Till Sunset Do Us Part

Chapter 4 ~ Learning and Forgetting

His face struck me like some kind of time bomb. I was in shock half the period, and racking my brain the other half trying to remember. I'd seen him yesterday, in my vision. Why can't I remember? I was in distress in my mind. It was like the memory had been permanently lost in my brain. I remembered everything from yesterday: the dance moves, the steps, how to show through body language the emotion of my character, and even when we'd talked. Everything but the single second Rochelle said his name. I kept replaying the memory in my head, watching her speak it, but not hearing the single sentence.

I still can't remember anything from that morning in choir. Nothing but attendance. I don't know what made her call roll so late - maybe they forgot again. But at the end of the period, attendance was checked. "Uh, Trent Chambers?" The two words sent me into a frenzy; Rochelle saying it, his face in the visions, and some kind of anger flourishing within me. It wasn't my anger; it wasn't even in my body. I only felt it in my head. Relief masked the strange anger and then the bell rung. And as I watched him walk out of the classroom, I knew I'd have a second chance in 3rd period - and that was all I thought about in 2nd period.

"So you're the new kid in choir everyone's talking about." He looked up at me for a moment before sitting in the seat behind me. "And I thought you were just from the college group."

He laid his books on the desk before studying cautiously in his chair. After examining me with a confused expression painted on his face, he grew a crocked smile. "I don't know if I should be flattered or hurt." I smiled and looked down from his intense eyes. I began the assignment, feeling Trent's stare increase.

After most of the class time passed, and his stare didn't stop, I grew anxious. I poked my paper with my eraser and peaked up at him over my shoulder. My eyes were immediately locked in his gaze. Before either of us could do or say anything, the bell rang. He bit his lip, and looked at his books. "Lunch time," announced the teacher from behind us. I rushed to gather my things.

I got up from my seat and almost ran into Trent. He took a small step back and gestured me forward. I accepted with a single nod, and hurried toward my locker trying to control my heart-beat. But as I opened it, I felt someone's presence near me. I turned to find him studying my locker. His eyes fell to me and I ducked down in response.

"So, what? Are you closet Goth?"

I looked up at him confused by the question. "No. Are you?" I turned to drop the books in my locker and noticed his hand near the top of it, to my left.

"No, I'm not afraid to fully express myself."

I shut my locker and turned to him, hearing strong sarcasm. "What are you implying?"

He dropped his hand from the locker's corner and shrugged. "Nothing." He still had sarcasm laced in his voice.

"Are you saying I don't really express myself?" I made my tone match his as I stepped closer to him. But the bizarre truth was: I really did care what he thought.

He slightly tossed his head left and right. "More like you don't know what or who you are, or you're just learning." I walked past him, a little upset by the truth. Yet before I could get far enough, he tugged me back by the hand. My heart beat raced again as the hair on the back of my neck stood up. When he swung me around to face him, his eyes where filled with sincerity and heart. "But you're trying." He let a smile cross his face. "That's what I like about you."

I closed my eyes and smiled as my heart lifted. Why do we associate love with the heart? I opened my eyes to find that I bowed my head, and then shook it, fighting off the feeling. "You don't even know me." I lifted my head, wanting to see is face, his eyes.