When our eyes met

Chapter three

Katie

3:33 am

For the past 3 hours I stayed sitting upright on my bed looking down at my phone screen.

"Hey! I'm so sorry about what Chloe did to you today."

I analyzed every single word in that text message at least a hundred times. He said he was sorry. Why is he sorry? Why does he care about what Chloe does to me? Why does he always seem to feel sorry for me?

I tend to over-think things a lot, I always have, but this time it's different. It's different because it's him. Because of his eyes. His eyes that had the ability to make me forget about all of my worries, his eyes that could eliminate everyone and everything around me, his eyes that comforted me.

I've never been so curious about anyone in the same way I'm curious about Thomas Hamilton.

My eyes began to get heavy as I laid on my back and finally fell into a deep sleep.

6:30 am

"Katie, honey, it's time to get ready for school" my mother's voice was soft and gentle as she caressed my hair backward.

I opened my eyes and had the privilege of opening them to the most alluring woman in the world, "Mom" I yawned.

My mother and I look nothing alike. She has eyes as blue as the sea, her hair is blonde and it falls until the middle of her back, she has the cutest button nose and has the body of a goddess. I look more like my dad. He had green eyes (like mine), brown hair (like mine) and a narrow shaped nose (like mine). When he died, my mom said she felt like he never left because she had me. I wish I could say the same for her. Yes, I love her, yes she means the absolute world to me but that doesn't mean I can't feel the empty space my father's passing has left in my heart.

I look in the mirror everyday hating my face not only because it was average, but also because it reminds me of the first man that loved me and the first man that left me.

"You should go shower now" she said just before she gave me a kiss on the forehead with her soft rosy lips and got up to leave, I speedily grabbed her arm, stopping her from pursuing her walk towards the door, she turned around and raised her eyebrows as if asking me "what is it?".

I sat up and gave her a big hug "I love you Mom"

She hugged me back "I love you a thousand times more" we released from each other "Now go shower, you're going to be late"

"I will" I smiled.

After she left my room I got up and walked to my mirror as routine, then headed to my bathroom to go take a shower.

I looked at my face (the face I hated) in the mirror and sighed as I undressed out of my grey pajama shorts and t-shirt, and made my way in to the shower.

Thomas

12:27 am

I laid on my back, in my bed with my face to the ceiling thinking about her, wringing my hands together at the thought of her emerald eyes. Her eyes that read pain, that read suffering. Her eyes that cried out for help, the eyes that I've seen before.

I reached over to my bed side table and grabbed my phone. I opened it to see my lock screen, it was a picture of my beautiful twin sister Alyssa. She had curly copper brown hair (like mine), and a smile that could light up any room she was in. If only I had known sooner that her smile was merely what I wanted to see and not what she was trying so hard to show me.

I brought my phone closer to my face so I could clearly look into her bright hazel eyes, and there they were, the cries.

I knew I could see it if I looked close enough, these were the eyes that I saw on Katie. 

Katie's eyes portrayed the same agony I now see on my sister, the agony I wish I had seen sooner. The torment, the surrender, the loneliness, everything. All that was in my sister's eyes that I ignored, I now notice in Katie's. 

I have to help her. I can't let what happened to Alyssa happen to Katie. I won't allow her to suffer alone.

12:52

I sat upright on my bed contemplating what to do next.

"I should text her"

My best friend, Alex, is class president, not because he's smart or capable of representing our whole class, but because he's rich, popular and my friend. I asked him to find out her contact information, he owes me so he didn't ask questions. He managed to pull some strings for me and somehow got me Katie's number.

12:54

I debated what I would say and whether I should say anything at all.

Thomas she might not need your help.

Yeah but she might.

You don't even know her.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that she needed help and I didn't give it to her.

She's not Alyssa.

No she's not, and she's not going to end up like her either.

I mustered up every ounce of courage I had in me.

12:56

I typed

"Hey! I'm so sorry about what Chloe did to you today.    -Thom"

I sent the message.

Don't worry Katie Smith, I promise to never let you hurt alone anymore.