valley carved through his chest muscles , laying on top of a tightly-fit, white, cotton shirt – a display that must have felt like an insult toward Mrs. Gaul, our resident Vire in this class.
Jameson didn’t acknowledge me as I came down the aisle , or at any other point throughout class. Since this had recently become his typical behavior , in an effort to throw off the Vires, the deep disappointment nagging at me shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Still, I couldn’t help tilting my head inquisitively in his direction.
He sat, immobilized, focusing on the front of the room; his jaw was tight and the muscles in his neck were straining. With the intensity he was showing and his resolute dedication to avoid looking my way, even from this angle, he was stunningly handsome.
I was comforted just sitting beside him but frustrated that I couldn’t confide in him. I wanted to tell him what I’d learned about The Relicuum’s future, to talk through the impossibility of it , but without any hope of being able to, I discarded the notion , reminding myself that it still wasn’t proven that I was the person in the book.
Being so consumed by what I learned last night , I didn’t realize until midway through the class that Jameson was trying to send me a message. His lack of any signal, or any reference toward me, confirmed it. Once I recognized this, I settled back in my chair , waiting for it to arrive.
But by the end of class, I was still waiting, unaware that it would be delivered as we left the room . A few feet from the door, t he book he was carrying slid from his hand , and landed with a loud thump, flapping open to reveal its innards .
By the time Jameson turned around, I was already bending down to pick it up ; my fingers scoop ed beneath the cover and lifted it back into place.
Jameson was crouching beside me by then, taking the book back, when our hands momentarily converged.
When our skin touched, two things happened. First, a breathtaking excitement exploded in side me. Other than the short brush of our shoulders in the corridor at Ms. Veilleux’s evening school, we’d remained apart, teased by each other’s presence . Our forbidden touch instantly made me giddy , and I struggled to contain the sharp breath that threatened to give away my secret. Second, just as his finger slid against mine, words hit my mind like a speeding train.
“Meet Alison in the girl’s locker room after school.”
Apparently, his end goal wasn’t a morbid desire to test the bounds of our constraints , chancing the feel of his girlfriend’s hand. No…he had something else in mind. Unfortunately, a covert meeting between his sister, Alison, and me wasn’t nearly as enticing.
As we stood up, the intensity of his stare left me dazed. For a second , I wondered if I got the message wrong , because now, he looked irate.
Mrs. Gaul suddenly appeared beside us, taking a brisk, single step forward and duly noting our interaction.
I knew then, Jameson’s expression wasn’t meant for me. It was for her. He was playing the role, still trying to convince the Vires we were enemies. And it looked staggeringly believable to me.
“Keep moving.”
It was the first time Mrs. Gaul had spoken in our class so her deep intonation threw me off. I hesitated, realizing that Ms. Wizner already rushed out of the room for her end-of-the-hour bathroom break …leaving us alone with her.
“Now,” snapped Mrs. Gaul, sounding to me like she was accustomed to everyone taking her orders.
“We’re going,” I carelessly retorted . A chill ran through me then as I realized what I’d done. I referenced Jameson and me … as being together…directly to a Vire.
She appeared to be taken aback, although the reaction was fleeting. In that instant, she’d assessed me, correctly summing up the reason behind my brash reply. “You want us to retreat… leave the area?” S he paused then and I knew it was to wait for my confirmation , but I
Jameson didn’t acknowledge me as I came down the aisle , or at any other point throughout class. Since this had recently become his typical behavior , in an effort to throw off the Vires, the deep disappointment nagging at me shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Still, I couldn’t help tilting my head inquisitively in his direction.
He sat, immobilized, focusing on the front of the room; his jaw was tight and the muscles in his neck were straining. With the intensity he was showing and his resolute dedication to avoid looking my way, even from this angle, he was stunningly handsome.
I was comforted just sitting beside him but frustrated that I couldn’t confide in him. I wanted to tell him what I’d learned about The Relicuum’s future, to talk through the impossibility of it , but without any hope of being able to, I discarded the notion , reminding myself that it still wasn’t proven that I was the person in the book.
Being so consumed by what I learned last night , I didn’t realize until midway through the class that Jameson was trying to send me a message. His lack of any signal, or any reference toward me, confirmed it. Once I recognized this, I settled back in my chair , waiting for it to arrive.
But by the end of class, I was still waiting, unaware that it would be delivered as we left the room . A few feet from the door, t he book he was carrying slid from his hand , and landed with a loud thump, flapping open to reveal its innards .
By the time Jameson turned around, I was already bending down to pick it up ; my fingers scoop ed beneath the cover and lifted it back into place.
Jameson was crouching beside me by then, taking the book back, when our hands momentarily converged.
When our skin touched, two things happened. First, a breathtaking excitement exploded in side me. Other than the short brush of our shoulders in the corridor at Ms. Veilleux’s evening school, we’d remained apart, teased by each other’s presence . Our forbidden touch instantly made me giddy , and I struggled to contain the sharp breath that threatened to give away my secret. Second, just as his finger slid against mine, words hit my mind like a speeding train.
“Meet Alison in the girl’s locker room after school.”
Apparently, his end goal wasn’t a morbid desire to test the bounds of our constraints , chancing the feel of his girlfriend’s hand. No…he had something else in mind. Unfortunately, a covert meeting between his sister, Alison, and me wasn’t nearly as enticing.
As we stood up, the intensity of his stare left me dazed. For a second , I wondered if I got the message wrong , because now, he looked irate.
Mrs. Gaul suddenly appeared beside us, taking a brisk, single step forward and duly noting our interaction.
I knew then, Jameson’s expression wasn’t meant for me. It was for her. He was playing the role, still trying to convince the Vires we were enemies. And it looked staggeringly believable to me.
“Keep moving.”
It was the first time Mrs. Gaul had spoken in our class so her deep intonation threw me off. I hesitated, realizing that Ms. Wizner already rushed out of the room for her end-of-the-hour bathroom break …leaving us alone with her.
“Now,” snapped Mrs. Gaul, sounding to me like she was accustomed to everyone taking her orders.
“We’re going,” I carelessly retorted . A chill ran through me then as I realized what I’d done. I referenced Jameson and me … as being together…directly to a Vire.
She appeared to be taken aback, although the reaction was fleeting. In that instant, she’d assessed me, correctly summing up the reason behind my brash reply. “You want us to retreat… leave the area?” S he paused then and I knew it was to wait for my confirmation , but I
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