Forces of Nature

Stare You Down

By lunch time I was positively fuming. I'd shared two classes with Tyson and he still wasn't showing any signs of ever having met me before. I know I shouldn't be letting it get to me that much but I couldn't help it. There was just something about him that always managed to draw a reaction from me. He was compelling and infuriating at the same time. Not that he felt anything slightly similar in return for me. Nope, to him I was just another random girl at his new school trying to get his undivided attention for as long as possible. Point in case: I went out of my way to say hello to him between first and second period while passing him in the halls. He'd been with a couple of guys leaning against a locker, and had given me the oddest look when I'd waved and said hello. I'm talking about a point blank 'Who the hell are you?' expression. And while it was a much needed change to his usual scowl, I must admit it did sting to be given the same look as the anonymous girl who'd approached him shortly before me. Oh and did he bother to wave back? No, of course not. But I was rewarded with loud, obnoxious snickering from his two moronic new friends. Now I was torn between thinking that maybe I'd hallucinated his presence at the hospital or he was embarrassed to be associated with me. The first theory was ridiculous, the second insulting. He could do a lot worse than having me as a friend. And judging by his private little conversation with Serena Holden in English first period, I'd say he already has. I mean of all people, he had to chat it up with the school bitch? It figures he'd be attracted to the one person at school I hated with a vengeance. The girl was diabolical. She used her wealthy status to enhance her popularity. Being a public school, there weren't many students from upper class families. The majority were just your average kids with two hard working parents. Serena's dad worked a high paying job as an executive manager for a flourishing company. Ironically that company was Azalea Shipping. Serena had no idea I was the co-owner. Courtney was often urging me to enlighten her so she'd lay off bullying me, but doing that meant enlightening the entire student body. Something I was trying to avoid. All I wanted to do was make it through high school without being in the limelight; without having my private life put on display. If that meant enduring Serena's wrath from time to time, I was willing to hack it. And if Tyson saw fit to get all chummy with the spawn of Satan, that was his choice.

I grabbed a lunch tray just inside the cafeteria and joined the line of hungry students eagerly picking their lunches. Glancing around the large open space for Courtney, I absently tossed a few things onto my tray. No sign of her. She was probably using her free time wisely, sizing up prospective boyfriends or catching up with her dozens of friends. No sign of Tyson either, my mind readily supplied, but I squashed that thought immediately. I was so not looking for him. Really, I couldn't care less where he was or what he was doing.

No sooner had I made that bold claim than the cafeteria's double doors swung open and a group of seniors walked in, hooting and hollering like they'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. And in the centre was none other than Tyson. I ground my teeth in sheer frustration. I was getting tired of seeing that stupid smug look on his face everywhere I went. And it was only the first day of bloody school. As if sensing a pair of eyes on him, Tyson snapped his head up and looked in my direction. Our eyes locked, and although the intelligent part of my brain told me to avert my gaze, I didn't. Instead, I chose to listen to the defiant part of myself that encouraged me to stare away - to try and get a reaction out of him for a change. At first I thought it wouldn't work, that Tyson would just dismiss me as he had been doing all day. But to my shock, his bright blue eyes continued to bore into mine, even as he answered something the person beside him said.

Oh, it was so on, I thought, even as it briefly crossed my mind that staring competitions had been obsolete since like the third grade.

I kept my eyes riveted, even as my heart began to thump in my chest. I tracked his progress across the room to a table on the far right, while he in turn watched me, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Not even when someone bumped me from behind, trying to get me to move up in line, did I break eye contact. I held his gaze and moved forward, reaching blindly to my right for a sandwich box. Someone tapped him on the arm and said something, and although he replied, his gaze never wavered from mine. Hmmm... this was lasting longer than I thought it would. Almost like he was taking this as seriously as I was. Still, I thought, squaring my shoulders. I wasn't going to let him get the better of me. Not this time. For once, I was going to emerge victorious. Yep, I could do this all day. I would outstare him if it was the last thing -