Mark of the Moon

Chapter 17 - Chasing Snowflakes

Chapter 17: Chasing Snowflakes

  "-you're kidding me," I said, my mouth agape at the mess that used to be the library. The giant picture window that opened out to the forest was cracked and shattered in places. The doors were barricaded from people walking much further than the front desk, because it still looked as if it would all shatter into a million pieces over the rest of the library and books. 

  There was police around the breakage, carefully stepping around the glass shards that had already been knocked out of place onto the carpet. Quiet commotion from them as they investigated the problem thoroughly. But just as there was a small crowd down there, there was a large, boisterous crowd pushing against the barricades of the doors. I was smooshed between a girl with an extremely oversized bag at her side that was jabbing me in the ribs with a pencil of some sort and the wall which was equally unforgiving. But at least I had a good view of the remains of the library that only minutes earlier; I had planned on using to finish my report.

  I sighed, and with a roll of my eyes, tried pushing backwards out of the crowd. It was like a suction cup, the moment I pushed past the last person I could suddenly breathe again, and move more importantly. A glance at the overhead clock confirmed that I still had a good half hour before the first bell would ring.

  The halls were not as full as usual, all the normal traffic heading in the direction of the library, except for the few bored souls who really didn't care, and rather just wander the halls.

  All the supplies I normally needed for the classes up to lunch were already packed away in my backpack, which was slung over my shoulder. So without a computer to type away on or supplies to prepare, I felt slightly at loss over where to go. But I walked down the main stairs, managing to skip a couple as I scurried down them, mostly because the bottom of my sneakers had worn away and made my step slightly more slippery than usual.

  But no more than ten steps off the stairs I came to a rest in front of Tristan who was opening his locker.

  My heart faltered and nearly stopped. This morning I'd called him to tell him that I needed to get to school early to start my report again, so he didn't need to drive me, Quinn would. But that meant that I hadn't seen him since last night. Last night when he'd kissed me.

  To tell the truth I had not expected him to even feel a sliver like what he had expressed in the kiss. But could he have really not have felt anything, just being the player like guy he had always been? And as always his face was practically an empty slate, unreadable for me-"Hey,"

  I said the simple word very softly, having to keep it so low so it wouldn't croak and crack; having it soft was less embarrassing. I stood there awkwardly by his locker, as he didn't bother to look up for a second, picking up a Physics book off the bottom of his locker.

  When he did look up though, those crystal silver eyes regarded me blankly for a moment. It was that moment that my heart finally stopped and my breath held. The moment when his eyes could either go back to the sarcastic way they had always been before the night before, or they could shine the same way they did when we were on my porch.

  "Good morning, I see the assassins have failed again," he grinned sarcastically. Okay, either he was a very good actor last night, or he was a good actor now. Either way I'm sure my face fell a little as I shifted feet.

  "Yeah, but I see they did a number on the library," I commented, trying to keep the subject off last night. Even though that's all my mind was going over, now that I was standing so close to him.