Hazel Eyes and Peaches

chapter 5:

Does he have to be so blunt?

As we walk down the halls together, people glance in our direction, making me incredibly uncomfortable. His arm brushes up against mine multiple times, and I'm confused about how I feel about it. I'm puzzled by most things, however, this is different. He's met me today and seemed to take a liking to my presence. If he didn't, he wouldn't be voluntarily walking me to the class while holding my textbooks in his arms. 

He isn't like anyone I've met before, which is a good thing, but I can't help feeling slightly taken aback by his ability to not care what people think about him. He's so confident in who he is, but it's not cocky. He's respectful to teachers and even other students but is still withdrawn into his own world. 

He doesn't like others getting near him, including Bash, but he seems fine with us grazing each other. I haven't known him long, but Westin has always said I can be more observant and intuitive than a normal person. I'm not sure where that comes from, but I don't think it's a bad thing.

I notice that when we get to the chemistry classroom door, he rests his hand on my lower back after raising his eyebrows to ask permission. He's very delicate and attentive to me for some reason. It's not hard to point out. Holding my books in his arms, opening the door for me, asking if I'm still hungry even after eating my whole lunch, asking if we need to stop by my locker before class. 

I'm not oblivious to what he's doing, flirting a bit, but I don't think I'm ready to do anything except being friends. I just got out of a relationship, and I need to figure out a few things for myself before I dive right back into having a significant other. He might not want more, he might just naturally be like this. 

I could be reading too deep into this, I know me, and I do that a lot. However, he hasn't done this for anyone else in the school, at least from what I've seen. I'm not going to turn it into something it's not, and as of right now, I don't think I am.

Of course, I'm not going to say anything. I could be completely wrong, and I don't want to go forward with anything, so why acknowledge it when it's not that big of a deal? It's not like I mind him helping me out and being kind to me. 

I won't take advantage of him, and it's much different than I'm used to. The way both Sebastian and Clay treat me is something I haven't experienced in a long time, and I wouldn't want to ruin any friendships that I've only made today. 

Throughout chemistry, we sit close together, his cologne seeping into my nose, our fingers brushing every one in a while as the experiment continues. I ask why I haven't seen either him or Bash at school, and he explains that they were doing independent study at home all last year and partly this year (the reason I probably don't remember them) because of some personal family issues. Since it has passed, they are ready to be back at school, hence them being here.

Though I'm curious about what the family issues could be, I know better than to push him. I know that if someone tried to get me to explain what's happened in my life, I would not be happy, and I would feel incredibly violated. 

We carry on the experiment, which I'm not even sure what we are even doing or trying to do, but I'm going to follow the directions anyway. Finally, little puffs of black smoke erupt in the blue-tinted water. I clutch Clay's bicep, trying not to squeeze the firm muscle, and point to the reaction happening. 

I smile brightly up at him to realize that he's staring at me, his head tilted to the side a bit. I blush and flick my eyes away from his intense gaze. It doesn't make me uncomfortable, but all the excuses I've made for not pursuing him want to fly out of the window. Butterflies erupt in my stomach as his hand lands on my thigh but I quickly jerk away because of the scars.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"I don't hate it. I just-it's a long story."

"If you ever want to tell it, I'll be willing to listen."

That's what he says now. Wait until I tell him. He'll run, just like most everyone has. Instead of showing him the real reaction I have to that, I blink my eyes up at him and nod my head reluctantly. As if I will ever tell him nor will I show him. 

The class soon ends, the awkward silence between us brutal against the bustling of our peers backing up their things. He takes my hand, helping me off the stool (completely unnecessary), and waves me a quick goodbye before exiting the chemistry classroom. I'm about to get to AP statistics when someone steps in front of me. 

Someone I should have expected.