A full month had gone by since Cheyenne told William how she felt about him. They still hung out together every day at lunch, and Cheyenne would occasionally walk him to his car after school, but despite the apparent one-sided attraction; they never let things get awkward between them. Cheyenne knew he would never return her feelings and she was alright with that. It was hard at first, and for a night or two, she quietly cried herself to sleep. However, Cheyenne was far too strong to let it get her down for long. She came to terms with the fact that William would never love her and picked herself up by her bootstraps.

Cheyenne got to school early that Wednesday morning to go to the library and do some last-minute studying for her first period geography quiz on the continent of Europe She walked in and went directly to the nonfiction aisles. She browsed around aisles looking for a book she could use.

Suddenly Cheyenne could smell a sensual woody scent of sandalwood blended with a touch of aged whiskey. That scent was one she knew well and it always made her knees weak. She did everything she could to fight the urge to collapse to the floor as the scent quickly seduced her.

"Hey," said a familiar deep voice behind her. "Need help?"

"William!" she said breathlessly as she turned to face him. The sight before her made it increasingly difficult to stay upright. William wasn't wearing his usual baseball cap. Today he was in a black cowboy hat. "What are you -"

"Zero period," William said, casually unaware of the effect he was having on the young woman standing in front of him. Cheyenne was confused by what he meant and it brought her out of her dream state. Seeing her confusion, William explained. "It's an extra period before school for juniors and seniors. I get extra credits towards graduation for it." Cheyenne smiled at him.

"So, Mr. Library Assistant," she said grinning, "can you help me find a book on the geography of Europe? I have a test in first period and I left my study guide at home like an idiot."

"Well, first, you're in the wrong aisle," said William. "It's one aisle over."

"Can you help me?" asked Cheyenne. She was perfectly capable of finding it herself, but she liked having the excuse to be alone with William.

"Sure."

"Never pictured you as the library type."

"I'm not," said William. "Not even in the slightest. It was all that was available."

Cheyenne laughed quietly. She browsed book titles until she saw one that might help. She stood on her tiptoes but it was just half an inch out of her reach. William moved beside her and grabbed the book for her. Being six foot one, he was able to reach most things easily. He faced her and she took the book.

"Thank you!" she said excitedly.

There was a short pause as they just looked at each other. They were only inches apart. She was close enough to feel his body heat radiating from him. Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest that it hurt. Cheyenne blushed as his brown eyes met her blue-gray ones. Without thinking, she reached out and gently wrapped her fingers around his hand. Her heart pounded even harder in her chest. She fought with everything she had not to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him again.

"Chey..." whispered William, looking at the hand that was holding his. Without warning, William pulled his hand away and hurried out the aisle. Cheyenne was left standing there, broken-hearted. She didn't know why. For a moment, she thought she saw a softness in his eyes, and she felt a sliver of hope. Maybe. Just maybe... But after the way he left her standing there, she was sure she had just imagined it.

Cheyenne put the book on the shelf below. She wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway. Her eyes were too full of tears. She grabbed her backpack from a nearby table and hurried out the door without so much as a glance at William, who looked forlorn and hurt as she passed him. She ran to the bathroom and locked herself in a stall. She was being stupid. She was a freshman. He was a senior. There was no way it would work. How could she let herself fall for someone so out of her reach? She had to pull herself together and get over him. After a few minutes, the tears stopped and she went to a sink to wash her face and eliminate all the evidence she had cried.

Her history test was challenging enough to take her mind off of William and the events that transpired that morning, but her heart still ached. She ignored the pain the best she could and answered every question about the Industrial Revolution with no amount of difficulty. She was happy during the test, but that changed the minute the test was taken by the teacher. There was nothing to distract her until the bell rang.

Cheyenne sat in her math class as the teacher handed back She got her Algebra test back from the week before and got a surprise. The first B+ she had ever received in math. She was an A and B student with the exception of math. Her grade was usually either a C or C+. This was good enough news to make her completely forget about William. At least until lunch...

Cheyenne went to her spot under the shade of the pine tree, savoring the privacy she had here. She debated with herself internally for a moment, then surrendered and pulled out a pen and paper and began to write:

Dear William,

I understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore since I obviously can't control my feelings for you. I don't want things to get awkward. I hope you don't hate me.

~Cheyenne

She planned on slipping it in his backpack during Theater class when he wasn't looking. She loved him even against her better judgment. Cheyenne knew that even if they ended up together, he was still graduating at the end of the year. After that, presumably, he would be off to college. They would never see each other again after that. Cheyenne didn't want to live with the heartache of a breakup. However, she figured the heartache she was going through because of rejection was worse.

She folded up the letter and slipped it into her boot. She sat in silence and watched the pine needles blow in the wind. Winter was coming and the weather was getting colder. Cheyenne was in a lightweight, loose aqua sweater, dark blue skinny jeans, and cowboy boots with turquoise detailing. Most other girls she saw were in hooded sweaters. Cheyenne spent the whole lunch period alone under the pine with her eyes closed and her face to the sky. She usually wasn't one to avoid issues. She liked to confront them head-on, but matters of the heart were new for her. Cheyenne thought it was best to give William some space.

The bell let her know that it was time for her favorite class. P.E. There was only one speed for Cheyenne in this class. Fast. There was no slowing her down. She could run circles around every girl in the class and she had, on several occasions, refused to run the mile by the girls' time. Cheyenne changed into her gym clothes and went outside. She was surprised to see she was the only one in shorts still. Much to Cheyenne's delight, they were doing the hundred-yard dash. This was perfect. She could expend all her energy in short intense bursts. When her turn came the teacher put her against one of the boys and counted down.

"Three..... Two..... One..... Go!"

Cheyenne took off sprinting at full speed. She managed to stay neck and neck with the guy next to her until the end when he passed her across the finish line by an inch. Cheyenne didn't want to stop. She wanted to run. All of the heartache she felt, would disappear if she just kept running. She heard Ms. Osborne calling her, but she ignored her. She sprinted the entire quarter-mile before she came to a stop. The teacher came up to her.

"Why didn't you stop?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," Cheyenne said apologetically. "I just had to run."

"Fine, just don't do it again. You held up class. Now go sit down."

Cheyenne went up to the bleachers and sat next to Nicolette. They did everything together during class, but they never hung out outside of class. They had agreed to just be that outside friend they could go to for advice. Neither of them was a part of the other's personal life so they could be objective.

"What was that about?" asked Nicolette.

"Stress, frustration. The usual crap." Cheyenne said, shrugging

"Really? Because I've never seen you run so hard." Nicolette paused for a moment. "Does it have anything to do with the guy you told me about?"

"Yeah," Cheyenne said. "There are just so many things happening in my head, I just need to run it away." She looked straight ahead at the horizon. "I told him how I feel about him, but he said he couldn't return them. That was fine, but I seriously messed up this morning."

"What happened?"

"I wasn't thinking and I grabbed his hand," said Cheyenne. "He walked away from me so rapidly, it hurt. I may be getting myself too deep into this. I don't know what I'm doing. I really do love him. This isn't just some crush. But he clearly doesn't feel the same way about me."

"Rough. I'm sure it'll work out," said Nicolette. The two sat in silence for a while watching everyone run. "Looks like they're done. There might be extra time if you need another lap."

"Sounds great," said Cheyenne. "See you in the locker room." She went down the bleachers and asked the teacher if there was time for her to take one more lap.

"Yeah," he said.

Cheyenne didn't wait. She needed speed. She needed to feel the wind in her hair. She needed to feel the cold air bite at her face. She sped around one corner, then another, and another. She rounded her fifth turn for the second lap, as her legs screamed for her to stop, but she pushed them to go faster. She felt cold tears stream down her hot face from the physical and emotional pain she was in. She rounded the last corner before she slowed down just enough to run up the bleachers. Then she hurried to the locker room.

She changed so fast, she was the first one in her row who had finished dressing even though she was the last to go in. She sat down to put her boots on when she realized there was a problem with her legs. She couldn't get them to move. She couldn't even curl her toes. She couldn't even feel them anymore. Cheyenne had just sprinted a full half-mile and she ran up the bleachers. She had pushed her legs past the point of pain and straight to numbness.

"Nicolette," she said with slight panic in her voice, "I can't get up. My legs won't work."

"I think you pushed too hard this time," Nicolette said pointedly. "Do you need help to your next class?"

"Unless you want me to crawl," Cheyenne said, sarcastically.

"Okay," Nicolette laughed. "Where is it?"

"The theater."

"I'm right across the walk in the H building, so I can definitely get us both to class on time." Cheyenne got her boots on (with help from Nicolette) just before the bell sounded.

"Okay, let's go."

Cheyenne put her arm around Nicolette's shoulders and wobbled out of the locker rooms and across the lawn. They just got to the edge of the grass when William came up to them.

"What happened, Chey?" he asked looking worried at Cheyenne who was shaking uncontrollably and trying so desperately to stay on her feet.

Nicolette, who had no idea that William was the guy Cheyenne told her about, explained. "She pushed too hard during P.E."

He looked at Cheyenne with an expression of sadness on his face. It broke Cheyenne's heart to see him like that. He looked as if he had been wrestling with some internal conflict and the stress clearly showed on his face.

"I've got her," William said. He swooped down and lifted Cheyenne off of her feet and held her bridal style. She about burst from the happiness that swelled up inside her like a balloon. At the same time, she felt awkward. "Thanks," William told Nicolette as she turned and rushed off to her class.

William carried Cheyenne into the theater and down to the front section. She watched his face but he never glanced at her. He still looked a little somber as he set Cheyenne down gently and sat across the aisle from her. All throughout the class, Cheyenne sat in the audience, resting her legs. She reached across the aisle and slipped the note from the bottom of her boot into his backpack while he was on stage. She made it visible so he couldn't miss it.

As soon as the bell rang, she struggled to get up and walked as quickly as she could out the door. She didn't go to the front of the school. Instead, she headed to the student parking lot and leaned up against the driver-side door of William's car. She saw him and watched him come closer. Cheyenne waited for him to see her standing there with the gentle wind blowing her hair. Cheyenne didn't know it, but at that moment, looking the way she did, she was absolutely stunning. He stopped for a moment and stared in awe, but then resumed his approach. Cheyenne started to breathe heavily. William looked amazing in his white hooded sweater, his black cowboy hat, and his faded jeans.

"Cheyenne," he said. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you," she said looking up into his eyes. "I wanted to apologize for this morning."

"I got your note," he said exasperatedly.

"Did you read it?" asked Cheyenne, trying to stay calm, but she was scared. Not of William himself, but of what he would say.

"Yes, I did and I'm not too thrilled with you about it," said William, sounding a little angry.

"About what? What did I do?"

"You can't just go leaving me notes," growled William. "If you want to tell me something, you need to just tell me to my face."

"I'm sorry," Cheyenne said. "I didn't know how else to say it."

"Just come out and say it!" he snapped harshly.

Cheyenne fell back into the car door as she burst into tears. She stared at him for a moment, then turned to leave but William caught her around the wrist and pulled her into his arms. Cheyenne stopped crying almost immediately. She didn't know how to feel. He just yelled at her, and now he was holding her. Then it dawned on her. He was holding her! Cheyenne rested her hands on his chest. He's so warm, she thought to herself, but he's probably just trying to comfort me. But then, why was his heart racing?

"I'm sorry, Cheyenne," said William quietly. "I didn't know how to react when you told me you love me. You had just taken a massive hit for me. I was still in shock. Then, when you grabbed my hand this morning, I couldn't - I've never felt like this before." He sighed. "I tried so hard not to. I can't do it anymore."

He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes. William pushed her hair behind her ear and leaned in. Cheyenne's heart was pounding in her chest so hard she swore that William could hear it. His lips met hers and Cheyenne thought her body had caught fire. She wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her in closer, closing the gap between them. They stood there, tangled in each other's arms for minutes before they had to break apart for oxygen.

"I love you, too," William said. Cheyenne smiled as he leaned down to kiss her again. She finally found something better than speed.