I'm just a regular 17 year old girl in high school, but unlike the usual 17-year old girls I have no love life. But my best friend Anna Sofia has one potential guy I'm trying to set her up with. Matthew Montgomery. He is Anna's academic rival know-it-all enemy. So let me tell you a little story about those two.
It was the start of sophmore year in high school. Me and my best friend Anna were getting ready like we always do. Together. "Lana what do you think of this t-shirt?" - she asked me. "It's cute!" - Anna usually looks good in everything. "Ehhh..." - she said as she threw the shirt away. "Ughh, I've got nothing to wear, Lana!" - I looked with a confused look on my face at the pile of clothes on her bed. "You have my dress." - I said as she picked it up and threw it away. "Ehhh...". In the end she picked her yellow T-shirt and flare jeans, and I wore Anna's pink top, with a hoodie over it and some cargo pants. We both put on our matching shoes with our initials and left for school like we always did. "I'm driving!" - screamed Anna. When I heard that I ran back to the house and came back two minutes later. "Where were you?" - she looked at me with a confused look. "Ta-daa!" - I yelled as I pulled out a bicycle helmet from my backpack. "Seriously? You're still doing that?" - she looked at me like she wanted to kill me, but I knew she would never. I hope she wouldn't... "Safety first" - I said as she started the car and stepped on the gas. And there we were. Sophmore year of high school. We walked towards the enterance looking better than ever. And everything was fine until - "Whoaa!" - Anna fell down. I helped her up but when she saw who tripped her, she wished she hadn't come to school. "Well Matthew, I see you haven't changed at all." - Anna confronted Matthew and looked him up and down. "Well, Anna Sofia Belamie, I heard you grew a beard this summer." - he answered and laughed while receiving high fives from everyone. "At least I can grow one!" - she responded almost instantly as the crowd started hoo-ing and looking at Matthew who just walked away and said with his back turned - "Always loved these fights!" And Anna whispered - "If only you could win them too..." What a wonderful start. Unfortunately for my bestie, she somehow got all classes same with Matthew, but luckily I traded with someone and tagged along to continue watching this drama. Often he would tease Anna. For example, a week later we were sitting in the classroom waiting for the biology teacher to arrive. Anna was looking out the window where Matthew sat and he said - "Am I that handsome that you just have to look at me all the time?" - "You wish, that tree outside is looking better than you!" - she said pointing to the half rotten tree that was dying outside our school. "It's alright Belamie, I know you just can't look away." Anna chose to stay quiet and turn her head around so it wouldn't seem like she is staring at him anymore. The school year was passing and they were still playing the same game until the third of May. They were assigned by the biology teacher to do a one month project that could either boost their grade or ruin it completely. That meant they would have to pick a spot where they will come every day to test the temerature, wind and weather. The last bell of the day rang, which usually meant happiness and freedom for Anna, but this time it was the opposite. Anna just walked out of the school as someone grabbed her backpack - "Well, well, well, Belamie! Let's go pick our spot. Unless you want to ruin both of our scores." It was Matthew. "Of course I would like to ruin your score Matthew, but since this is also mine I guess I have to do something. And let go of my backpack, would you?" - she looked at him like she wanted to kill him. "Sure!" - he said as he pushed her. When she got up she took a deep breath and responded - "I'll let that one slide..."- "Like you could do anything about it anyways, dwarf." - he said and patted her head annoyingly. "Okay, that's it." - she slapped him, not hard, but enough as a warning - "Let's go!". She smiled and he decided to just follow her. Behind them was always me, otherwise who would tell the story? Now back to it.
They got into Anna's car and she was about to turn it on, but - "Wait a second!" - Matthew screamed and started pulling something out of his backpack. "What is it?" - Anna looked curiously as Matthew pulled out a helmet and put it on. "Seriously, you too? Where'd you even get it?" - she asked madly. "Lana gave it to me. She said, and I quote: You're gonna need it, trust me." - he took my advice well. "Of course she did." - Anna buckled up her seatbelt and stepped on the gas harder than this morning. I guess she was mad. "Slow down Belamie." - Matthew said with a dash of fear and nervousness in his voice. I never realised where she was taking him until we were there. "So, where did you take me?" - he looked around amazed. Around them were beautiful cherry trees full of pink flowers and cherries. The grass was greener than in the city and there was a big meadow filled with flowers, butterflies and bees. "You're not qualified to know, just remember the way to it. We'll come here at 3 p.m. every day. There's only one rule: no one can come here, ever." - she responded to his earlier asked question. "Okay, our little secret." - he said as he looked at her with a smirk on his face. Then they started doing schoolwork and it got boring. There was no longer that spark from earlier. A few days later, I followed them again. "So Sofi, what we doin' today?" - Matthew started calling her a new nickname. "Same as every day for the past fifteen days. To the hill and get the work done." - she responed more calmly and there were no longer those little feuds, more like cute teasing. "Don't forget your helmet Sofi, I always get mine." - he smiled at her. "Ha ha, very funny. Stop it." - for the first time she smiled back and then turned serious again. Matthew really enjoyed the fresh air and the nature. "You know I'm missing soccer practice for this?" - Matthew tried his best to start a conversation with Anna. "You know I'm missing ballet practice for this?" - she replied with the same question. "You're actually not that bad Belamie." - he gave her a compliment for the first time. Well, let's call it a compliment. "Oh, wow, it turns out you're not the worst person I've ever met!" - she said jokingly laughing at him. "Now let's finish for today. Let's get some coffee!" - he looked her in the eyes. "Wow, Matthew, are you asking me out?" - she smiled at him before they both burst into laughter. "You wish, I never said I'm paying!" - she pushed him on the ground - "Okay, okay, I'll pay, I'll pay!" They went to her car - "But I'm driving." It was the first time Anna Sofie Belamie let anyone drive her car. I'm not even allowed to drive it! They arrived at the coffee shop and both ordered the same: berry tea. "Didn't expect you to be a tea person." - Anna said checking him out. "Didn't expect you to be a tea person either. Or the type of a girl who loves nature." - he said admiring her beautiful green eyes and black hair. They soon started going out more often after their assignment, enjoying spending time together, laughing and talking. It began to look a lot like summer as it was the second of June, the day before they were done with the assignment and they came to the hill again at 3 p.m. "Hope you brought sunscreen!" - Anna warned Matthew softly smiling at him as she pulled one out of her backpack and threw it to him - "Fetch!" "I'm not a dog, you know. Anyways, I've been meaning to ask. Am I qualified now for you to tell me about this place?" - he finally asked the question that has been bothering him since the first time Anna brought him there. "I... Actually, I think you are. There is really no right way to say this, so I'll just say it. My mom and I used to spend a week of our summer camping here. She showed me this place when I was seven and since then this was our place. But ever since she passed away five years ago I never found an excuse to come here. I guess this assignment was perfect. I could come here and enjoy being here without thinking of her death. Thank for hearing me out... It probably sounds weird." - Anna confessed. Something that had been bothering her for the past five years she confessed to the person she least expected. "It doesn't sound weird. And I am so sorry for your loss, I didn't know." - he looked her at Anna in a way he never did before. He looked at her like he saw her pain and wanted to do something but all he could do was be there for her. Anna let out a tear or two. But then she got up and said - "Well now thet you know everything there is something that I wanted to show you." - she grabbed his arm and pulled him. He didn't refuse, he followed her. She showed him a giant tree. And on its largest branch was a swing. It was dancing along as the wind pushed it. "My mom made this swing for me. She said if I ever felt like the world was too much I should come here and the wind would wash my worries away. Too bad I was too scared." - she said pointing at the swing. "It's alright to be scared. Come on, sit on it! I'll push you!! - "Okay!" - that was the first time she blindly trusted him. She sat down and he pushed her in the air. She felt the wind blowing through her hair, it felt magical. He was looking at her and thought about a bird flying away, looking her hair floating in the wind. He thought about all the time they had spent together, all the memories they made and realised he didn't want it to end. "Anna Sofia Belamie, can you hear me?" - he yelled as loud as he could to ensure she did. "I do!" - she answered. "In that case: Anna Sofia Belamie, you are the first person to ever make me feel the way the way I do right now, and also the first person whom I want to feel this way about so allow me to ask you... Will you be my girlfriend Anna Sofia Belamie?" - after an entire month and over seven years of fighting in class the moment had happened. The spark was bigger than all the fireworks that adorn the sky for New Year's. "Matthew Montgomery, I thought you'd never ask! Yes, I will!" - she jumped off the swing into his hug and he punh her around into the setting rays of the Sun. I told you, it was love...