Does anyone else have those times when your vocabulary can be so intellectual and flawless one day, and then another, you have the vocabulary of a fifth grader? It just seemed hard for me to come up with words for this chapter...

Serena's POV

"What?" Dawn questioned out loud, taking the paper out of my hand and examining the note closer.

"Someone wants to meet me under the cherry blossom tree." I clarified for her, even though it was pretty self-explanatory.

"I know that, but who gave this to you?" She asked, handing the note back to me.

That was true. I had no idea who gave me this note. Turning the paper over was my last option, because nothing on the front gave me any hints as to who gave me this.

"Well, I'm not sure." I sighed, stuffing the note in my water bottle pocket, "Might as well find out when it happens."

"I guess, but do you want me to come with you?" Dawn offered, following me out of the classroom.

"Uh, it's fine. I'll go on my own." I told her.

"Alright. Just tell me what happens later today!" She half-yelled, starting to walk in the opposite direction I was walking in the hallway.

"Ok! Bye!" I shouted, before setting my mind straight and focusing on what class I had next, which was gym.

At least Miette isn't in school today. Gym shouldn't be too bad if she's not there to stomp all over me for liking Ash...

Speaking of Ash, maybe he was the one who wrote me that note. I mean, he was pretty much asleep throughout the entire duration of Math class, so it would be kind of impossible if that was him.

But one can hope. I honestly don't know who else would want to meet me under that tree. If it was someone I knew, they probably would have just told me, straight up...

Well, I can think about that later. For now, it's off to gym class.

<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>
If I had written about Serena's gym class, that would be a big waste of a couple hundred words.
<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>~<~>

"Ok, class! Remember! We will be doing your push-up assessment tomorrow!" The teacher yelled, as everyone went downstairs to their respective locker rooms.

Today's class wasn't all that hard. All we had to do was sprint two laps around the track. Sure, I ended up drenched in sweat, but as long as my grade is decent, I'm fine.

It's just the push-ups that are going to annoy me tomorrow. After that class, I know my arms are going to be as floppy as noodles..

As I entered the girls' locker room, I saw a majority of the girls huddled in one corner of the room. They weren't exactly whispering, so I could hear their conversations clearly.

"Did you hear what he's going to do after school?" A girl with chestnut hair, pink top and sky blue shorts said to the small group.

"Yeah, I know! It's sooo sweet!" One girl with blonde hair squealed.

"You all are going to be there, right?" The tallest girl out of the bunch said, "I don't wanna be the only one there watching."

"Hey, don't worry." The same girl with chestnut hair said, "I told some of my friends about this, and they said they'd be there."

Well, that was some pointless eavesdropping. It's already 10:20 and I haven't even started to get changed out of my gym clothes.

By the time the bell rang, I had just finished stuffing my sweaty clothes in my gym slingbag. As much as I don't want to carry this bag the entire day, the only time I'm close to my locker is during first period.

That, and it's not too much trouble to carry it around for the rest of the day. I just hope I don't start giving off a scent of sweat.

As I came out of the locker room and into the hallway, I started walking to the left and towards my history class.

On the way there, I saw Ash a decent distance ahead of me in the hallway, just about to turn the corner. My legs were so sore from gym a few minutes ago, but since this is Ash I'm talking about, it doesn't matter how tired I am.

"Hey, Ash!" I shouted, running towards him, slipping through all of the students in the clustered hallway.

By the time I turned the corner, I was able to see that Ash didn't hear me calling him. It was a little odd, considering that I wasn't that far behind from him.

"Ash!" I called him again, this time running up next to him and pulling him over to the side of the hallway.

As "Ash" turned around, embarrassment coursed throught my entire body when I realized that it wasn't actually Ash who I was talking to. It was that Calem guy from Science class.

"Oh! Hi, Serena!" He cheerefully greeted me, which was a surprise to me.

"Hey.. Calem.. How do you know my name?" I asked, curious to hear his story.

"What?" He said, before nervousness crept its way into his face, "I, uh, got it from someone else."

"Yeah, whatever." I chuckled, "So what class do you have next?"

"I actually have Math," He said, pointing to a room on the opposite side of the hall we were standing, "Over there."

"Alright, well, I have History just a few rooms down," I told him, motioning towards the end of the hallway, "So I should get going now."

"Oh, well, actually, I could walk you-"

"Hey, Serena!" A bold, familiar, masculine voice shouted.

When I turned around to where the voice was coming from, I saw the real Ash running towards Calem and I.

"Ash!" I yelled back, waving with my hand, and restraining myself from holding my arms out for a hug at the same time.

Ash started running towards me as soon as I called his name. His face expression, however, changed to confusion as he took a glance at Calem.

"Serena?" He asked, staring at Calem with a raised eyebrow, "Who's this?"

"He's-"

"Calem." He abruptly interrupted me, his expression changing from friendly to dull.

"Oh. Ok. Well, Serena, we have to get to class now." Ash insisted, his eyes jolting from me to our destination.

"Right. I'll see you later, Calem." I said goodbye to him, walking with Ash to our next class.

"Yeah. Bye." He grunted, walking across the hall to his class.

The encounter between the two of them was slightly awkward. It was like at the moment two locked eyes, a grudge swelled up immediately between them both.

I could tell that Ash was still a little uncomfortable from the confrontation with Calem, due to his current quiet attitude.

"Ash?" I suddenly said, making him shoot his head up towards me in surprise.

"Y-Yeah?" He said, looking at me with an earnest gaze.

"You ok?" I asked, concerned about how he was acting.

"Oh. Don't worry." He shurgged off my question, putting on a what seemed to be a forced smile, "I'm fine."

"You sure?" I asked again, not fully satisfied with his shaky answer.

"Yes, Serena." He said more genuinely than last time, with a natural smile growing on his face, "I'm fine."

"Ok." I responded to him, a nonintended smile starting to stretch across my face.

Wow. Forced or not, I can't help but grin whenever I see that playful smile of Ash's. I just wish that he knew how much that smile could turn my darkest days bright.

No. Not just his smile. His whole personality. Everything about him just makes me feel warm inside.

Except, he doesn't know any of that. I'm starting to think that he will never know anything about that...

If I'm the one who comes to him and he rejects me, where will we stand then? My chance to be in a relationship with him will be gone, and not only that, but our whole best friend bond could shatter right there and then.

I looked over at Ash to see him completely deep in thought and oblivious to what I do around him. Does he even notice how I act when he's near me?

Is it even worth it to put our entire lifelong bond with each another on the line, for some silly crush that just aroused from a small accident on a school bus?

It begins :3