Nomination!!

Just so you know, every other spaced-out paragraph is a flashback. Keep that in mind because my flashback symbols didn't copy very well. Ok, enjoy!

Race against a Cracker
A short story by Alex Calhoun-Haynes

“Did your mom buy Cheez-its? Because I’ve been dying to eat some since that time you ate them in front of me right after I had my wisdom teeth pulled.”
“She said she did, I’ll go check.”
“Ok thanks, Babe.”

…
The bus smelled like cigarette smoke. I sat and thought about my first day of high school. Would the halls be too crowded? Would the teachers pronounce my name right? Would people be-
“Hey, stranger!”
“Wow, you look the same.”
“No, I got taller.”
“I guess.”
She sat down in the seat across from me.

…
“Um, I couldn’t find any Cheez-its,” I told her, bracing myself for her overly-dramatic despair.
“Oh ok.” She was surprisingly calm. But I had a backup plan just in case.
“Want some reduced fat Wheat Thins?” I watched as her mouth transformed from disappointment to a smile.

…
A couple of days later, on the bus, I got the guts to sit next to her. She didn’t seem surprised. Girls seem to always know what’s going on. I wondered if she was nervous. I knew I was. She yawned.
“Are you tired?” I asked with intent.
“Yeah, I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep.” She yawned again.
“You could use my shoulder as your pillow.” I knew it was corny. Corniness works sometimes, right?
“Sure,” she said quietly as she rested the weight of her head on me. That was the best feeling ever.

…
I watched as she ate the Wheat Thins one by one. She’s by far the cutest girl I’ve ever met. We haven’t kissed yet. I plan on making my move tonight, though.

…
“Want me to walk you to class?” I asked her one morning. She said that would be fine. She seemed excited. I took that short chance when she was laughing to make my move. My arm weighted down as I lifted it around her waist. What would she do? Would she yell at me or return the favor? I was too nervous to look at her face for a reaction, so I waited. I think she was thinking. She moved. Oh no, she’s trying to wriggle out of it, I thought. Then I felt her arm around my shoulder. That was the best feeling ever.

…
See, we started going out on September 8th of this year. I wanted to kiss her at 9:08pm. It was 9:00. Only 8 more minutes of my childhood I thought to myself.

…
The two of us decided to go on a bike ride to the dam. When we got there, we left our bikes to go exploring in the woods. She was wearing a sexy red tank top and I wore my favorite Metallica t-shirt. We held hands as we walked ↓ the trails of the woods in the sunset. That was the best feeling ever.

…
She ate each cracker, carefully crunching with each bite. I began to worry whether she would stop eating so I could kiss her at the right time. It was 9:07 now.

…
It was a sunny day and all of the leaves had almost fallen off of the trees. It was rare to have a sunny day in the middle of fall. She and I were cuddling on her couch watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, when she suggested that we go outside and toss the football. She looked even better out in the sun. I’ve always told myself that a girl who can throw a spiral is the girl of my dreams.
“Here it comes!” I heard.
And there it went. That perfect spiraling football soared through the air.

…
And there it went. The digital clock switched to 9:08. I was shaking. She looked so beautiful. The moonlight played with her skin as it shone through the basement window. I scooted over on the couch so I could reach her mouth. I started to lean in for the kiss. She, not noticing my subtle attempt, lifted a single Wheat Thin from the box. She began to move her hand toward her mouth.

…
We spent a day at the state fair together. We watched a lumberjack show, ate corn dogs, and walked through the haunted house. Her mom gave us a ride home and we sat in the backseat under a blanket. I was as close to her as I could get. I held her in my arms with no intent of letting go. That was the best feeling ever.

…
It was a race against time and a cracker. I leaned with what felt like slow motion speed. Did she notice me? She wouldn’t really put that cracker in her mouth, would she? I could feel my heart about to burst from my chest it was beating so hard.

…
We sat in my room and I taught her how to play happy birthday on my brother’s LesPaul. He would kill me if he found out I let my girlfriend play his favorite guitar. I wasn’t even allowed to play it. She is a natural learner. Her fingers pluck with grace and I just love when she puts her head down to check where her fingers should be and hair falls in her face. I brushed it away from her eyes gently as she smiled. That was the best feeling ever.

…
I would have to beat that cracker. I leaned as far as I could and I felt it. And it wasn’t a cracker. It was another human beings’ lips. They were soft and warm. I heard the wheat thin fall to the ground. She lifted her hand up and found the perfect spot to rest it on the back of my neck. It was hard to stop, but we did. We both stared at each other, smiling.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too,” I said.
That was definitely the best feeling ever.