For What It's Worth

Chapter Twelve : Hopelessly Devoted

H O P E L E S S L Y D E V O T E D

Thomas

Today is a glorious day, the sun beating down out of a clear blue sky, the breeze warm and inviting. A line of green trees tinge at the tip with an orange haze. I drive with the windows down, letting the day fly in to hit my face.

"My hair!" Isabelle complains, sat in the passenger beside me.

"Oh. Sorry." I roll the windows up.

We both had class this afternoon so I offered to drive us both in. It makes sense, plus it's a good excuse to spend another ten minutes with her. Just us two.

After parking and hanging back to look at my squeaky clean car shine in the reflection of the sun on it, we walk through campus together. Isabelle does a good job keeping up with my long strides. She is quite tall for a girl but I still tower over her.

Her skin looks dewy and fresh in the daylight, her hair styled into a series of delicate waves that end at her collarbones. Her face is colored with a bit of light, bronzy makeup, her lips pink with a gloss.

"There's a party later." I begin. "Costume party, of course." It's Halloween tonight.

"Oh cool, what are you going as?" She adjusts the strap of her bag on her shoulder, looking up at me.

"I don't really like dressing up but I was thinking that we could go as Danny and Sandy from Grease because then I wouldn't really have to wear a costume."

"Is that your way of inviting me?" She pretends to be overly flattered.

"I guess so." I reply, awkwardly chuckling.  It's not like it's a date so I don't know why I'm suddenly hit with nerves at the idea of asking her to go with me.

"Sure, I'll have to go shopping after class but yeah. That sounds fun." I nod more to myself than at her, glad that she's agreed to go with me. We walk a little further until she closes in on me, lowering her voice. "Do you not notice that everyone is staring at you?"

"No." It's true. I'm too used to it to notice or be bothered by it. Looking around, a lot of people are looking at us. It's more of the girls that are staring but now more at Isabelle than at me.

"How?" She stiffens, uncomfortable with all the attention.

"Because I'm looking at you, aren't I?" I don't realize what I meant by saying that until after I said it. She lets out a nervous laugh and then chews the inside of her mouth, trying her hardest not to smile.

She trains her eyes to the floor but I notice what she's doing. For a few more minutes, we walk in silence until we come to split up.

"Okay, I'll see you later." We awkwardly stand apart, unsure how to say goodbye. She holds her hand up, giving me a little wave and smiles.

"Okay. Bye." I walk backwards as she goes off. I wait to see if she'll back look over her shoulder at me.

She does.

**

I stand back, a hammer in my hand, tilting my head at the bookshelf I've been building for the last forty minutes. It's black and sleek, sat underneath the mirror with a frame that matches. I smile, happy with how it's turned out.

Collecting the books that Isabelle has left out, I arrange them in alphabetical order which takes me ages to work out. I don't take any out of her room, I don't set foot in it unless she's in there.

"Oh my god. What's that?" I jump at the sound of her voice. Isabelle bustles in the room, large shopping bags in each hand.

"It's a bookshelf, for all your books." I take the load off her, helping to put them down on the coffee table. I follow her as she stands in front of it. "Do you like it?" She takes a long look at my handy work, it really makes a difference to the room.