MIDSUMMER CRUSH

Chapter 4

It all began during her senior year at Hamilton High in Michigan. Giselle was all of seventeen with an athlete figure and slightly on the heavier side. She was tall, fair, and had wavy brown hair ending till the arch of her back. Her mature looks made her appear older for her age. While most girls her age dreamed about boys and make-up, Giselle would list down the best colleges for higher studies and dreamed of having a good career.

Her glasses and quiet nature gave way to strangers stereotyping her as a snob which wasn't the case. She was extremely helpful and caring in nature, so much that she ended up winning the bad boy's heart at Hamilton high. Her friends were left dumbstruck when they heard the news. Every girl fancied him and his hip swag, he was a jock, and hardly attended lectures. Girls often wondered how he chose a simpleton like Giselle, but little did they know that Giselle was just trying to keep him happy.

"Will you be my girl?" he proposed near the locker and cornered her during recess.

Startled, Giselle looked around and cringed.  "Erm...you missed Prof. Gerard's lecture this morning, do you want my notes?" She said and tried to change the topic.

"Nope, I want your answer," he replied and pressed his palms against the lockers. "Oh, and by the way, I don't take no for an answer..." he leaned closer and looked deep into her eyes while she gulped.

"Uh...I..don't harbour any such feelings...." She had hardly finished when Bruce turned upset.

"What do you mean? I thought you liked me," his warm breath brushed her face as he looked at her with imploring eyes. "You're the only one I trust around here with my life, you're the best thing that happened to me, Giselle," he explained and made her feel awkward.

"You've changed me from being the person who I was, I love you Giselle, please don't say no,

 he begged and made her feel guilty. "You're the only girl who understands me so well, please don't break my heart now," he added while she kept staring at him.

"But, I'm not in love with you, Bruce..." she replied softly and hoped he would let her go.

"I'll make you fall in love with me, just say yes and leave the rest to me," he whispered and caressed her jaw line as she shivered.

Confused and helpless, Giselle darted her eyes across the hallway and asked him a week's time to answer his proposal. "No, only three days....I want your answer in three days time, Giselle. And remember I hate rejections," he held her hand and seductively kissed her knuckles before the bell rang.

Her close friends had warned her about his growing softness towards her, but Giselle always laughed it off. Being the helpful nature that she was, she never shied from going out of her way to help anyone, even if it meant the boy whom nobody dared messing with. "He may seem tough from out, but he's really lonely inside," she had once said when her friend cautioned her for being  too friendly with Bruce.

"I had a crush on him once, but if you look closer, he's not the gentleman like...stay away from him, Giselle," Rachel had said, but Giselle paid no heed to her and ended up in a tight situation when Bruce finally proposed.

Those three days were the longest days for Bruce, but he made it a point to make it the best ones for Giselle. In an attempt to woo her, he secretly kept chocolates in her locker, roses on her desk in and even slipped love notes in her books.  Giselle liked the attention, for she had never seen a guy so crazily in love with her, but to consider him a boyfriend was something that still perturbed her mind.

On the  third night, Bruce sent her a text stating where to meet. That night neither of them could sleep without thinking about the next day. When the big day finally arrived, Giselle met Bruce in the music room.  "So what's your answer, I haven't slept a wink all three nights," he said and waited eagerly for her reply.

"I thought a lot about it, I've never been in a relationship before...but at the same time I wouldn't mind trying one," she said, but wasn't sure about  it while Bruce gloated with happiness. "Let's just date for a while and see how things works," she reluctantly said and hoped her answer satisfied him.

Bruce was more than elated, he assured her that he would convince her into falling in love with him, to which Giselle felt more like he was going to force her love him. "I'm still not sure about this, Bruce. I'm not your type..." she whispered as she turned and reached for the door.

"Are you stating that I'm not your type?" he  caught her hand and pulled her back. Gliding his hand across her waist he pulled her closer and looked into her eyes. "Am I not worthy of having you, do you hate me because I'm a bad boy?" he trapped her with words and made her feel guilty again. "Just give me one chance, Giselle. I promise you won't regret it," he begged until she reluctantly agreed.

"Alright..." she replied and prepared to leave, but he held her tight.

Leaning forward, he reached for her lips when she hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand. "What are you doing?" she asked seeming flustered.

"Kissing my girl," he replied and lowered her hand from his lips. "Uh..aren't we rushing things a bit too early?" she recoiled and hoped no one was watching them.

"You're my girl now...we can do anything we want..." he whispered in her ear and slipped his hands under her skirt to feel her bottom. Giselle quivered with his touch as he smirked and felt the softness.

Turning red in embarrassment, she nervously pushed his hand away. "I've got lectures to attend, I need to go," she gulped and escaped from the music room, little did she know that this was just the beginning of her problems.

Their first date was at the movies. Bruce had requested to take her on a date to know each other better. "Shouldn't we be in a restaurant or someplace bright to talk and know each other better?" Giselle asked when she met him at the movies.

"Don't worry, I've planned everything for our first date. We'll stop by a bistro after watching the movie," he suggested and checked her out for she had worn the same boring jeans and sweatshirt.

When the lights went off,  Bruce reached for her hand on the arm rest and held it. Giselle quivered but kept calm and watched the screen as the movie began.  It wasn't long before Bruce requested a kiss and startled her. "Bruce we're in the middle of a movie!" she whispered and felt awkward.

"So the movie seems more interesting to you than me, huh?" he frowned. "I'm trying  so hard to make this work but it looks like you aren't interested. It was just a small kiss I asked," he got upset and sat with a sour face till the interval. Feeling bad that she had spoilt his mood, she waited for the lights to turn off again and agreed to kiss him.  A little peck on his cheek would do no harm, she thought and leaned forward to kiss him when all of a sudden he turned.

Giselle was taken aback when their lips brushed against each other. Embarrassed, she blushed and recoiled in her seat. "Okay...that was unexpected..." she thought and continued watching the movie. 

As the movie progresed, she felt his arm over her shoulder. He felt the smoothness of her shoulder and pressed it before Giselle shifted in her seat and expressed her displeasure. "Why can't he just watch a movie like normal people?" she thought and hoped the movie would end sooner.

After the movie ended, they stopped by a quiet bistro that wasn't much crowded. "So how was it?" he asked."Cool...I'm not into sci-fic, but it was good," she smiled and noticed the interior.

"I'm talking about our kiss, how was it?" he enquired and smirked mischievously.

Giselle blushed and lowered her gaze.  "It was you first one, wasn't it?" he added and grabbed her attention. " Don't worry, you'll get better with time, not every girl's first kiss has to be perfect," he smiled slyly while she shifted in her seat.

"Sorry,  I'm new to this...you know a lot though," she cringed and felt like a fool before him.

"More than you have ever known..." he chuckled and studied her expression. "I'll teach you how to love...you're my girl, you'll learn the ropes soon," he smiled and rested his hand on hers.

.The two had a pleasant time talking and knowing each other's likes and dislikes. As they spoke for hours, Giselle gradually felt comfortable and realised that dating him wasn't a bad idea after all. She spotted few of her classmates at the bistro and knew that they would spread rumours about their relationship, but that didn't matter, after all she was dating the bad boy whom every girl fancied.

Later that evening, he took her to the bowling alley to introduce her to his friends. They were a bunch of boisterous jocks who made her laugh and feel all the more comfortable. When time flew by she hardly realised until Bruce offered to drop her home.

"Thanks for the date, it was really nice hanging out with you," she said as she go out near her house.

"Didn't I say you wouldn't regret it," he smiled and stood  before her.  "This was just the beginning though, there's lot more to experience," he whispered while she smiled coyly.

They stood in silence until it got awkward for her. "Okay then, see you in school tomorrow, good night," she waved and turned to leave.

"Erm...Hey I think you forgot something, this belongs to you.." he suddenly said.

"What?" she turned to face him and wondered what she had left behind when all of a sudden he pulled her closer and crushed his lips into her. "My kiss..." he whispered with his lips planted on hers.

Giselle trembled as he cupped her face and forced his tongue inside.  Clutching on to his jacket in astonishment, she let him explore her mouth and savour her lips. "I love you so damn hard," he said as his hands trailed down her sides and lingered at her hips. Giselle gently pushed him away as he reluctantly left her lips. "We're near my place, don't do that here," she cautioned him and stepped back

"Oh, so daddy's little girl is scared of being caught, huh?" he teased and wrapped her in his arms. "You shouldn't live in fear, you'll turn eighteen soon...you can do whatever you like," he smirked and wiped her moist lips while she lowered her gaze.

"Have you ever made out, before?" he whispered seductively.

"No...I told you right, I never had a boy friend before," she blushed and avoided meeting his eyes.

"Oh yeah, you're a virgin. I'm glad I'm your first. You've got lots to learn, but I'll teach you slowly..." he whispered  and squeezed her butt before she gasped.

"Tomorrow skip classes and come with me, I'll take you some place where we can be alone," he slapped her butt teasingly and let her go.

Giselle hurriedly rushed to the door and stepped in without turning back. Relived that her parents were asleep, she tip toed to her room and saw him through the window. Bruce smiled and waved out before driving off in his car.

"God, he's something..." she took a breather and collapsed on her bed. She couldn't believe she had actually gone on a date with the high school baddie. Though he was a bit touchy and feely, she felt their relationship would work and that she would grow to love him soon. All she wanted was more time to know him inside out before making it official, but Bruce had other plans since he was the type of guy who hardly waited for anything.