she smells like lemongrass and sleep, she tastes like apple juice and peach
{ High schooler at a frat party meeting her future love | 1998 }
”Slow down!” There was not a thing Davina hated more than driving with her boyfriend, Nathan. Or friend. Ex-boyfriend. No, ex-fling. There we go. That was one long story but it might be important for us to quickly look back at it.
{ First year of high school, 1994 }
With her backpack in her hand and not on her back, Davina ran across the parking lot to her high school, arriving late. It was only her second Tuesday and she was already behind on everything and already running late. Her backpack being light was the only thing she was happy about at that very moment since she only had one little notebook while the rest of the space was filled with ballet shoes, thighs and a leotard. One would think she was late because she was coming straight to school from her ballet class but that was not the case. She had that later but today Davina simply slept in, and as much as she didn’t care about school, she wanted to have perfect attendance. Yes, Davina didn’t care about school. The only thing she cared about was ballet and she was hoping to make it big one day. She was going to. She knew it.
”You alright?” One moment she was turning the corner but then she found herself laying on a cold floor in the hallway, the light coming through the window blinding her. She felt those stranger’s arms helping her up, a look of concern on his… pretty face. Woah, he’s pretty. ”Can you hear me?” ”Y-yeah,” picking up her backpack and this time swinging it over he shoulder, she gently touched the back of her head that was throbbing. ”Do I… have to take you to the nurse or? Something?” Giving him a puzzled look, still processing how she bumped into a guy and ended up on the floor, she almost nodded, infatuated with him. Wait, that’s a little exaggeration. She was just enjoying his beauty… Stopping herself from nodding, Davina quickly shook her head. ”No, no! I’m fine, I’m in a bit of a rush if you haven’t noticed,” flashing a sweet smile, she walked by him but her desire to keep talking to him stopped her. He wasn’t a freshman like she was, he looked much older… maybe a junior, even a senior? Later she’ll find out he was a junior and not the best one. ”22. Classroom 22, where is it?” Turning to face him, she thought he would answer her in a normal way, using words, but she found him simply pointing at the room that was right next to her. ”Oh,” the last thing Davina mumbled before disappearing, embarrassed.
* * *
”I’d have to ask my mother,” sighing, Davina was walking down the hallway with her childhood friend, talking about their plans for the weekend. But a familiar voice caught her attention. Maybe it wasn’t directed at her but she turned her head, meeting the eyes of a guy she bumped into a month ago. ”You’re still alive,” he was standing with a group of, what she could assume, his friends, smiling at her. Assume… no, that girl now knew way too much about someone who didn’t even know her name. Nathan, junior, was one of those popular guys with his group of fckboy friends, had two older sister and no idea what he wanted to do with his life. After high school he didn’t want to do anything but his parents would never let that happen. ”It seems like I am,” shrugging, she tried to play it cool, act like she wasn’t freaking out that he remembered who she was. Don’t look at her like that… He might not be the best guy and he might not have the best friends but who cares? ”What’s your name?” ”Davina.” ”That’s a pretty name.” ”Thank you,” with that she smiled at him and turned before he could add anything else, almost dragging her friend as she continued walking. Chase. Davina liked the chase.
* * *
Other than subtle glances, there was nothing indicating Nathan was interested in Davina. He never spoke to her again and she didn’t want to be the first one to do something. That lasted for two months before she got bored of it and found him in the parking lot, locking his car. ”You never told me your name,” with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, she was standing behind the guy, her gaze traveling across the car before stopping at him, meeting his eyes. ”No? I think you know it though,” with a playful smile he wasn’t trying to hide, he walked past her expecting her to follow him. Which she did do. ”How could I know it if you never told me?” Before catching up to him, Davina noticed a big tattoo on the back of his arm she somehow missed before. ”Take a guess then.” ”Take a guess?” ”Yeah,” glancing at her, the smile he had was still there. ”You look like Jaden… or Misha. Yes, Misha.” ”See, I told you you know it.” ”Wha- That’s not your name.” ”Yes it is.” ”Stop messing with me, Nathan.” That’s when she stopped, realizing what she said but so did he, gently placing his hand on her arm before saying, ”See you around.”
{ Fast forward to 1996, Nathan’s last two months }
”Stop, stoop,” with Nathan’s lips travelling down her neck, Davina looked around the empty hallway in case someone showed up, trying to push him off. Very gently because she actually didn’t want him to stop. This, whatever they had, ha’s been going on for over a year now and most people knew about it but they were never official. Nor will they be. They were just… having fun together which Davina accepted as a “title” as long as it meant he’d be close to her. She liked him, she really did… no, she loved him. And he knew that but she never got those words from him and hearing that from her didn’t make him want to take their relationship seriously. ”You know my parents are not home tonight?” Now whispering in between the kisses, he reminded her. ”Mhm… You told me that this morning. And yesterday…”
But then he left for college after telling her he won’t go, but that was not what his parents wanted. That night when he called her, before leaving he finally told her he loved her too. But maybe he didn’t. Or he did. Or maybe he had no idea what that mean, to love someone. All Davina knew was that it broke her. After that she hasn’t heard from him for months before he came back for Christmas and only met up with her to say hi. Only that.
{ Back to 1998 }
”Slow down!” Her hair tangling in the wind, she was yelling over the music in Nathan’s convertible on their way to pick up his friends. How did she get here? That wasn’t a long story. Now she was the one only having two months left of high school and he randomly reached out to her. To apologize. What an apology she got… it was better if she didn’t but hearing him brought back old memories and the feeling she had when she was with him. It truly did sound like he wanted to make it up to her and she… couldn’t miss that chance. He invited her to some kind of a frat party, not worrying about her getting in and offered a place to stay the night. She naively took that offer. ”It’s fine, it’s fiiine,” he chuckled, his free hand finding a spot on her bare thigh.
”You don’t go here.” There really was no problem getting in and Davina soon found herself surrounded by drunk college kids, making out on every corner. She’s been to parties, many parties but this was something else. The only problem was, as soon as she walked in with Nathan and his new friends, they all disappeared leaving her there alone. To make it even worse, now there was a stranger who seemed older than Nathan, noticing she didn’t belong there. ”But I am here,” she shrugged, trying to somehow distract him from his thoughts and change the topic. ”That I see,” either it worked or he gave no sht about a high schooler being there as he smiled at her. ”And now you don’t see me anymore,” returning the smile, Davina quickly turned around trying to make her way through the crown and leave the blond dude behind. Leave yet another guy she found attractive to look for someone she hoped wanted to have something with her again. ”There you are,” two cups in his hand, Nathan appeared behind her, handing her the drink. ”There you are! You left me there,” taking the cup, she tried to stay calm and not show how annoyed she was because of it. ”I… was just grabbing drinks,” no matter how hard she tried to hide it with his cheeky smile, she cold hear him carefully picking his words, almost stuttering. ”And I promise I’ll be right back.” ”Wait-” but before she could protest, she already lost him, her back hitting the wall behind her.
How long has she been standing there? Around 5 minutes but it felt like an hour. Her gaze wandering across the room, stopping at every stranger she knew she’d never see again before spotting him again. The very observer guy. Quickly looking away before he noticed she was staring, she brought the cup to her lips, taking sips. ”He left you to go fck someone,” almost spitting out her drink, she looked up only to find mister blond hair in front of her, drinking his own drink. His eyes glued to hers. ”Excuse me?” Okay, she doesn’t look at this guy as an “attractive blond” anymore. Who does he think he is? ”Look,” but he sweetly continued, ignoring the annoyed expression on her face. ”You seem like a nice girl. I also don’t think you’re from round here or that you even go to college and I have no idea how you got here with him, but everyone here knows him. Not for anything good… I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to upset you, just… a little heads up.” Shrugging his shoulders, he downed his drink and now he was the one to turn away from her. ”Wait,” but Davina stopped him. A guy she’ll soon learn was named Elijah.
To be continued