Bette Davis Eyes

Jayfield sat across from me once he received his coffee. With a smug, yet mildly upset look on his face, he asked me, “How’s spending time with Chelsea?”

I tapped my left temple and replied, “We’re having a lot of fun with my time machine.”

He chuckled and started to sip at his coffee. He stared at me while I continued to read Dorian Gray, but I became ridiculously uncomfortable after about ten minutes.

“Is there something you need from me?”

He smiled charmingly, “Just some time.”

I slid my bookmark horizontally so that it can mark my page and line. I gently sat down Dorian Gray and grabbed my coffee. I enjoyed a long sip before replying, “Time for what exactly?”

He suddenly and harshly snapped at me, “Why are you so cold?”

I shot up, grabbed my book, and took two steps away from the table before he corrected himself.

“Rissa!” He quieted himself, “Rissa, I’m sorry. I’ve had a long day.”

I sat back down and looked at him without emotion. “Your bad day has no relation to my quiet night.”

He shrugged and drew in a deep breath. “I’ll cut out the crap.”

I took another sip of coffee after saying, “Thank you.”

He calmed himself with some coffee before continuing. “I’ve been offered a grant to study the differences in an adult brain and a teenage brain. I know you’re aiming high when it comes to your future, and participating in a project like this will look great to colleges. So what do you say?”

I looked out the window for a few minutes before asking, “Why my brain?”

“Why not yours?”

“What sets my brain apart from the other two hundred students you have?”

I could see his smirk from the corner of my eyes. “How much you don’t care about them.”

I turned my head to the right to look at him, “And why should I care about people who don’t affect my life?”

He nodded in concession.

I turned the rest of my body and leaned against the small, round, coffee table. “Why should I care about those who don’t care about me?”

He nodded again.

I drank the rest of my coffee before looking up into his eyes. They showed no real sign of life. No real light in them. Something sinister was being hidden behind the empty stare. Nothing could truly describe the hidden evil trying to taint the whites of his eyes. Nothing.

“You can back out of experiments at any time. You won’t be a slave to science.”

I bit the inside of my bottom lip. “Why don’t you show and explain to me the specifics after school on Monday?”

He smiled and nodded. Jayfield then stood up with his coffee in hand and replied, “I will. Have a good weekend Rissa.”

I nodded and watched him walk away.

xXx

I appreciated his fine back view instead of paying attention to my instincts. To the feelings he was projecting, to the evils stirring inside the confines of his body. I appreciated his body instead of listening to the whispers of his soul.