The Gray Youth

Innocent Crushes

                                             |2|    

                             ELEVEN YEARS AGO

THEIRS was a story that the students of Portland High knew all too well. It's a story everyone had heard of before, yes. 

The brooding and unapproachable wallflower that grew up in what seemed to be the perfect household. Rich, influential and picture-perfect. All the things Alferdan 'Alfie' Cassedan was not. He wasn't known for hanging around anyone. Seen in class and then seemed to just disappear after. 

Then there was the new kid, Arcadia Gray. No one knew much about her except she was from Alaska and she had moved from there with her sickly grandmother. The day she came to class, Alfie was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. A shark to blood. And from there, they were known as 'A&A' the name everyone gave them.

One was never seen without the other. Arcadia was always an unusual girl, seeing the beauty in uncommon things. Simply smiling at things that others would be enraged or sad about. She often had a contemplative glare on her face, her lips naturally formed a pout and her eyes were small and capturing. Flowing brown hair that curled slightly at the end. Emotions were shown in the way she interacted and not on her face. 

Alfie was similar in that he never spoke much either, his emotions were heavily guarded by everyone but her.  If you wanted to see the boy smile just wait until a certain dark-haired Alaskan was beside him again. Her eyes were always twinkling in pure adoration. Her stone cold eyes were softened and warm whenever her beau was in sight. Kisses and make-out sessions were sneaked during breaks. 

It was safe to say, they were smitten. But it wasn't the ordinary young love, it was something deeper. Everyone saw it. Even the boy's dismissive family.

Of course, there were boys who tried to approach the dark-haired beauty. The shy and more timid ones sent secret admirer letters to her locker and often greeted her in the halls. And there were the boastful ones who blatantly tried to shoot their shot. Inevitably, the green-eyed boyfriend was always quick to shut them down. Even got suspended a couple times for fighting on school grounds. 

Some would say they were too close and needed to learn to spend time apart. Others would say they were the type of couple you didn't try to break apart but one thing was always certain; they were always going to be together.

                                  PRESENT

The small black jeep drove at a steady pace to the hospital. Squinting her eyes and hovering over the steering wheel a little, Arcadia observed the dark clouds. Leaning back, she adjusted her seat belt and exhaled softly.

She loved November weather. It was rainy and the weather had a beautiful melancholy mood. The rain was cold and felt like cool touches on her skin. The atmosphere was foggy, mysterious and alluring. The overcast sky was so beautiful. She loved it all. And she thought, if her mind was to be a place -- it would look like Portland in November.

And in a way, it reminded her of home. 

She pulled into the driveway and grabbed her bag. Throwing her hoodie over her head, she climbed out the jeep and ran into the building. 

The hospital hallway was like something out of an elderly home, warm and inviting. Everything that could shine, did shine. There was stainless steel, sleek floors and the art on the walls were all natural images in colors as bright as glacier melt-water or spring flowers. The air had a pure fragrance, not sterile, just clean. In the background played music at just the right level to give the patients and staff an emotional lift. But the best part was the ceiling, just clear and high arched. It was like standing out in the open without the risk of rain.