Through Your Eyes [SAMPLE] ✓

03 • Judgement

When had he ever walked over anyone in school, let alone the entire student population?

This day was just turning out to be one train-wreck after another.

And suddenly he couldn't wait to just get home and drown himself in a book.

•••

As it turned out, Asa couldn't go home just yet. Detention for him was staying after school and helping put the library back in order.

Having an unparalleled love for books, however, made this task seem welcoming rather than exhausting. For once, he found himself being thankful that people normally assumed the worst of him; it came with the popularity. Because he was sure nobody knew he was a bookworm- he was dead certain it wouldn't have even occurred to them that he read.

To them, he was just the airhead with a pretty face and a nice body whose saving grace was his athletic record.

“Hi,” he heard a familiar voice say from near the librarian's desk. “I want to fill out a form for my library card? Can I...” he heard the sound of ruffling paper — “Thanks.”

Stepping out from around a shelf where he was stacking the books in alphabetical order, he saw the girl who'd run into him earlier today.

She was sitting by one of the library tables, hastily filling out details on the library's pale green form. Her hair fell around her shoulders in wavy locks, the deep chestnut colour complimenting her hazel eyes.

He must have been standing there too long because she lifted her head and saw him. Instantly, her shoulders dropped and a groan left her mouth.

It amused Asa, really. He didn't expect her to fall at his feet, or to be mesmerised with him at first glance — he knew most girls had self respect than that — but the way she just seemed to dislike him with such vehemence intrigued him. Especially for someone he hadn't crossed paths with before.

“What are you doing in a library?” she asked wearily. “Not here for some payback because someone actually had the guts to stand up to you, are you?”

He frowned, “what the hell are you talking about?”

She gave him a roll of her eyes. “Please,” she scoffed lightly, “I know your type. Popular boy with the school at his feet, breaking hearts left and right because he thinks girls are toys.”

Asa didn't correct her. What was he to do? Drag her along with him as he went about his day and show her how wrong she was? This shouldn't bother him anyway. It came with being at top of the social hierarchy. This was typically what anybody assumed of him and it was okay.

It had to be okay. He could brush it off and learn to live with it, right?

“But you didn't answer my question,” she pointed out. “Why are you here in the library?” she cocked her head to the side curiously before a horrified expression settled on her face. “Oh my god, please don't tell me you use this room as one of your quickie spots!” she sounded so full of disgust, Asa actually debated between feeling offended or laughing out loud. “You don't make out with people in libraries, its just wrong —”

“Calm the heck down,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “I'm just here on detention.”

She visibly relaxed but that look of disapproval in her eyes didn't go away. Asa wanted it to go away — he didn't like disapproval.

“Either way, I was right,” she shrugged, getting out of her seat and walking to the librarian to hand her form over. Miss Garcia shot the girl a warning look, telling her to keep her voice down and Asa watched the girl's cheeks grow pink.

“Right about what?” he asked once she came back to the table to collect her bag and pen.

“You being in the library for no good,” she said, slipping on the strap of her bag on one shoulder. “What do testosterone-filled airhead jocks like you know about books anyway?” She sniffed, tilted her chin up as if daring him to say something and then walked out of the library with a triumphant face when he didn't.

Because what could Asa have said really? She'd painted such a picture of him in her head already. And she'd called him a jock - a jock. The only sport he'd ever participated in was swimming. What the hell?

But Asa had spent so much — too much — to get to where he was now. He'd dragged himself from out of the mud and up to the top to earn the goddamn respect he knew he deserved and here was someone he just met, throwing it all away like it was nothing.

Like Asa was nothing.

But Asa knew what it had been like to be nothing for so, so long. And he didn't want to feel that way ever again.

He was going to change her mind. It didn't matter how he did it or how long it took, he was going to do it. Asa would get the girl, whose name he didn't yet know, to see him in a different light altogether.

And if there was anything Asa loved as much as books and swimming, it was the chase. The challenge.

Maybe his grandfather's words about his rashness should have occurred to him then. It should've served as a warning. He'd always told Asa that he'd have to end up sleeping in the bed he made.

But Asa's heart was already in the task he'd set out for himself and there was no taking it back now.

Because Asa's impulsiveness and his need to just be seen was his own catalyst.

And nothing was going to be the same again.

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Thank you for reading x
My characters would be more fleshed out here than it was in TEHONH since this is a full length story and I can actually go into depth of the characters.

So its all just shades of grey, really. I wouldn't call anyone "evil". (except, for maybe Hunter lol)

+ yes, yes, yes, such a cliche move where they bump into each other and someone starts mouthing off. But, like i said, i live to twist cliches and break stereotypes, so please bear with me for a few more chapters ❤