Invisible

Encounter

I sat in the window and waited for at least half an hour. I waited for him go back into his room and open the window to yell at me. I waited for him to glare at me then throw his curtains shut. I waited for him to come banging on my door to scold me for being a stalker. But nothing happened. He never came over, he never even walked back into his room, he never walked outside. So, I eventually gave up and left the window. I sat on my bed and started thinking. What did I do in my free time? Watch Lucas. Lucas was my life yet we never even talked. Without him there, I had nothing to do with myself. It was okay once in awhile when he went to a friends house, but this situation was different. He left on purpose. He might have seen me. Caught me I should say. I couldn't stand not knowing what he saw or felt. I couldn't stand not knowing if he was mad or busy or thought I was a creeper. I didn't even know anymore. I slid my phone and ear buds into my pocket and waked down stairs.
"Hey, mom, I'm gonna go for a walk." I said as I slid my Vans on.

"Where to?"

"Uh, just around the block." I wasn't telling her where I was really going.

"Okay, be safe."

I put a couple dollars in my pocket just in case and walked out the door. I tried to distract myself from thinking of Lucas. It was all so stupid. I was so vulnerable. So I pushed Lucas out of my mind and looked around. The sky was so blue as the birds soared through the clouds and the trees were so beautiful and green. It was nice watching something other than Lucas. I put my ear buds in and Kiss came on. I didn't even have a type of music. I went through different kicks when I just listened to different things for a period of time. It was weird but I liked it because there was always something different and new to listen to. As I pushed open the small wooden door to Amplified, a small bell on the top of the door frame dinged.

"Hi, there." A teen guy approached me wearing black skinny jeans, a sleeveless shirt with a tiger on it, and a lanyard around his neck with a name tag reading Adam. I've seen him around school before but had never spoken to him or even knew his name.

"Hi." I smiled politely and confidently. I had a strange kick of confidence and I didn't know where it came from.
Adam had longer, curly hair, a solid jawline, and muscular arms. He was very attractive but I had no personal connection to him for some reason.

"Need help with anything?" He raised his eyebrows in question and smiled a beaming, adorable smile. He would be perfect for Jade but he could do better than her. No one was bad enough to deserve her. They just used her for her body.

"No, I'm just looking...listening. I've been here before so I know how it works." As many times as I've been there before, I've never seen Adam before but I was strangely comfortable with him.

"Okay, well, I'll be around if you need anything." He was still smiling.

"Thanks." I said, easily returning the smile.

He nodded at me then walked behind the desk before inserting a ear bud in his left ear.

Okay, where to begin... I walked around the store, looking for a piece of music I had never listened to before. I felt like classical today so I walked over to that section. The first one I saw was "June" which was an exert from "The Seasons" by Tchaikovsky. I've heard of "The Seasons" but had never listened to it before, so I picked up and started walking over towards the listening stations.

What I called the "listening stations" we're just different record, cd, and tape players and some had ear buds or headphones attached for you to listen to whatever you pleased. It was amazing to me.

I walked over towards the CD players and then I saw him.

I froze as I saw Lucas's long body leaning on a tall bench with ear buds in his ears. I almost felt a wave of relief because I knew where he was now, but then panic washed over me and I came to the realization he might say something. In effort to avoid him, I turned around quickly and started walking the other way.

"Hey!" I heard a low voice behind me.

I stopped in my tracks but didn't turn around. I got chills knowing the fact Lucas North was speaking right behind me, and he was talking to me.

"Hey, you." Usually you was something you would call your friend as a nickname. In this case, he called me you because he didn't know my name.
He walked around me so he was standing in from of me and I avoided his eyes.
"What is with you? Look at me." He laughed and somehow that didn't sound rude or mean at all.

I slowly looked up and my face warmed as I saw his green eyes up close for the first time.
He towered me, a lot taller, and just looked down at me smirking without saying anything.

"Do you... Want something?" I blurted out nervously.

"Yeah..." He paused and bit his lip.

My stomach tingled.

"Okay, so this might sound strange, but I'm just going to blurt it out." Lucas said.

He thought he was strange?

"So, I've seen you around school and when I look at you... I think... You're looking at me?" He laughed like he sounded ridiculous and I laughed because he didn't know I was the crazy one. "So, I've been watching you." He smirked and I stared into his eyes, wide eyed and blushing.
"And you look at me. A lot." He nodded as he spoke and I wished I could run away. "But it's not like how other people look at me... It's not like you think I'm attractive." He laughed again, louder than I thought was necessary.
"It's not even like you like me. I just.. Don't even know. And then--wait, you're my neighbor right?"

I laughed and nodded. He didn't even know I existed.

"Okay, well, today, I swear I saw you looking through your window at me." He began laughing really hard. "You know what? This is ridiculous. I sound... Stupid." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "It's in my head. You don't- wait do you? I don't even know!" He through his hand in the air. "I'm going crazy! Okay, you know what? Why don't you fill me in?"

"What?" I almost whispered.

"Have you had dinner yet?"

"No?" Don't ask me to dinner. I'll mess up. I'll get nervous. I wanted to be with him more than anything, but I wasn't ready to actually be with him. Don't ask me to dinner. Don't ask me to dinner.

"Would you like to get a burger or something?" He smiled down at me and I shuddered.

"Yes. I can- I mean..." I took a deep breath. "That's cool."