Status: Read, Stay with me... Please!
Look at Me
7.
It didn’t take long for Hayden to edge his way back into Paige’s thoughts. As she stepped through the crowded school halls, her eyes kept wandering.
Every time she saw someone with dark overlong hair, she think, is that him?
Then Paige would tell herself she didn’t care if it was. But that didn’t really work. She still felt an odd fluttering sensation in her stomach. And she still kept looking at the clock.
History Class. I’ll see him then, Paige thought as chewed nervously on the end of her pen. She’d already covered two pencils in bite marks.
***
Hayden swallowed the metallic taste of the blood that lingered in his mouth as he slowly walked to class. He tried to stay off his bad leg, but it still felt like shit and he couldn’t help limping a little. Hayden noticed eyes that normally passed over him were pausing to stare and he self consciously ducked his head.
“Dude what the fuck’s up with your face?” Chris Treybourn said loudly as he walked by in the opposite direction.
Hayden didn’t answer him. He didn’t have to. Everyone would assume exactly what they wanted to and chances were they’d be wrong.
They’d think he got in a fight…
They’d think he wiped out on a skateboard…
Anything, but what had actually happened. No one would think that. And Hayden didn’t want them to. Wasn’t what he was enough of a problem? Didn’t that make him enough of a freak?
***
Paige shifted impatiently in her seat. She tried not to be obvious in the way she was watching the door for Hayden. She tried to just glance absently at the people who were filing into the room. But then the stream of students slowed to trickle, and she started to worry.
What if he ditched today, Paige thought anxiously as she began to destroy another pen.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him slip in. He was looking determinedly at the ground as he headed toward an empty desk a few seats away. Hayden dropped into it and his eyes didn’t glance up even when the teacher started talking. So, Paige felt free to stare.
***
Hayden felt a strange prickle at the back of his neck and he knew someone was watching him. He lifted his eyes to stare down the moron doing it and he saw her…
Paige Brinkley was looking at him. The instant their eyes met he expected her to turn bright red and turn away. But she didn’t. Her gaze met his steadily.
What will she assume, he wondered as her face crumpled in an expression of shock.
***
Paige had never seen someone alive look so very close to death. She’d never seen someone with long razor-like cuts going up their cheek and a lip that was still bleeding down their chin. In her comfortable safe little life she’d never seen someone look like Hayden Peirce did right then. And despite herself, Paige felt a little afraid. How had he got those marks? And did he deserve them?
As she stared into his eyes, she didn’t even notice their color. She just tried to find the reason. The reason for his cuts, the reason for her dream, the reason for anything at all…
And as he stared back at her, Hayden seemed to be looking for something too. His gaze seemed to pin her like a butterfly and Paige was unable to look away.
Every time she saw someone with dark overlong hair, she think, is that him?
Then Paige would tell herself she didn’t care if it was. But that didn’t really work. She still felt an odd fluttering sensation in her stomach. And she still kept looking at the clock.
History Class. I’ll see him then, Paige thought as chewed nervously on the end of her pen. She’d already covered two pencils in bite marks.
***
Hayden swallowed the metallic taste of the blood that lingered in his mouth as he slowly walked to class. He tried to stay off his bad leg, but it still felt like shit and he couldn’t help limping a little. Hayden noticed eyes that normally passed over him were pausing to stare and he self consciously ducked his head.
“Dude what the fuck’s up with your face?” Chris Treybourn said loudly as he walked by in the opposite direction.
Hayden didn’t answer him. He didn’t have to. Everyone would assume exactly what they wanted to and chances were they’d be wrong.
They’d think he got in a fight…
They’d think he wiped out on a skateboard…
Anything, but what had actually happened. No one would think that. And Hayden didn’t want them to. Wasn’t what he was enough of a problem? Didn’t that make him enough of a freak?
***
Paige shifted impatiently in her seat. She tried not to be obvious in the way she was watching the door for Hayden. She tried to just glance absently at the people who were filing into the room. But then the stream of students slowed to trickle, and she started to worry.
What if he ditched today, Paige thought anxiously as she began to destroy another pen.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him slip in. He was looking determinedly at the ground as he headed toward an empty desk a few seats away. Hayden dropped into it and his eyes didn’t glance up even when the teacher started talking. So, Paige felt free to stare.
***
Hayden felt a strange prickle at the back of his neck and he knew someone was watching him. He lifted his eyes to stare down the moron doing it and he saw her…
Paige Brinkley was looking at him. The instant their eyes met he expected her to turn bright red and turn away. But she didn’t. Her gaze met his steadily.
What will she assume, he wondered as her face crumpled in an expression of shock.
***
Paige had never seen someone alive look so very close to death. She’d never seen someone with long razor-like cuts going up their cheek and a lip that was still bleeding down their chin. In her comfortable safe little life she’d never seen someone look like Hayden Peirce did right then. And despite herself, Paige felt a little afraid. How had he got those marks? And did he deserve them?
As she stared into his eyes, she didn’t even notice their color. She just tried to find the reason. The reason for his cuts, the reason for her dream, the reason for anything at all…
And as he stared back at her, Hayden seemed to be looking for something too. His gaze seemed to pin her like a butterfly and Paige was unable to look away.