- 2 -

"Apparently we are shipped," He chuckled.

I giggled.

"Apparently so."

"So." He said.

"So," I said.

Déjà Vu?

It feels like 'so' was going to become like our 'always.' Not that we're an "our." That would be weird. We literally met 15 minutes ago.

Although I'm a total flirt (and so is he, apparently), we can't be that easy, right?

"You almost got my name right. Alec and Alex are pretty similar, so you gotta get some credit." He said, interrupting my train of thought.

"I should, but then again I was wrong so I'll still buy you lunch," I replied, giving him a soft smile.

"Fair enough. Wanna do introductions?" Alec asked, pointing at all the rest of the people in the classroom. This was a normal occurrence every week if you were paired with someone you did not know, so I nodded.

"So, my name is Alec Smith," He started, "I like... dogs and witty pick-up lines. I don't like horror movies. Also, please remember my name this time." He ended with a cute wink, to which I laughed.

"Seriously? Pick up lines?" I continued laughing and shaking my head, to which he only shrugged with an overexaggerated hmph.

"Okay my turn," I continued, "My name is Harper Chase. I like collecting stickers and stamps. And I am 100% sure I could beat you in a pick-up line battle." I ended with a smirk of myself, and he gasped dramatically.

"You did not! Is that a challenge, Chase?" He asked, giving me a determined look and I only laughed even more.

"Oh, puh-lease. We both know I'd win, guessing how many times I'm subjected to them by my desperate admirers," I gloated. And of course, I was lying. I may be pretty but that doesn't mean people try to pick me up all the time.

He scoffed at me, and I smiled because I knew he was playing.

"Anyway, it's a pleasure, Alec Smith," I spoke his name with emphasis, as if saying look at me, I know your name, and brought my hand forward for a friendly handshake.

"The pleasure is all mine, Chase," His smile melted me while his fingers intertwined with my own, and we slowly hooked our palms to shake our hands.

Time passed, and we both stared at each other as our hands stayed in a gentle grasp.

This was anything but a friendly handshake.

Flirting wasn't new to me or anything. In fact, I had had my fair share of boyfriends before, considering that now, I was in my second year of high school. But, I had been single for 2 months.

Maybe because I wasn't really interested in dating right now.

Still, flirting with Alec seemed nice — almost rejuvenating.

... Maybe I was beginning to get interested again.

"And mine is Dais Rode." A new voice interrupted our moment, and we gasped.

Our hands left each other quickly and we turned behind, to see Mr. Rode's face, just inches away. I would have screamed loudly, but I was petrified silent. His face was scary the closer you got.

And it was scarier when he was smiling, which he was doing right now, because he looked more like a stalker than a teacher. This psycho teach—

"Guys, even though I totally ship you both, I need to get paid. And I won't be paid if you guys don't study. So, open your books, chop-chop!"

I sighed. This damned—

Opening our textbooks, we watched Mr. Rode as he walked to the front of the class and started talking, while we started learning. Something about half-reactions.

Of course, I was bored out of my mind since Chemistry was only fun when we did practical stuff because I got to see people burn their hair and acidulate their fingers.

But apparently, I was not the only bored one. Alec sneakily took my hand, as if the buffoon thought I wouldn't notice, and drew something on it. I didn't shake him off, mostly because I was way too lazy to move my hand.

When he was finished with whatever he was scribbling, he left my hand and I brought it up to examine his artpiece. I had already decided to kill him if he just scribbled all over my hand, no matter how cute he was, but it seems I didn't have to worry about that.

Because when I saw what he wrote, I almost fell down from my chair, trying to stifle my laughter.

He had written:

On a scale of 1 to 10, you are 9 and I am the 1 you need <3

(You think you could beat that?)

I giggled. Was this the pickup line battle I may or may not have intentionally initiated?

I quickly grabbed his hand and started to write back. When I was done, he read what I wrote and coughed, trying not to laugh by putting his head down, but failing miserably.

I had written:

I don't know how I'll ever get to class on time when it's so easy to get lost in your eyes!

(Of course I can, sucker)

And I wasn't kidding. His eyes were actually really pretty. I was doing my best not to stare because that would be a kind of intimacy that was above our current playful squabble. I wasn't sure if I was capable of handling that yet.

He grabbed a paper and a pencil — probably thinking it would be wiser to stop using our hands as message carriers — and wrote something else down. Taking the piece of paper, I read it.

Don't walk into any buildings. The sprinklers might go off. XD

I giggled. And wrote one myself.

Even if the Earth had no gravity, I would still fall for you.

He chuckled and wrote something. I took the paper.

You must be the square root of two because I feel irrational around you!

I wrote back:

How can I know 1000000's digits of Pi but not the seven digits of your phone no.?

I'm quite serious here, Smith ;)

He grinned and gave me the paper with his number. I added him to my contacts and told him mine. To my delight, he added me, at lightning speed.

He finally wrote something else and gave me the paper.

Your smile is brighter than the sun, the moon and the stars mixed together.

At this cheesily stupid line, I couldn't hold on any longer. I laughed.

He smiled at that.

Suddenly, Mr. Rode came out of nowhere and said. "You two, please go outside."

I wanted to argue, saying sorry. But Mr. Rode sighed. "I am going to have to discuss this type of misconduct with the principal."

I shut my mouth.

Now I was panicking. "No! Please, no. We are really, really sorry, sir. We—I—it was... it was my fault. Alec was just—"

"What, no! No, it was totally my fault. I started this pickup line contest—"

"And I encouraged it!" I said glaring at him. Doesn't he get it? I am trying to get him out of trouble! He stared right back, though. As if saying, I don't care, I am too.

"I am at fault." We both said to Mr. Rode at the same time. Half of me wanted to kiss him, for trying so hard. But the other part wanted to strangle and maybe even slap him for being so – fucking – stupid!

We both glared at each other.

Mr. Rode stared at both of us and then found himself sighing.

"Alright, fine, I'll not report you two. Just get out, though. You're making teaching chemistry harder than it is supposed to be," He spoke, waving his hands dismissively and walking back to the front.

But I think I heard a brief, "Why do these kids have to be so darn cute?"

I looked around. Everyone was working, seemingly absorbed in the worksheet Mr. Rhode had passed down (which I had no idea was passed down because I was so focused on Alec). No one seemed to have realized that he told us to get out. I bit my lip, looking at Alec.

He seemed just as surprised as me. I grinned and raised an eyebrow, Wanna go?

Alec twisted his lips into a smile of his own, Let's go.

We both got out of the chairs simultaneously, took our bags, and went the hell out of the class. As we went, Alec whispered into my ear, "My doctor said that I was lacking Vitamin-U"

I laughed loudly. I couldn't believe this was happening. Adrenaline and dopamine were rushing into my head, making me feel giddy and light-headed. I think some sort of chemical reaction occurred somewhere inside me because I felt like I was red and hot. And happy.

"Are you a banana? Cause I find you a-peeling!" I replied, smirking. But this was already the last one I could remember, and I hoped he knew no more.

"Do you like sleeping?" He said, and I nodded. "Me too! We should do it together some time." He smirked, challenging me to say a better pickup line.

When I didn't say anything he laughed. "Are you a scientist? Cause I would do you on a table, periodically." He whispered in my ear, his deep voice vibrating in my mind. I blushed harder.

I shook my head and looked at him. Rolling my eyes ever so slightly and smiling seductively while flicking his nose, I said, "Gosh, Alec. You have such a dirty mind."

He blushed for a moment at the sudden touch on his nose, but the smirk eventually came back. "I don't have a dirty mind, sweetheart. I just got a sexy imagination."

I laughed again. But because we were the only ones in the hallway, my laugh echoed back to me. Hearing it loud and clear, I suddenly realized how Alec had made me laugh so many times already, since the moment I met him approximately 40 minutes ago. And I felt a prickle in my chest; a fondness. I loved this feeling.

Beside me, Alec smiled wide. Suddenly he held my hand, and I raised my eyebrow at him.

He blushed a little. "Your hand looks heavy. Let me hold them for you."

I found myself blushing and laughing once again at this. Then suddenly stopped. "Are you calling my poor little hand fat?"

"What! No. God, no. Your hand isn't – You aren't – I didn't – " He stuttered, trying to make me understand. He was clearly flustered, and I smirked. Just what I wanted.

He suddenly let go of my hand, frowning and mumbling a 'sorry'.

I frowned. Just NOT what I wanted.

I grabbed his hand. "On second thought, it is heavy. Hold it for me."

He suddenly stopped moving. We were one step away from the school gate. "Huh? Why did you suddenly stop?"

"Harper."

I immediately straightened, blushing a bit. This was the first time he had called me "Harper". He'd been calling me "Chase" all this while.

"Yeah?" I said, nervously.

"I am gonna kiss you, and if you don't like it, you can return it."

My eyes widened. And before I could say anything, his lips gently touched mine.

There was no tongue involved; in fact, it was rather PG. Like a quick peck you would give to babies. Small, hesitant, shy. Cute.

Most people described kisses like fireworks exploding and the world spinning. But I had never felt like that to date. No fireworks ever exploded for me when I kissed guys.

But right now they did.

For this small, hesitant, shy PG kiss, I felt like a barrage of fireworks had exploded inside me.

Perhaps it was the excitement, the sweetness, the feeling of wanting more than just a little baby peck, the feeling of hunger... but I could feel it. This exploding, overwhelming firework that burst inside my heart.

When he left my lips as quickly as he joined them, I stared at him.

He seemed anxious, so different from the confident and flirty side he had been showing me throughout Chemistry. I smiled.

As if I was being pulled, I leaned toward him unknowingly, bringing my hands around his neck and in his hair. I returned the cute peck he gave me with a slow and deep kiss.

I remembered what he said before – I am gonna kiss you, and if you don't like it, you can return it – and I hoped he understood why I kissed him back right now. Not because I hated it, not because I liked it, but because I absolutely loved it.

And so commenced our short and sweet makeout session. Almost breathless, we pulled away.

"So—" He panted lightly, looking flushed.

"So," I smiled at him, still in his arms. I didn't even know I was in his arms until I was and it felt so natural. I liked it.

"You didn't like it?"

"I loved it."

He broke into a grin. "Good."

"Yeah."

"I've had a huge crush on you since the beginning of the year."

"Yeah?" My eyes widened slightly. The beginning of the year was already a month ago. He'd liked me for a month? Damn.

"Yeah. And I thought I needed to talk to you today at least. So I may or may not have planned all of this out with Mr. Rode."

"What?" I found myself breathlessly laughing, my eyes wide like saucers from surprise.

"I told him if he could make me sit with you," He blushed, "And I kind of hoped something would happen..."

"Something did happen," I whispered, biting my lips and waiting for him to say something. And he did.

He asked me what I wanted to hear.

"D-Do you wanna go on a date with me?" He blushed out.

"... Yes," My smile hurt my cheeks. My eyes were closed and I was blushing.

I was so happy.

And that, my friends, is how I met that special someone.

My Best friend. My Boyfriend. My husband.