes a big deal about keeping the door to her room open.

"But Dad! It's Lucas!" Claudia had protested unsuccessfully.

I couldn't tell if she was simply appeasing him or if that's the way she really felt about me. Either way, it stung. So the next time I went over and her parents weren't home, I made it a mission to find out.

We were watching a movie in her room after finishing our homework, only I scooted much closer to her than I normally would. Halfway in, she leaned towards me and I couldn't resist closing the small space between us and pulling her against me. When she rested her head on my shoulder, I almost forgot how to breathe. It was the best thing I've ever felt.

I was a mess for the rest of the movie, debating whether I should go for it and kiss her. She was right there—all I had to do was lean in—but so many reasons not to kept swirling around my head. It could ruin our friendship. Her dad would kill me. My dad would kill me. They wouldn't let us be alone anymore or hang out whenever we wanted to. No more movie nights in her room.

Eventually Claudia decided for me when she jumped to the other side of the bed. At first I thought I had scared her off, but then I realized it was because a car had pulled up to her driveway. I nearly had a heart attack moments later when her dad came to check in on us, but Claudia acted as if nothing had happened.

Needless to say, I chickened out. Big time. I'm forever stuck in the friend zone.

"Lucas! Are those Skittles?" Claudia suddenly exclaims, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Great. She must have seen the red packet peeking out of my pocket. I wasn't planning on giving them to her anymore after Brian decided to give her a freaking rose. "Um ... yeah. Do you want them?"

"Are you crazy? Of course I do! I love Skittles," she says, her entire face lighting up.

I know. That's why I got them for you.

"All yours," I say, handing them to her.

She surprises me by leaning up and giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Lucas. You're the best."

I smile like an idiot.

She walks ahead of me, as I'm stunned in place. I can't help but notice the sway of her hips and how she seems to be filling out her jeans more every day. It's like the older we get, the more attracted to her I become. At this rate, I can't imagine what'll happen to me once we reach high school. I'll be a goner by then.

I shake my head and follow her like a lost puppy into math class. I set her textbook down in front of her and take a seat right across from her. She turns around to thank me again and I notice a slight blush on her cheeks. Class starts and I'm in a stupor.

It has to mean something. She didn't seem to care about Brian's rose, and acted as if I had given her one instead. Hope bubbles up inside me. But I need to make sure of something first.

I turn to a blank page in my notebook and write her a note.

Audi, we're still hanging out later, right? Your place?

Underneath, I add four checkboxes with the answers: Yes, Absolutely, Definitely, and All of the above.

I toss Claudia the note when Mrs. Archer isn't looking, and she hides it under her notebook. I'm dying for her to agree. Plus, it has to be at her place. I love my mom, but I don't want her interrupting with cookies and whatnot. I need it to be only us.

Claudia chuckles as she reads the note. She adds a new checkbox under mine and proceeds to write a long answer next to it. I swallow nervously. That can't be good. We usually hang out on Tuesdays, but since it's Valentine's Day, maybe she made other plans. Or worse—Brian asked her out.

The note falls back on my desk and I'm forced to hide it as Mrs. Archer faces the classroom. As if the suspense weren't killing me already, she looks suspiciously in my direction. Man, I'm so busted. I can only pray she doesn't force me to read the note in front of the entire class.

But Cupid must have been working his magic today because she goes back to writing on the whiteboard after a small shake of her head. I open the note and anxiously read it.

Of course, Lucas. Duh! Can you help me with today's homework though? This guy who thinks he's real smooth keeps distracting me and won't let me concentrate in class. Also, it's my turn to pick the movie. It will most definitely be sappy and overly emotional. Bwahaha. Be prepared.

PS – It's supposed to snow tonight!

It's official. I'm crazy about her. When I look back up in her direction, I find her already facing me, waiting for an answer. My grin turns into a full-blown smile, and I nod in response to her question. I'm pretty sure I would do anything for her.

"Show off," she mouths.

I know she's only kidding. She secretly loves that I'm good at math.

"Always," I mouth back.

She smiles, flashing her perfect teeth at me once again. It's such a beautiful sight. And it's right then that I decide I can't wait any longer.

I'm kissing her tonight.