Those Emerald Eyes

Chapter 4: The Paintings

Skyla

Skyla spent the rest of the lunch period in silent thought.  Her head bent down, she appeared to be engrossed in observing the fries she had for lunch. Occasionally, she would look up, and glance around the lunchroom with glassy eyes before staring back down again. She was, for once, oblivious to the hustle and bustle of movement around her. On the tray in front of her sat a pile of now cold, untouched, lunch. Allie reached over, and eyeing her friend cautiously, she snagged a fry, popping it into her mouth, swallowing loudly.

She then looked over at her best friend with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

Skyla looked up, dazed, breaking off from her train of thought.

It was the second time someone had asked her that today.

“You seem sort of … quiet today. Plus, usually you’d bite my head off, if I even came near your food, now you’re actually letting me eat it?”

Allie gasped in mock amazement and grabbed another fry.

“Hmmm... I’m just not hungry today,”

That sounded unconvincing, even to herself. 

“Liar.”

“Am not!”

Allie’s eyes widened.

“Oh My Gosh! I know! It’s the new guy isn’t it?” She smirked. “You like him! I know you like him! Ohhh, you’ve got the hots for Devon Grey. Why didn’t you just tell me? Is it because you’re embarras-“

“WHAT?” Skyla yelled, cutting her off. The outburst earned her a couple of weird looks from people nearby.  She blushed and lowered her voice. “No! I can’t believe you thought that! I don’t like him! What’s his name? Devon? I don’t understand why everyone’s obsessing over Devon, he’s not even that cute!” She turned a deeper shade of scarlet. “I mean, not that he’s not cute, he is sort of cute, it’s just that –“

She stopped midsentence. Suddenly, something in the cafeteria had caught everyone’s attention. Allie turned away from the conversation, looking for the source of everybody’s stares.

Skyla breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she was off the hook.  Thank goodness for whatever the commotion was.

The eyes of everyone around her were staring transfixed at something. A couple of girls were giggling. One girl sitting beside her was actually drooling. Skyla looked over at Allie hoping for some mutual understanding that this situation was beyond weird, but her eyes, like everyone else’s were glued on the figure standing near the door.

She followed Allie’s gaze and her eyes landed on… Devon.

It took a second for her to realize that her mouth was hanging open. She shut it quickly, feeling embarrassed. A quick look around, and she saw that she wasn’t the only one. Allie’s jaw was so wide open, Skyla was starting to worry that it was going to dislocate itself.

But seriously, holy crap. Devon looked so... so... good. Skyla was at a lost for words.  She tilted her head, looking him over. He looked even better now than in the hallway, if that was possible. The light coming in from the large glass windows in the room cast a warm glow, hitting his face and making his eyes appear an even more intense shade of green. Her eyes were locked on his every move; the way he shook his dark hair out his eyes, the way the corners of his mouth hinted at a nervous smile, the way his green eyes sparkled as he looked around the cafeteria, the way-