Seven Hours Of Ethereal

Prologue

Lillian. That was the most beautiful word I could ever think of. All that came to my mind was her. Her short rusty caramel hair that framed her face like a famous painting. Her perfect smile, like it was meant to be noticed. When she laughed her nose wrinkled up in the most delicate way. She always was either way ahead of me or way behind me. She always sat down at her lunch table like everything that came out of her bag was a secret, and her phone case changed every few weeks. Sometimes she wore glasses, other times she didn't. Her contacts made her bluish green eyes shine even more. She looked beautiful in red lipstick. Sometimes she wore her hair like a twenties flapper girl, with her hair tucked in a sparkly headband. Other times she wore her hair down and straight, and I enjoyed watching her hair flow from rust to sunshine blond, like a waterfall of autumn colors.

But, Lillian only spoke a few words to me before. In a computer lab. Asking a question about how specific she should have typed something. I was chocked up in my thoughts and confusion on how such a magnificent angel like her could ever speak to a minority like me, but it's been months since I heard the way she speaks beautifully. I have heard her sing. She loves performing in front of crowds. My head jolts up like lightning every time I see her on television, when she walks on stage, or even when her name slips out of someone's mouth. Her singing voice is going to bed on a Friday night, or on the last day of summer. Her voice is an endless summer. It's snow sparkling from the sunlight's rays, and the skies are so blue you cannot see a cloud in the sky. Her voice is drinking hot chocolate while feeling the warmth of a fire. Her hair was fire. She came and went like fire, in seconds she would walk right behind me, the next second she would disappear. Lillian was fire.

Lillian's classroom was always next to mine for the past two years in fourth period. She never acknowledged my existence except for the one question she asked me in the computer lab. I was so ashamed in myself that I couldn't remember the question to save my life. Her voice was so fast, she almost stumbled over her words. And I loved that. Lillian had the same lunch period as me. But I went to the lunch line, while she went to her locker to get her lunchbox. I would watch her while talking to my friends Brandon and Alex, but the only real thing I was paying attention to was Lillian, who sat in the next row, three tables up. It was the only real time I could spend where she could hypnotize me without her even knowing it. I never knew there was anything as angelic as Lillian. Every day leaving lunch, I had hoped one day she would wait up for me, or that I could know where she went every day when that bell rang. I hated the bell.

Lillian would never acknowledge me. I was too frightened to be actually near her. I would only feel safe watching her from afar. There were times when she caught me staring for a split second. Or maybe it's fear taking over my imagination. Or maybe it was a mandela effect, and she only caught me staring in the universe I'm in. Lillian was my universe. Everything but me was hers. I would stare at her profile online, a private account, just staring at the "Request Follow" button. What could possibly be waiting for me behind the mystery that was Lillian? Her picture was beautiful. A black and white picture of her beautiful smile. I would always panic, and exit out, not requesting anything. She would see me and think "That is the man that stares at me at lunch everyday...".

It wasn't my fault Lillian was so beautiful.