Draren

Early December: Paige's Perspective

I stared out the window as silvery flakes descended from the sky while my classmates joked around. It was the last period of the day, and our teacher assigned us no homework for the weekend.

Darren threw a paper aeroplane, and it landed on my desk. Printed on top was my name, and when I looked back, a suave smile crossed his face. A short letter inside asked if I wanted to meet him at our favourite place this evening.

We used to be best friends, but when high school started, we drifted apart. Summers in the treehouse over the lake watching the sunset were distant memories. Now it's our last year, he seems to be trying to reach out again, and since I am graduating early, I thought, why not.

When the bell rang, my best friend Kailey met me at my locker and handed me a hot chocolate. She had a free period at the end of the day and frequently brought me goodies from the cafe next door.

"Darren asked if we could meet up today."

"Oh my gosh, that's awesome! Are you going to go?"

"I don't know. I feel like he is only asking to copy my homework or something."

She rolled her eyes as I offered her a half-smile while I packed up my bag. I took a sip of my hot chocolate, and she started laughing when I got a milk moustache.

"You know he's got good grades and got into UVIC as well."

"Only on a rowing scholarship."

"So he'll still have to maintain his grades to keep it."

I bit my tongue when Darren walked past us with his friends. He's so smooth with those funny jokes and interesting comments, I thought to myself. Girls practically throw themselves at him, yet he doesn't have a girlfriend.

"Oh, I hope he wasn't listening," I burst out laughing.

"Maybe he thinks we were talking about someone else?"

We left the building and headed down the back road toward our street until we hit a fork in the road. Kailey waved as she went right, and I continued on my way down the rocky path. When I got to the lake, I went around the bend into a hidden area where an old oak tree stood. Atop was a broken down treehouse that I climbed to and threw a pebble onto the frozen water.

"Paige, are you up here?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why."

"That's a relief. I didn't think you'd come."

His six-foot frame somehow still fit through the doorway, curly blonde hair and all. Damn, I thought I left this crush back in ninth grade!

"Why'd you ask me to come here, Draren?"

"Cute, is that my new nickname?"

"It's something I'm working on."

"Did you bring your skates, Paigey-waigey?"

I glared at him and pulled my skates out of my bag. We went down to the lake and laced up our skates, and I started doing figure eights.

"Do you even remember how to skate?"

"I taught you how to do those fancy turns you're doing. Man, I missed this!"

"Stop, you know what, I'm leaving. See you on campus next year."

"Will you come to my regatta's?"

I skated to the side and put my boots back on. In January, I arrived at UVIC and was shocked when Darren walked into my first class.