In My Shoes

BY

ADRIAN STEPHENS

ARTWORK BY ADRIAN AND CRISTY STEPHENS

Published By Stephens Family Media Group at
Smashwords

Copyright 2010 by Adrian Stephens

All rights reserved.

This novel is a work of fiction. The names of
the characters, places and events in this novel are the product of
the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any
resemblance to real events or circumstances is strictly
coincidental.

This novel may not be reproduced, by any
means, whether digital, photocopying or otherwise, in whole or in
part without the express written consent of the publisher. Requests
can be submitted by email at [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief: Adrian Stephens

ISBN-13: 978-0-9831681-0-2 (e-book)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9831681-1-9 (hardcover)

This ebook is licensed for your personal
enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to
other people. If you would like to share this book with another
person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If
you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not
purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com
and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work
of this author.

This book is for my loving wife, Cristy, and
my amazing boys, Bailey and Brendan. Without their love and
support, this book would not have been possible.

Thank you to the following people for their
contributions and support:

Editing Team

Jeanette Forrey, Cristy Stephens, Catherine
Taylor,

Krista Hampton

Creative Input

Jeanette Forrey, Cristy Stephens, Catherine
Taylor

Dick Stephens, Rhonda Dunaway, W. Terrence
Groom

Support

To my family and friends, and to my parents
in particular, thank you for your encouragement and support as I
took this journey. To Ashlea and Chelsea Suarez, thank you for
continuing to ask to read my novel. Don’t stop writing!

Contents

Day 0

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 2812

Day 2813

I sit one row over and three seats back from
Nicole Evans in physics class. We’ve been in school for more than a
month now, and I’m not sure if she’s noticed me once. I noticed her
immediately. For a senior guy in high school, it’s kind of hard not
to notice the perfect girl. She’s smart and funny, and when she
smiles she lights up the entire room. That’s what drew me to her
first. Her smile. It’s warm and sincere, complemented by her eyes.
They narrow ever so slightly when she smiles. Her eyes. Blue as an
ocean that seems to have no bottom. Blue that is accented by the
canvas that is her hair. Her hair. Blonde, silky smooth and flowing
over her shoulders, laying gently over her…

“Jake!” His whisper made me jump out of my
seat. Mike, my best friend. I’m not in the habit of drawing
attention to myself, but when I jumped I kicked my desk. That was
enough to draw the attention of my physics teacher, Mr.
Korelinski.

“Is everything alright Mr. Matthews?” he
asked.

“Yes sir. I thought I saw a…spider.” Chuckles
rolled throughout the classroom. A spider. That’s the best I could
come up with? Nicole turned over her shoulder and looked at me. I
couldn’t read the expression on her face, but it seemed to have a
hint of indifference. I wasn’t sure, but I thought she rolled her
eyes as she turned away from me.

I looked over at Mike sheepishly. “What?” I
whispered back, trying to project my irritation. He was laughing to
himself, obviously unconcerned with my embarrassment.

“Nothin’…just wanted to see you jump. Dude,
you looked lost in space.” Thanks, Mike.

I had been planning for a week to ask Nicole
out. I had the whole thing worked out in my head. When third period
was over, I would stop by her locker. I would start by saying
hello, talk about our physics class a little, and if the
conversation was going well I would ask her if she would like to
study together sometime. I just had to try and relax. Be
nonchalant. I wasn’t exactly a ladies’ man. If I were smart I
wouldn’t even try…she’s totally out of my league. But if you don’t
try, you will never do anything, right?

So, I had decided today was the day. It was
Thursday and I was thinking ahead for tomorrow. If things went
really well today, maybe…well, we’ll see. One step at a time. I
kept telling myself that once she got to know me, she would see
that I’m a pretty great guy.

As the class started winding down, my heart
started beating faster and faster. My head started buzzing and
everything was becoming hazy. What if she got to know me and she
didn’t think I was a great guy?

What makes me great, anyway? I don’t have any
money, I don’t live in a fancy neighborhood and I don’t play
sports. Truth is, my father walked out on my mother and me when I
was real little and we have struggled to make things work. My
mother’s done the best she could, and we’ve managed to get by.

Okay, that wasn’t the psyche up I needed. So
what makes me great? I am smart, hard-working and sometimes funny.
I’m not bad looking. I have a nice complexion, I’m almost 6 feet
tall, a little on the skinny side, short, blonde hair, blue eyes
and fair skin. I’m not going to win any male modeling competitions,
not that I wanted to, but I don’t seem to scare anyone away.

I’ve never asked anyone out before, so this
was my big chance. I didn’t want to blow it. If the conversation
didn’t go well, I would just say goodbye and work out a new plan. I
wouldn’t go all in if it didn’t seem like she was interested.

Mike looked over at me and motioned to get my
attention. “What are we going to do for lunch?”

I wasn’t ready to think about lunch yet. I
needed to stay focused, and lunch wasn’t for another hour anyway.
“I don’t really know yet. Ask me after next period.”

“We
are
having lunch together aren’t
we? You aren’t going to punk out on me are you?” he asked.

“Dude, I’m not really feeling very well right
now and I have some studying to do, so I don’t know. Ask me after
next period.” He looked annoyed, but he quickly changed gears.

Mike and I have been friends for seven years,
since we were 10 years old. It’s funny, we aren’t really much
alike. Mike is a little shorter than I am; probably 5’10” if he has
his lifts in, which he doesn’t really do anymore since I found out
and couldn’t stop laughing. He has dark brown hair that is wavy and
a little longer than I would have it. With his stocky build, he
could be confused for a football player, but he’s not real
coordinated. Mike has really nice skin, which makes me jealous. Not
that my skin is bad, but his is naturally a very light brown, which
he gets without tanning. I couldn’t even get that color with
tanning. I would just end up with a really nice burn. I couldn’t
tell you what color his eyes are because I have never really paid
that much attention. Mike is smart, but he never really applies
himself. I think he has less confidence than I do, not that I’m
brimming with confidence, but he masks it behind jokes and bravado.
He is always trying to be the funny one. He usually is, but
sometimes he tries too hard. Mike’s a good friend, though. Well,
usually.

There were five minutes left of class, and I
was getting a little antsy. Mike could tell that something was up,
but he didn’t know what. I had been careful not to say anything to
him about Nicole. Better to let him know after the fact on this
one. He might just try to help, and you never know how that’s going
to turn out. Mike and I don’t have the same class next period,
which is why I chose this period to speak to Nicole. Mike won’t be
around.

“Hey, I can’t talk after class, I’ll catch up
with you after fourth.” Mike nodded that he heard me.

When the bell rang, I was already packed up
and ready to go. I said goodbye to Mike and started walking toward
the door at the front of the class room. All of a sudden, I tripped
and fell, with my face inches from the ground. Mike. On a different
day I still wouldn’t have thought it was funny, but why did he have
to pick today to trip me? Of all the days. Half the class was
staring and laughing. Not Nicole. She appeared not to have noticed.
I looked back at Mike, and he was trying not to laugh, but he was
grinning from ear to ear.

“Was that absolutely necessary?” I said,
trying to contain my disgust.

“Dude, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help
myself.”

“Maybe you should try a little harder.”

I gathered myself and tried to catch up to
Nicole before she left her locker. If I missed her at her locker, I
would have to wait until tomorrow or next week. That would make me
crazy. I’ve had enough nerves today to last a lifetime. Okay, I
can’t show my nerves. I needed to be cool. Not over the top cool,
just…calm.

As I neared her locker, I saw a friend saying
goodbye. Perfect timing. I couldn’t do this with an audience,
especially her friends. I walked up and left a locker’s length
between her and me. “Nicole?” I started.

“Yes?” She looked at me and smiled. Not a
‘hey I’m really happy to see you’ smile, but more of a courtesy
smile. Thoughtful, that’s a start.

“I’m Jake, and I’m in your physics class.” I
leaned against the locker and then, feeling like a pimp,
straightened back up.

“I know who you are. You’re also in my
English class.” That sounded a little cold, but she didn’t look
angry. Maybe I misread. And she noticed me!

“Right, well…uhh….I was just wondering if
you’d like to get together sometime and study.”

Now she looked unhappy. “I’m not looking to
tutor anybody right now...Jake…so I don’t think so.”

“Whoa, I don’t need a tutor. I just thought
maybe you could use a study partner.”

She turned her body straight toward me. “What
makes you think I need a study partner? Is that your way of trying
to ask me out? Because…if it is, I’m not interested. What is it
with you guys, anyway? You’re like, the third guy that’s asked me
out today. What is there, some kind of bet going around?”

Okay, now I felt like I had just entered the
Twilight Zone. One minute everything was going okay, and next thing
I knew, it was like a switch had been flipped. “I don’t know about
any bet. I just wanted to get to know you better.”

“Look,” she said, “I get it. I’m pretty.
Everyone wants to get the pretty girl. It’s not happening. I don’t
date class clowns. I have goals, and…”

“Wait a minute. How do you get off calling me
a class clown? That’s not even fair!”

She paused. “I’ve seen your type before.
Always needs to be the center of attention. Do you think I’m dumb?
Is it a coincidence that today, the day you are at my locker, you
just happened to have the whole class focused on you twice? I mean,
‘I thought I saw a spider?’ Then, you fall down as class is getting
out? Could you be more obvious? Why didn’t you just dance on your
desk and yell, ‘hey, check me out’? That way, at least, you would
have been upfront about your intentions.”