d r i v e` on the SIDEWALK {Annaleigh}

[jesseboyce]

^{“Italy, and the spring and first love
all together should suffice to make
the gloomiest person happy.”}

---->
Jesse gave a sigh of relief when it was finally time for his parents to bid him goodbye after he'd waited through the line to check-in at the desk and send his backs off to wherever it was they went before they were loaded onto his plane. He wiped off the kiss his mom had left on his face with a grimace, and felt thankful his dad had only given him a manly hug.

His lips drew into a thin line as he turned and walked over to the line of people waiting to go through the security checkpoint. It felt like he was standing in a huge herd of cattle being chased by a bunch of wranglers, but really all he had to do was check in with his teacher and then stand in line with strangers. Once everyone made it through the security gate, his classmates would all gather outside the gate their plane would leave from to count heads again.

He gazed over the heads in line ahead of him, noticing a couple of balding men with suits, a woman with a couple of whining kids, and some younger adults all wearing t-shirts from the same college. So far, he hadn't found Annaleigh. Of course, he'd gotten to the airport late, and was now even further behind schedule, so he was probably almost the last student from the class to be going through security.

A few minutes later he made it up to the front of the line, where he had to take off his shoes, belt, watch, wallet, and cell phone and hand it all over to the security guys along with his backback. He walked through the metal detector in his socked feet and held his breath as if he was worried he'd set it of. He didn't and he was able to retrieve his belongings without any fuss. Thankfully, he'd packed everything neatly and they hadn't found anything that looked suspicious. A pat-down by the security guards would be beyond humiliating.

After he shoved his feet into his well-worn sneakers, he glanced up at the signs on the ceiling and headed down the large hallway towards the gate his plane was scheduled to leave from. He passed a couple of restaurants, if you could call them that, and some gift shops, most of which were just starting to open since it was only 6:30 in the morning.

Jesse knew he'd found the right place when he saw the desks with the Southwest Airlines logo hanging on them. After he passed a few empty seating areas, he found the one where the rest of his classmates were sitting. His pale green eyes scanned over the tired looking bunch and quickly spotted Annaleigh chatting casually with a couple other pretty girls.

He caught her eye and waved at her and then took the last open seat near her, which just happened to be right next to her. Boy, I thought I'd never make it in time! He laughed with a friendly smile, clearly feeling more comfortable around her than he had just a couple months before. He almost forgot about the other girls sitting with them as he looked at Annaleigh. He'd once felt awkward around her, as he did most people, but now that he knew her better she'd become the closest friend he had.

Jesse gave a worried glace over to the other girls then, realizing he may have butted into a girls-only conversation or something. He frowned and then turned back to his friend, hoping she would forgive him if he had. Uh, we're still sitting by each other on the plane right? Southwest offered open seating, and since he'd never flown before he didn't want to get stuck sitting by someone he didn't even know. Truthfully, the only reason he'd even agreed to go on the trip was because Annaleigh had assured him they'd have a great time together. His stomach felt queasy now that he realized he'd have to be around all these other students, and even sharing a room with a guy he barely knew.

[annaleighchadwick]

It was raining outside. I wondered if rain could mess with the traction of tires or affect how late someone could be on their way to the airport. I hoped it wasn't raining in Paris, that it was sunny and gorgeous. And that Jesse was with me. We'd promised to sit next to each other on the plane, and seeing as he hadn't showed and we were boarding in ten minutes, it was beginning to look as if that promise would be broken. I would be stuck sitting next to one of my more obnoxious 'freinds', Angela, and that wasn't going to be fun.

I yawned, scanning the crowd once more, attempting to make the nerves disappear from my face. Our teacher, Mrs. Levine, was calling us over, asking us to gather up our things and get ready to catch our flight. I wasn't paying attention and would probably need debriefing later, but that was a small price I had to pay. If Jesse got stuck in security and was obviously here on time, I was going to make sure everyone knew, and that they'd wait for him. I had resorted to biting my nails anxiously when I spotted him in the crowd, siren red hair flopping as he rushed to meet the group. I immediately looked away, afraid of what might happen if I locked eyes with him.

I'd liked Jesse for awhile now, as strange as that sounded. The more social friends that I'd told didn't approve, but for once, it didn't matter to me. We understood each other, I thought he was terribly interesting, and we were close friends at this point. He was the best listener I'd ever run into in awhile, and he was smarter than any of the girls I typically chatted with. But that didn't mean he could sort out the reasoning behind my recent actions. The lingering hugs, the eye contact, the giggling I couldn't seem to control. He had me convinced that he just didn't feel the same way, and was trying to ignore my silly pursuit, but until he told me himself that it was the truth, I would keep following him around like a lovesick puppy.

Boy, I thought I'd never make it in time! My surprise at his sudden arrival almost rivaled that of the flood of endorphins that came whenever he spoke. I smiled back at him, rising to my feet to wrap my arms around him tightly, burying my head in his chest for a brief moment. "Me neither! Geez, I thought you'd have to swim the pond." I managed to keep my tone light, detracting from the hug I'd just given him. "You're always late though, so I expected it." I smiled, grabbing my carry-on luggage and heading toward the plane. By now, I'd separated myself from the group of girls, and was bringing up the rear of the group of students with Jesse, hardly managing to keep moving. It was 6:30 A.M., a number I hardly ever saw on the clock. I never woke up before eight if I didn't have to. "Yeah, you think you could get out of that?" I grinned up at him, referring to our plan to sit together on the plane. "It's gonna be great. I brought coffee, and all those girly magazines you love so much, plus candy. We'll be the only ones awake the whole way there." I continued to smile. We were in the plane now, and since we'd lagged behind, most of the seats were taken, but thankfully, two open seats were left over. I snagged the window seat, pushing Jesse out of the way to get there, laughing rambunctiously and nearly colliding with a flight attendant's rolling tray. I wasn't making a very good impression. To make matters worse, all the butterflies in my stomach made it impossible for me to keep quiet or still as the pilot came on the intercom, earning me some well-deserved glares from our teacher. I tried to calm myself down, offering Jesse a piece of gum as the plane started moving down the track. The change in altitude always made my ears pop. "God, I hate lift off." I muttered, staring out the window as the ground slowly dropped out from under us. The silence that had fallen over our compartment was easily replaced by the babble of excited students, and I attempted to make conversation along with them.

"So. Just as a precautionary measure, let's run through what we're going to do if the engines suddenly fail and we're going to crash." I had such a dark sense of humor.

WORDS 801
TAGGED Jesseeeeeee
NOTES Yuck.
OUTFIT it's frumptastic
LYRICS teenage dreams, katy perry!
CREDIT KENNATRONIC @ caution 2.0

[jesseboyce]

^{“Italy, and the spring and first love
all together should suffice to make
the gloomiest person happy.”}

---->
The redhead tried not to cringe or groan at her hug, but he was relieved when she released him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like hugging her, it was that he liked it a little too much. Holding her body so close always made his heart flutter and dance around, and he had to use every last nerve to keep his composure. He liked her. Yes, he liked her a lot. He still felt a little shy around her at times, but really he liked her more than anyone he’d ever known.

It was all those other people going on the trip that worried him, especially this kid, Ronnie, he has to shack up with. Annaleigh’s enthusiastic response brought a grin to his face. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she decided she didn’t want to sit with him on the plane. He smiled at her and then nudged her with his elbow. Hey, it looks like we’re boarding, you wanna lead the way? He slung his backpack back on and followed her through the gate, where the flight attendant scanned their tickets and ushered them down the long seemingly floating hallway that led to the plane.

She went on to tell him about all the stuff she’d brought to amuse them on the plane. Great. He rolled his eyes teasingly at her. Good thing I brought some manly books to read while you drool all over that girly stuff. He peered out in front of her as he realized they were walking onto the plane. His stomach twisted as he turned down the aisle and saw that most of the seats had already filled. Somehow he’d known being late would screw up his entire day. But just when he thought they had no hope of sitting together, Annaleigh led them to a pair of seats and shoved her way to the window seat. He had no choice but to slide into the aisle seat next to her.

The flight attendants came through and checked their seatbelts and read them some safety instructions while they were taxied out to the runway. He didn’t really pay attention do them. All Jesse could think about was the fact that Annaleigh was sitting so close he could hear her breathing. Jesse startled a bit as she reached over to him and then spoke, and he took the piece of gum she handed him and nodded at her words. Yeah, I’ve heard liftoff and touchdown are the worst parts of the flight. Good thing we’re going to have a long time in-between.

He felt the plane picking up speed and then heard the loud clunk of the wheels pulling back in. They were stuck in the back, where the jets were the loudest and the sound almost made him feel sick. He was glad when Annaleigh spoke, giving him something else to think about. He made a face like he was thinking, pursing his lips and putting his fingers on his chin, brows furrowed. Well, I have to say, if we’re going to crash, you’re getting saved before me. He grinned shyly, wondering if she thought he was cheesy and lame. Trying to sound more hip, he shrugged and spoke again. I mean, you know. Ladies first, right?

He chuckled nervously and then leaned over her a little to look out the window. Hey look, everything’s getting smaller. Those cars are like the size of ants! Jesse’d never been on a plane before, so it made sense that he would remark about something like that. After a few seconds of staring out the window, he realized it was making him feel a bit sick.

Jesse leaned back over into his own seat and laid his head back, red locks falling across his forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, and then before he realized what he was doing, he reached out and put his hand on Annaleigh’s arm. Shocked, he quickly withdrew his hand. Uhh, sorry. My bad. He crossed his arms across his chest as he opened his eyes again, turning to her with a sheepish look asking for forgiveness for his blunder.

[annaleighchadwick]

Oh, why did Jesse have to be so freaking adorable? I knew I was prodding him to say something sweet - just the suggestion of us crashing was enough - and yet, I wasn't prepared. I tried to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape my lips, but as soon as he pretended to play it off with some suave remark, I couldn't hold it back any longer. Could I make this any more obvious? I mentally scolded myself, but at the same time, I knew I'd only do it again. "Very true. But you know, I'd try to save you, too. I'd build a parachute out of napkins or something and tie them all together, we'd jump out of the plane at the last second, land safely, then dance around like the luckiest people on earth while everyone else burned." See what I mean about this dark humor thing? Of course I was just kidding, I had other friends on this plane besides Jesse. And whether we were friends or not, I cared about all of them. Just not as much as I did about him. "Or, you know, the logical solution would be to find a fire hydrant." I smiled wryly just before Jesse began peering over my shoulder and out the window, obviously more interested in the decreasing size of the cars than my little speech. "Yeah? I'm so glad you appreciate my Airplane Crash Survival 101 course." I grinned, though at this point, I was staring out the window along with him, more concerned with the clouds we were flying soon. One day, I wanted to go skydiving. I just didn't know if I could get myself past the initial fear factor.

After this little interaction, a somewhat awkward silence followed, Jesse leaning back into his seat. I just immediately assumed we were going to sleep now, since we were both tired out of our minds (debating the benefits of napkin parachutes and fire hydrants had convinced me of it), so I let my head fall back against the seat, eyes closing. The sudden feel of his hand on my arm scared the hell out of me, my heart beat accelerating almost instantly. Did this mean something? I was trying to sort it out when he drew back just as quickly as he'd touched me, apologizing. Uhh, sorry. My bad. So it was an accident. Boy, did I feel awkward. Here I was, thinking he was trying to make a move of some sort. "That's okay. If you want to use me as your personal armrest or something, that's quite alright." I tried to play it off with a joke, but anyone could detect the insecurity in my voice. Did I really frighten him that much?

I had to find out.

"I'm gonna nap for awhile. Wake me up in an hour or so, okay?' I said, leaning back against my seat again, eyes closing. I sat there for what felt like hours, what I determined to be five or so minutes. I kept hoping I wouldn't accidentally drift off to sleep before I could innocently slide over and rest my head on his shoulder. I didn't. It was the moment my head fell into the crook of his shoulder without protest that the drowsiness finally hit me. I fell into an actual sleep quite easily after that, though I couldn't seem to calm down for the first few seconds, his breath on my neck. I hadn't planned on it, but somewhere along the way, I stirred, draping an arm around him as I slept. We were the epitome of not-so-accidental sweetness.


TAGGED Jesseeeeeee
NOTES EEEE <3
OUTFIT it's frumptastic
LYRICS teenage dreams, katy perry!
CREDIT KENNATRONIC @ caution 2.0

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[jesseboyce]

^{“Italy, and the spring and first love
all together should suffice to make
the gloomiest person happy.”}

---->
The pretty blonde’s response seemed to tell him she’d forgiven him. At the very least, she wasn’t too angry. "That's okay. If you want to use me as your personal armrest or something, that's quite alright." Jesse shrugged and gave her a rather emotionless glance. He hoped she couldn’t tell how badly his nerves wanted to crawl right through his skin, and his mind was still lingering on those brief moments of accidental touch. She felt so warm and comforting and a billion other things all at once. He really couldn’t even begin to sort out or explain just how she made him feel. Probably the best word he could come up with was nervous. She made him feel nervous. But then again, what didn’t? Poor kid was just the sort that was always fretting about one thing or another.

Then she spoke again, bringing him back to the reality of the moment, and taking away all his pleasurable thoughts. ”I'm gonna nap for awhile. Wake me up in an hour or so, okay?” A soft smile crept over his lips, making his eyes narrow and his cheeks look rather chubby. Alright, I’ll try. But I can’t promise anything…I might fall asleep too. His hazel eyes stayed fixed on her with a tender gaze. He watched her lean back against her seat and closed her eyes, dark lashes seeming even more adorable than ever on her perfect face. He sighed inaudibly, the emotions that had left him only moments before coming creeping back in.

He finally took his eyes off her, with much deliberation. He could stare at her for the entire plane ride and he probably wouldn’t get bored, but he knew he’d be called a “creeper”, or worse, if anyone caught him staring at her. Who was he fooling? Girls like Annaleigh Chadwick just didn’t date guys like Jesse Boyce. He groaned to himself and forced his head back against the headrest and stared blankly at the ceiling above them. There were a couple of lights, air conditioner vents, and a couple odd buttons. Nothing too exciting. He looked over at the girls seated in the row across the aisle and by their slumped positions he assumed they’d fallen asleep too.

Just then, Annaleigh’s head tilted sideways and ended up snuggled against his shoulder, her blonde locks cascading down around him. He gulped and stared at her, wondering if she’d wake up. Of course, she didn’t. She looked quite content in her sleep and Jesse was glad she wasn’t awake to hear the thudding of his heart within his chest. Heck, she could probably feel it from where she lay, it was beating so hard.

He choked in a couple deep breaths and tried to relax, focusing on anything but the girl who lay snuggled against him. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, red hair spilling across his eyes. His breaths grew more even and relaxed, and within a few moments, he drifted off to sleep too. They lay there, quite the adorable pair, for quite awhile before Annaleigh stirred and ended up draping her arm across him.

The motion stirred Jesse from his sleep and he fluttered his eyes open when he felt the weight of her arm around him. His body stilled, determined not to move and wake her, but the closeness of the moment was almost too much for him to take. He’d been in a deep sleep, and his heavy eyes soon gave in to the beckoning of sleep again.

[annaleighchadwick]

I had no idea of the effect I had on Jesse, otherwise, I might have thought the action through a little more. I didn't want to ... embarrass him. Oh, who was I kidding? I didn't care. He felt so warm and strong. I pretended to slide over a little more, pressing closer until I could feel the skin of his collarbone on my cheek. I could detect a slight hitch in his breath, which made me smile until I considered that it could mean anything. Frustration, fear, infatuation ... But only that last one if I was lucky. Still, I could dream, right?

I did dream. And it was so realistic, when I woke up, for a half-second I believed that Jesse had just kissed me on the cheek. Then I realized that the other students were still on the plane, and it wasn't night time. However, my arm was wrapped around him, and that was real. He was still asleep, his head resting on mine, breathing deeply. I closed my eyes again and tried to enjoy the moment, but it wasn't enough. Not with everyone gossiping around us and my friends snapping pictures of us. I was surprised he hadn't woken up already. Picking a convenient time to stir, I pretended to gradually wake up, acting as if I had no clue that I'd fallen asleep on Jesse's shoulder. Aww, you guys are so sweet. You were like that for about two hours. My friend Katie whispered from the seat in front of us, seemingly the only one aware that Jesse was still asleep. I shook my head, smiling lightly. "It was only an accident." I giggled, hoping he wasn't pretending to be asleep also, the way I'd been. "But I'm not all that upset about it, if you hadn't noticed." I muttered. Katie was one of the few people that thought Jesse and I should be together. She'd made sure the two seats behind hers stayed open for us.

My face softening as I looked away from the window and back to my seat partner, whose head had fallen on my shoulder, I shook him lightly, watching his pale lashes flutter. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" I giggled, my grin widening as he started to wake up. "Sorry for using you as a pillow." I wasn't really sorry. Not at all. "Oh, and thanks for waking me up, by the way." I smirked almost fliratiously, leaning forward to grab some magazines as soon as Jesse had straightened up. My shoulder was still warm. I didn't want that feeling to go away, so I stayed close to him, our arms pressing together. "Sooooo..." I said, suddenly unable to look at him despite how close we'd been just moments ago. I stared at the magazine cover instead, full of titles that boasted interviews with celebrities, 101 ways to make you feel prettier. I could only think of one that would truly make me feel amazing right now - several steps above pretty - and it wasn't going to happen. "We're flying over the Atlantic ocean right now, and it's about 9:00 back home." I filled him in with what little information I'd received from Katie before guardedly checking my phone. My inbox was filled with texts about Jesse and I, none of which I responded to. I would just claim my phone had died.

"Well, we've still got three hours left. Let's get started with the magazineessss." I stretched the word out, attempting to return to the bubbly personality that typically afflicted me whenever I was around him. "What do you think about her, hmmm? Is she pretty?" I grinned teasingly, pointing to the model on the first page, ten times thinner and more exotic looking than I was, wearing a low-cut tank top and miniskirt. Of course I was just teasing, looking for a reaction. But I was still interested to hear what he had to say, like always.

TAGGED Jesseeeeeee
NOTES EEEE <3
OUTFIT it's frumptastic
LYRICS teenage dreams, katy perry!
CREDIT KENNATRONIC @ caution 2.0

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[jesseboyce]

^{“Italy, and the spring and first love
all together should suffice to make
the gloomiest person happy.”}

---->
A feminine voice awoke him from his slumbers, ever so faintly. He didn't stir, in fact, he was so still that he might as well still have been asleep. He wasn't entirely coherent, but he could make out the voices of Annaleigh and her friend. As the girls talked, unaware of his eavesdropping, he had to bite his tongue to keep from smiling. It certainly sounded like Annaleigh was beginning to like him. As in, like him, like him. He took a last deep breath, thinking that the trip might turn out to be even more exciting than he'd dared to hope.

Pale lashes fluttered over his green eyes and he stifled a yawn, pretending not to have heard the conversation just moments before. Morning. His speech sounded gravelly and gruff, the sounds masked with his recent sleep. He yawned again and stretched, trying to wiggle around in the seat and get comfortable. Yeah, sorry about that. I guess that's what you get for counting on me to keep track of time. He grinned at Annaleigh, still hoping he wasn't dreaming about what she'd said. Could she really like him? He'd never known a girl to like him before, and he wasn't quite sure what to do. He nodded as she chattered on about the ocean and the time, not really focusing because he was still a bit dazed. Stay cool. He couldn't afford to mess everything up now that it just seemed to finally be getting started. He'd had a budding crush on her for a long time, since they'd first met. He was beginning to think he had no shot with her as anything more than a friend, but now he was really hoping this trip could change that. Europe was the perfect place for romance.

Annaleigh pulled out some of her magazines with her usual bubbly demeanor. Jesse didn't have the energy to get out anything of his own just yet, so he stared blankly towards whatever it was she was looking at. Her words caught him off guard. What kind of girl asked a guy if they thought another girl was pretty? Was it some kind of a test. Jesse studied the girl on the page for only a second before answering honestly. Is she pretty? Well...I guess, if you like fake. But she's about as real as Santa Claus. And probably a total slut. He rolled his eyes, and then turned to look up seriously at Annaleigh. I mean, seriously, intelligence has become so underrated. There are a lot of better things than just looking like a super model. Take you for instance... You're beautiful and smart, and you've got a perfect personality too. I find that a lot more attractive than some girl dressing like a slut just to get attention.

He blushed and looked away, realizing he'd probably just opened his mouth too much. It wasn't often that he talked that much, and rarely did he ever give any kind of serious opinions. But he wasn't like other guys, and he needed Annaleigh to know that. He wanted her to understand that he wasn't the kind of jerk who was only interested in her for her looks. She deserved someone way better than that. Even though his intentions were pure, she deserved way better than some loser like him too.

Deciding that two could play the game, he reached in his backpack and found one of his Quarter Horse magazines. He flipped through a couple pages until he got to an ad for a rather good looking cowboy dressed in tight jeans, boots, and a belt buckle. He was, of course, shirtless, and totally ripped. It didn't help that he was leaning against a brand new Dodge truck, holding the reins to a stunning Palomino. Hot guys must really get it all. He forced himself not to roll his eyes, and then shoved the magazine towards Annaleigh, pointing at the ad. Your turn. He gave her a slightly mischevious grin, or what he hoped was one at least. How about this guy? You think he's hot? He knew it was about impossible for her not to like the guy, just as impossible as it was for any male, himself included, to argue that a gorgeous model wasn't pretty, at least in some shallow way. But he clung to a bit of hope that maybe he wasn't a total oaf and could take this conversation somewhere in a new direction. Who knew, maybe he could even get to the point of asking Annaleigh on a real date or something.

[annaleighchadwick]

I loved him. I really did. Just the sound of his voice as he woke up was enough to make me want to hear it for at least the rest of my life. Maybe that was me getting a little carried away, but in the moment, it seemed completely appropriate. I bit my lip childishly as he grinned at me, unable to believe I'd ended up being friends with such an amazing person. I wanted more, but was this not enough? I was the definition of a lovesick schoolgirl.

Of course, the moment may have ended there, but I decided to pull out my magazines and it appeared the time had come for a serious heart to heart between Jesse and I. He rambled on in that analytical way of his, the way that I'd come to associate with him being somewhat nervous but ignoring it. I saw him looking at me in my peripheral vision, so I looked back at him, getting a little lost in his hazel-green eyes. You're beautiful was the only thing I ended up hearing. After those words were out in the open, I was left staring out the window, blushing. Jesse did something of the like, and for a moment there was just silence and racing heartbeats between us. If we were a movie, the title of an equally cheesy Hannah Montana song, I would leave the theatre. Too cheesy and awkward to sit through. But somehow living through it was different. I loved how awkward it was between us, how nervous I was when I was around him, the anticipation. "Uhm ... thanks, Jesse?" I laughed softly, not sure what to make of it, the insecurity setting in. What if he meant it in a friendly way? I mean, he was a guy. When guys liked girls, they called them hot or something, right? Beautiful was a much more respectful term.

Sighing as he pulled out a magazine, I was lost in thought until Jesse spoke again. He'd turned to a page featuring some shirtless cowboy, leaning against a shiny new truck and holding a golden horse. I laughed out loud, taking the magazine out of his hand. "What are you reading, Ginger?" I said, not sure where the silly nickname had come from. "Some gay porn magazine?" I chuckled softly, turning back to the page, eyebrows raised. "I mean, who does this guy think he is? He's orange. And he probably can't scratch his nose if it itches. Look at those arms." I giggled, scraping a fingernail over the model's nose humorously. I shut the magazine, smiling up at Jesse. "That's just ridiculous. Not my type at all." I smirked softly, leaning back in the seat as I got comfortable again.

"So what are our plans once we touch down in Italy? Gondola rides? Pasta? The ocean?" I said, looking out the window as if I could check our progress from there. All I could see at this point was clear ocean blue and clouds. My heart pounded with anticipation. I'd made my mind up and decided that Jesse probably liked me. I couldn't wait until we got off the plane, where we could be alone. Not for the reasons that would usually spring to mind with a sentence like that, but so that I could try and make a move. I wanted to be with him. And I wasn't coming home at the end of the summer a failure.

TAGGED Jesseeeeeee
NOTES :3
OUTFIT it's frumptastic
LYRICS teenage dreams, katy perry!
CREDIT KENNATRONIC @ caution 2.0

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