The Inconspicious Twist of Fate

C8

Entering Flashback:

Today the halls were not painted in gold, instead they stood solemn in a bland shade of gray. Outside the clouds huddled together like a herd of sheep, shielding the sun away from earth's prying eyes.

Isolde's footsteps echoed in the void, her fingers gripping the bag tightly.

She had made sure to arrive a bit later, but not too late, for Isolde secretly wished she wouldn't miss the boys.

She pushed the double doors open and stood for a moment, observing as the boys continued playing despite their time coming to an end.

Atlas and Octavius were on opposing teams.

Octavius had his tongue poking out slightly in concentration, his hands gripping the hems of his shorts tightly making his veins appear all along his slightly red forearms.

Atlas rolled the ball a few times in his hand before serving it across to the opposite side, just over the net. Octavius lunged forward landing on one knee just in time to save the ball from hitting his team's side of the field. A few minutes later the game was swinging in full motion again, and just as one of Octavius's teammates slammed the ball onto the opposite side, Atlas jumped over the net blocking it, earning his team a point.

Isolde left to change just as the coach blew his whistle. Once she came out of the changing rooms, the gym was almost empty, only a few boys left sitting on the bleachers. She glanced around in search of her friends but they must have already left.

She pulled at the hem of her shorts slightly, feeling the boys' stares as she walked towards the net.

Someone had left his cap hanging on one of the posts and she stood on her tiptoes trying to reach it.

Suddenly, she was hauled off the floor as someone wrapped their arms around her legs and lifted her up.

She squealed, forgetting the cap as she reached her hands to the person's arms, keeping herself from falling over forward.

She looked down at the damp blond head of hair before actually feeling the dampness of the locks as Atlas pressed his head into the side of her leg.

"Atlas put me down!" She hissed hitting his arms.

He looked up at her, his cheshire smile stretching to his ears as he proceeded to rest his chin where his head had been earlier.

"Get the cap first." He shrugged innocently yet his voice was laced with a hint of malice.

She grabbed the cap and hit him over the head with it before he widened his arms and dropped her between them.

Isolde squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, Atlas was standing only inches away from her, his breath fanning her face as he chuckled.

"There." She said. "Here's your cap. You didn't have to carry me, I could've reached it just fine." She grumbled, her hands draped over his shoulder.

They were so close, that Isolde could see the specks of yellow in the blue of Atlas's eyes. She watched as he watched her, his long lashes caressing his cheekbones with every bat of his eye.

Someone cleared their throat and the two turned to see Octavius staring at them with a curious eyebrow raised. He had been drying his hair with a small white towel, humming some tune under his breath when he walked out to see his friends in each other's embrace.

As if they were displaying a show, his emotions danced across his face, his right eyebrow arching, eyes slightly widening and lips settling into an "o" shape.

Isolde quickly pushed away from Atlas, and despite her usual vacant expression remaining unmoving upon her features, her cheeks and ears burned bright red.

Atlas seemed unfazed, turning to the audience that consisted of Octavius and some of the girls that had arrived.

"What?" He barked, but everyone remained unmoving. It was only when Isolde stepped forward and gave them her demeaning glare did they all scatter rolling their eyes and erupting in whispers.

"Who won?" She asked, directing the question at Octavius. His features rearranged right before her, his eyebrows drawing together and eyes narrowing before his eyes relaxed and eyebrows rose as he acknowledged her question with a tilt of his head.

"Who won what?" He asked, before realizing. "Oh, they did." He answered, jabbing his thumb at Atlas.

"It was a nice save you did there." She proceeded, diverging the attention away from her and onto him.

"Thanks." He answered unsurely, but letting what he saw earlier go.

"You on the other hand." Isolde turned to Atlas avoiding his eyes as she picked up the ball. "Got lucky. That last serve didn't have enough drive in it. It could've landed on your side of the net." She remarked, throwing the ball at him.

He threw the ball back at her, waving her off.

"I did that on purpose, duh!" He said. "Don't be salty I won, not even Octavius is being a sore loser about it, and he was on the opposing team!"

Isolde rolled her eyes at him, avoiding Octavius who still glanced between the two.

Atlas checked his phone and began walking. "Gotta go, later shorty." He said as he dragged Octavius along. "Come on or we'll miss the bus idiot."

And just like that, Isolde was left standing alone in the gym, Atlas's voice still echoing off the walls.

She'd now wished she'd indeed missed the boys, for she'd received multiple looks during training that day.

End of Flashback.