I walked into the school library, wondering if she would be there. My friend walked beside me rambling about something or other, but I wasn’t even pretending to listen as I drifted over to table in a corner of the room, Andy right behind me. My eyes scanned the students scattered throughout the library, some studying their brains out, others chatting quietly. I was almost at the point to my heart hammering with realization that she wasn’t there when my eyes landed on a table two book cases away from me, with only one person sitting at it, her sitting at it.
    Marie, my beautiful, smart, talented girl, was here. As I took my seat, I watched her carefully, considering taking a seat next to her. I watched Marie’s glossy pink, bow shaped lips wrap gently around the end of her pen, her eyes closed and brow furrowed in frustration at something. As she twirled the pen inside her lips, I felt my blood rush and my pants tighten. Looking away, I tried to think up stupid things to help me cool down, preschool songs, nursery rhymes, counting A.B.C.’s…
“Dude, are you even listening Jake? You know, it’s totally un-cool to space on me like that!” Andy lashed, I regarding him very little, only acknowledging him with a side glance and roll of eyes.
“Besides, what is goi-…oh…” Andy stopped as he followed my gaze to Marie, her head bent over a notebook as she furiously wrote, the ends of her straight, thick brown hair brushing the table.
“You need help, Man.”
My head snapped to look at Andy, eyes narrowing at him, wishing so much that I could punch that cocky face.
“Excuse me? I need help? And why would I?” I fumed, my blood pounding.
“Yeah, you do. Why? Because your frickin’ obsessed with her! Do you know how often you space out when she’s around, even if someone is talking to you? Do you have any clue how weird you get every time she bats an eyelash at you or smiles, or say “Hey, what ‘cha up to?” It’s not normal.” Andy whispered in angry tones as his blue eyes glared at me.
“Okay, number one; I don’t space out-“Andy cut me off with a “Hah! Sure you don’t bud.” and a sarcastic raise of his brows.
“Okaay, I don’t space on people much. However, I don’t freak anytime she ‘bats an eyelash’ or smiles or asks ‘Hey, what ‘cha up to?’. She’s just like any other girl.”
“Whatever you say, man, but if you keep this up you are going to wind up a sad loner with no friends at all. Hell, that or in a mental institution.”
    As I rolled my eyes, Andy grabbed his books and stood, moving to another table to sit next to Angelica. As the two of them started to chat it up, I looked down at my books, attempting to force myself into understanding Shakespeare speak for my English homework. But after about five minutes I gave up and looked up at Marie again, unable to go very long without her. It was pathetic. Andy was right. No…he wasn’t. I wasn’t obsessed.
    Watching Marie, I noticed as she rubbed her neck, that her lavender and white striped spaghetti strap scooped low. Not low, but low enough to be a turn on, especially since the end of the pendant of her antique key necklace disappeared just inside her shirt, right below the neckline. As I starred at her, Marie closed her book, put her pencil in her purse, her hazel eyes flicking up to look at me. As she stood from her seat, the corners of Marie’s mouth turned up in the adorable, shy smirk she always reserved for me. I watched Marie walk over to me, her fair skinned cheeks turning rosy as she stopped at the chair across the table from me.
“May I sit here?”
    Her soulful, feminine voice numbed my mind and all I could do was nod dumbly.
“What are you working on?”
“I’m translating Shakespeare into modern English for homework. What about you?” I replied.
“I just finished a stupid practice final for math.” Marie spoke, making a face of dislike as math rolled over her tongue. It was just the sort of thing I loved about Marie. She may have been sexy, but it wasn’t intentional, and if it was she never made it known. And she was just so damn cute I wanted to squeeze her at that moment.

    I skipped dinner that night to take a hot shower. When I went to my room, I closed my door and locked it before grabbing the yearbook and plopping on my bed. As I opened it, I flipped passed the seniors to the junior photos. Stopping at Marie’s photo, I absorbed her smile, hazel eyes, and her hair. A thought hit me like lightning after a moment. I was a senior. I was going to college soon. If I didn’t do something, and soon, I was going to lose her. As I slept that night, I dreamed of Marie as always. I dreamed of sleeping with her, touching her, loving her.

“Marie, we have to talk.”
“About?”
“I think you know.”
“Yeah…probably.” As Marie’s eyes lowered and her lips quivered, my heart sank.
“I want you to be my girl.”
Marie looked stunned for a moment before her eyes watered and she smiled a crooked grin, that I loved and she hated.
“Yeah…I do too.”
At that point, I couldn’t hold back. I reached forward and pulled her into my arms.
“I love you, Marie. Everything about you, even the things you hate in yourself I love. Like how you aren’t a toothpick, how you have freckles and your nose you think is too big when it isn’t. You’re amazing.”
Marie became speechless as she cried, she could only squeeze me harder. I was obsessed with her; still am. She is my lovely obsession.