At a Distance

He sat in the same place every day, under the looming oak tree on one of the weather worn benches. He would watch as a slew of people walked past him, their gazes never once lingering on him. He preferred it that way. He preferred to be alone, with only his sketch pad and pencils. He could appreciate the beauty around him without having to interact with anyone.

His hair blew around him in the evening wind, his locks thick and dark, soft to the touch. Something on a deeply elemental level caused him to look up from his sketching, caused his eyes to roam the slowly emptying area. It was then that he saw her, there beneath the weeping willow, her hair falling around her as she looked down at the her laptop, furiously typing away, oblivious to any and everything around her. He studied her, watched the way she would bite her lower lip and furrow her brows in frustration. He waited until the last rays of the sun had slithered away before he packed his things away. He looked towards the spot that she had vacated, feeling a sense of loss that he himself could not comprehend.

From that day, he looked forward to seeing her, to watching her from a distance. She was young, beautiful and carefree. It showed in the way she carried herself, in the way her shoulders were thrown back, in the way she would speak. She captivated all those that came into contact with her, including him who maintained his constant distance. He watched everything she touched blossom, watched the kind smiles she would give to strangers, the helpful hand she offered to those in need. He had never witnessed so much compassion from one human being, not in his life and he was profoundly amazed.

They took modern history and an elective language class together but he never once chanced talking to her, let alone get within ten feet of her. He much rather watch her from afar for he knew he would never, in a million years, know what to say to someone as graceful and confident as her. Then, on an overcast Saturday afternoon, he walked around with flyers for a voluntary mission trip to Colombia to provide relief to impoverished cities that were on their last limb. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to find recruits as the leaves from overhead trees swirled around his feet. He felt foolish, coming out of his shell only to be ignored by those be constantly observed. Just as he was about to throw the flyers into the trash, he spotted her, sitting alone on the bench he usually sat on. He smiled to himself, wondering if it was fate but his cynicism brushed that thought away.

He approached her cautiously, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. There was no sunshine peeking through the thick ominous clouds overhead and he told himself that he should take it as a sign. He moved closer to her, his brown eyes filled with doubt and apprehension. He was a mere three feet away from her when she looked up at him, a heartstoppingly beautiful smile hanging from her lips. Her eyes, he could now see them properly after so long, were the most curious shade of brown, not too dark and yet not light enough to be hazel.

“I love it when it’s like this.” She said, sounding somewhat wistful as she looked up at the angry rain-swollen clouds.

He said nothing, afraid to say something wrong and scare her away.

“What’s that you have there?” she asked curiously, not taking her eyes off of the sky.

He was stunned and shuffled his weight from one foot to the next as he fingered through the flyers in his slightly trembling hands. He held one out to her and when her hand brushed hers , he found the courage to finally speak to her.

“The University is funding a relief group to go to Colombia for a month.” He said, hating how soft his voice sounded. He wished he was more confident but he found it hard to bring himself out of his shell.
He watched her, much like the way he usually did, as she read the flyer, her eyes widening as she took in the contents. She looked at him and he saw tears swimming in those curiously brown eyes. A part of him wanted to hold her, to make sure she never felt sadness or pain.

“This is Nevado del Ruiz” she said softly, brushing a few strands of her caramel colored hair out of her eyes. “This is a relief mission for the aftermath of that volcanic eruption.”

He nodded but his heart sank when she handed him back the flyer. He took a step backwards, her rejection obvious to him.

“I’ve already signed up for that.” She said, halting him in his tracks. She patted the bench next to her, offering him a seat.

He acquiesced and the two of them sat in silence, watching stray students cross the grass, hurriedly making their way to their apartments before the storm hit. She began talking to him and for the first time in a very long time, he found himself offering bits and pieces of insight into his life to someone other than his journal or dead best friend. She listened to him, her hand ghosting over his shoulder as he spoke. He looked at her and saw no judgment in her eyes, only compassion and concern. It warmed him, made him feel as if were at home. He asked her about herself and found that her laughter was the most intoxicating thing he had ever come across.

He knew, that this trip that they were soon to embark upon would bring them together. He smiled at her and watched her smile back. The first raindrop hit the ground, causing both of them to look up. He offered her the hoodie he was wearing, not minding that he would be soaked as they ran through the rain in search of shelter. Her hand was in his as they ran, her laughter ringing through the trees. He laughed too, louder than he had in years and when they found themselves huddling under the canopy of the campus coffee shop, the two of them looked inside wistfully.

She tugged him inside, stamping the rain from her and peeled off his drenched jacket. She shivered and he bravely ran his hands up and down her arms, warming her up without thinking of the repercussions of his actions. She grinned sheepishly at him, pulling him further into the shop, the scents of freshly brewed coffee spurring her forward. They ordered and sat together, two total strangers brought together by a common cause.

He looked at her as she talked, thinking to himself that fate really had something wonderful in store for him if she was next to him as the heavens above poured down onto the ground outside. At that moment, after being alone and relying only on himself, he realized that there was no where he rather be than at her side.