Unknown Beginning

Part 17

At practice and in class, James continued to avoid Riley but at least she wasn't actively aggressive towards her. Riley sat contemplating this as she waited, fifteen minutes early this time, for the meeting with James. Riley was feeling anxious about how this would go. She remembered that moment in the locker room but still didn't know what it meant. She couldn't tell if James wanted to kill her or ki-...before Riley could finish that thought, James walked in, threw her bag in a chair, and plopped into the seat across from Riley.

"You're early" Riley said, surprised, as she realized James was ten minutes early.

"So are you" James pointed out.

"Uhh yeah. I'm generally ten to fifteen minutes early for everything. I'd rather be early than late. It's less stressful. Plus I think it's rude to be late because it's inconsiderate of other people's time..." Riley could feel that she was babbling and glanced at James who was looking back at her with a strange, unreadable expression on her face. Interest? Amusement? Annoyance? Riley couldn't be sure.

"That's true," James agreed without further comment.

Riley was feeling restless as she watched James take her stuff out of her bag in silence. Without thinking, she stretched her legs out under the table which resulted in her leg brushing against James'.

Yanking her legs back and sitting up perfectly straight, Riley said hurriedly "Sorry sorry! I was just stretching, my bad."

Appearing totally unphased, James replied "It's fine. No worries."

Riley's mind was racing now. Was James playing it cool? Was she mad? Or was she actually just totally unaffected? Riley couldn't tell and only half listened to James talking about the project. Determined to calm down and be normal, Riley forced herself to focus only on the project. She told herself she just had to get through the next month and then she and James could go back to avoiding each other.

All was going well until Riley's arm accidentally brushed James' as she reached across the table. Why did it suddenly feel like she was standing too close to an electric fence? The buzz of electricity had filled her arm and then chest at the contact. Yet James hadn't even looked up. Quickly returning her attention back to her work, Riley stared down at the text in front of her. She couldn't make out the words on the paper and after a minute stole a glance at James who was working studiously. 'I'm making this into something more because I know James hates me. Chill out or she's going to hate you even more if you keep annoying her' Riley scolded herself internally.

Another ten minutes successfully passed by before Riley, who had been fiddling with her pen while reading, felt her pen fall from her hand and roll towards James. James reached out to grab it without looking before it rolled off the table. She held it out for Riley to take but as she did Riley could have sworn James' hand lingered and her index finger brushed lightly against Riley's. In that moment James finally made eye contact with Riley, blue meeting hazel, and the electric hum returned.

Breaking the current, James looked down as she returned to her work yet Riley's body was still thrumming. Riley now felt even more confused than when James first came in. She had whispered "Thanks" after receiving the pen yet they sat in silence again. Riley wished she could read James' mind or at least somehow check if the electrical current had somehow touched her too.

It felt like an hour had passed when Riley suddenly became aware that James' foot was now outstretched to wrap slightly around Riley's so that their lower legs were just barely touching. Riley froze, unable to breathe as she waited. But James didn't pull away. Instead she slowly met Riley's gaze again. Both girls looked down without words and ten heartbeats later, Riley leaned her leg into James' and saw a small smile touch James' lips.

Neither girl moved or said anything until Riley's alarm went off a few minutes later signaling that it was time to wrap up. Turning off the alarm Riley said "Guess it's dinner time."

"Guess so." James replied.

Another moment passed before Riley awkwardly tried "Did you... do you want to get food together or..."

"I can't, Kristin's meeting me upstairs in..." James glanced at her phone, "two minutes".

"Oh right. Of course." Riley was in a hurry to leave as soon as possible now that she felt a twinge of rejection. Pulling on her jacket, Riley suddenly felt James' hand on her arm. James tilted her head, leaning her body so Riley could see her face as she said "I wish I could though".

Riley felt her heart race at that but said "Yeah, no worries. I'm just gonna go grab some food. I'm sure Kenny is waiting for me" and she hurriedly left the room without turning back, feeling James watch her go.