This Peaceful Love - Chapter 1

Lydia was sick of living at her best friends house. She hated it because she never got a long with Julie, her no-longer-best-friend. Her mother had abandoned her when she was four and her father had died from drunk driving when she was 14. So she was offered a home to stay in by her best friend. Lydia is 17 now, and spends little time in that home. She leaves the house at 7:00 in the morning and doesn't return until 6:30 to eat. After that, she spends her time in her room, writing poetry, doing homework or even coming out of that one room to practice her piano. Everything else was either done outside of the house or in her room. Luckily, she had been provided with a computer and a phone. 1

She hardly ever liked going anywhere, but she couldn't stand that house anymore. She usually hung out with random groups everyday and went to lunch with them. She was good, though - keeping her grades up, no alcohol or drugs, etc. Sometimes she just hung out in the band room and played her music there. A lot of the time, though, she stayed to see him. He was all she ever thought about anymore. And now this guy was the reason she stayed out of the house... Evan.2

She had met him at school one day. He had brown curly hair, with gorgeous milk chocolate brown eyes and a beautiful smile. He played the piano amazingly well. Lydia also played piano, and she loved to listen to anyone play it, but especially him. When they had first met, they stopped whenever they saw each other and talked until their next class. Sometimes he even came over to her and ate lunch with her, but that was rare. He had other friends. Every time he saw her, he would stop and give her a hug even if he had hardly any time at all. They were friends for a while, then he just stopped talking to her. Sure, he would wave, smile his precious smile and occasionally give her a hug, but they never had conversations anymore. Lydia was beginning to think she had imagined him ever doing that. 3

Lydia still liked him, but when they had first met, she had thought he liked her in that special way. Apparently she was wrong. He never liked her that way, they were always just friends, and now he seemed to be too busy to even notice her. She didn't understand boys and knew she never would. They were so utterly confusing! And when they led you on like that, it was really really nerve wracking and annoying. 4

On the second day of school in her junior year, his senior year, she was walking to her locker to get a brush. The wind had whipped and pulled her hair in every direction and she hated when it got all knotted up. Just as she opened her locker, she looked up to see Evan walking towards her. She thought he would just walk past like he always did, so she continued to dig around in her backpack for the brush. She suddenly felt someone stop right next to her. She looked up to find him there, staring at her with those beautiful eyes of his. Her heart skipped a beat and her breathing stopped for a second. Then she remembered she should say hi. 5

"Hey," she whispered. She couldn't believe it! This was no time to be shy! 6

"Hi," he replied a little louder. He just stood there staring at her. 7

When she found her brush and started brushing her hair, he just wanted to reach out and stroke it. It was always shining in every kind of light. But he especially loved it in the sunshine. The colors were so beautiful because you could see all of them. There were shades of red, blond, and brown. He could hardly believe anyone could be so pretty. Lydia finished brushing her waist-length hair and shut her locker. She was surprised to see Evan still standing there.8

"Ummm, how are you?" she asked, a little confused as to why he was just standing there.9

"I'm pretty good. So far my classes are good. What about you?" He wasn't as talkative as he usually was, and that worried her a bit. She couldn't dwell on it, though otherwise she would start thinking about him a lot again. 10

Lydia was so busy looking at him, taking in his appearance once more, after not seeing him all summer. She almost forgot to answer. Hurriedly she said, "Good, but some of my classes are really stupid. I really wish I didn't have to take Chemistry. But oh well, apparently it's gonna help me in life. I'll just take the teacher's word for it, because at the moment, I'm still thinking about what I should do for my career after college! What are you thinking of majoring in?" She felt like she was talking his ear off, so she ended with a question, hoping he would start talking more than her.11

Evan was mesmerized by her. She always seemed to know what he was thinking. Like just then, he had been thinking about college and where he had applied last spring. "Well, I'm not really sure what I want to do, either. I was kind of thinking something with music, or business." He stopped there, trying to think of a way to ask her what he'd come to ask her in the first place.12

Lydia was a little disappointed that he stopped talking, but amazed that he had the same interests as her - at least the music part. She would definitely not do well in business. Then he spoke again, and her attention was immediately hers.13

"Umm, Lydia?" he asked.14

"Yes?" she just wanted him to spit it out! She really wished he was asking her out or something close to it, but she wasn't really sure what to think.15

"Well, I was wondering..." he trailed off, wishing this wasn't so hard! Why was he so nervous? He hadn't thought he liked her this much!16

"Yeees..." she prompted. Oh come on! she thought. Just say it already!17

"I was wondering..." he trailed off again, but forced himself to ask her, "Ifmaybeyou'dwannagolunchme?" It came out all jumbled, and he almost blushed, embarrassed that he couldn't even say a single sentence in front of her!18

"Excuse me? I didn't catch that," Lydia replied. It sounded like he was asking her out, but she wasn't exactly sure.19

"I was wondering," he started again, wishing he could melt into the floor, "whether you'd like to go to lunch with me?" Finally! He'd spit it out!20

Lydia was thunderstruck. She didn't know what to say or how to react. She hadn't been expecting this until he'd started stuttering. He wanted to take her to lunch! WOW!! Her stomach did gymnastics when she answered, "Sure. When were you thinking?" Her voice came out shaky and unsure.21

"Maybe today, unless you have other plans?" he asked. It was so much easier to talk to her after he had asked the serious question.22

Plans? Lydia thought. Of course not! I don't really have any friends! "Of course today will work," she said. "I usually never have plans for lunch." She said it as a kind of hint, hoping he would notice and ask her more often.23

"Okay great. Meet me by the band room?" he asked, relieved that he hadn't been rejected by the most beautiful girl in school - at least that was his opinion of her. 24

"Okay."25

"Awesome. Talk to you later!" he said, rather enthusiastically. As he walked past her to head to his next class, he ran his fingers through her gorgeous, baby soft hair. A shiver ran down both of their spines.26

Lydia looked back at him when he touched her hair. She was sure he had felt the shiver as well. They both smiled at eachother, then quickly walked in opposite directions.27

She met him at the band room door during lunch. When he found her, he gave her a huge hug and took her hand to pull her towards his car. Evan opened the door for her, and his eyes lingered on her before he closed it. He could hardly believe what was happening! 28

"Sooo, where are we going?" Lydia asked. She expected to go to some fast food restaurant in town.29

"It's a surprise, but I bet you'll just love it!" He flashed her a crooked smile. He was absolutely sure she would enjoy this lunch more then any other in her entire life!30

Lydia gasped as he drove into the parking lot of her favorite Italian restaurant. This was kind of expensive and she didn't want him to spend this much money on her! Evan looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "What? Did I surprise you?" He grinned an ominous grin. 31

"Well, I'm surprised yes, but why would you spend this kind of money on me? I mean, this is the first time you've ever taken me out!" She couldn't hide her surprise.32

"Yeah, I know it's expensive but it's the only sit down restaurant that I knew that you loved, so I made reservations. We'll be able to sit down right when we get in."33

They sat down in at a secluded table in the corner. She ordered the same thing she always did and they got an order of bread sticks. While they were waiting for their food to arrive, he took her hand and smiled. Lydia's heart started to beat wildly. She thought he would explain this unexpected move, but he just looked into her eyes and smiled that wonderful smile. She could only smile back and hold his hand tighter. Her stomach was doing crazy flips and had a million butterflies in it. She could hardly believe that she was holding his hand! She had dreamed of walking down the street with his arm wrapped around her and him whispering something in her ear, but she had never expected him to hold her hand in her favorite restaurant! It was all she could do to keep herself from standing up and giving him a kiss or something. As soon as the food came and the waiter left, Evan took her hand and pulled her around the table up beside him. When Lydia looked around, she noticed that their table was the only one there. As soon as she stood up and gave Evan a big hug, the music started. It was romantic music and made her very happy. Her smile would not leave her face as he put his hand on her waist and took her hand in his. They began to dance around the room. Slow, enticing circles, around and around they went without him ever taking his eyes off hers. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, breaking the silence. His smile widened and he said, "Because I wanted to say something to you and you wouldn't wait. I was going to wait a little bit longer to tell you something I've been wanting to say for a very long time. It's been hard for me not to just run up and kiss you every time you gave me a hug." Lydia felt like her heart had jumped to her throat and she got a bit choked up. She couldn't believe what was happening. This guy that she had pretty much loved ever since she met him was saying that he wanted to kiss her all the time?! A tear fell down her cheek as she grinned and said, "Well then, what have you been waiting for?" 34

Both couldn't stop their smiles and as he wiped the tear away, he leaned down, as, slowly, their spinning stopped. Their eyes were impossible to rip away from each other. He took his hand and lifted her chin closer to his. Lydia had waited for this for so long and had imagined it so many times, that when she finally realized it was happening, her smile quietly faded with his. It seemed like hours as his face crept towards hers, but finally, their lips met and now Lydia's stomach joined her heart in her throat. They softly kissed, with Evan's hand still under her chin, but his other arm, still wrapped around her waist from dancing, made its way to the back of her head, pulling her towards him. Her arms came up around his neck as their first kiss became more passionate. Their eyes were closed and their arms wrapped around each other with breathtaking strength. Her heart kept beating faster and faster. She never wanted it to end, nor did he, but he knew it had to. Eventually, he gained the strength to pull away. When he opened his eyes, and she opened hers, they were both smiling again, widely. They could hardly believe what had just happened. Evan had finally kissed the girl of his dreams and Lydia had finally gotten what she had wished for.