Savoring Silence

#11: You Again

It was a week after the dance, on a Friday afternoon. All the classes were over. The dance been amazing, and dancing with Roy should have made me feel happy... But for some reason, I felt like I hadn't gotten what I needed. I sat in confusion on a bench outside the school, drawing little pictures of hearts with question marks in the middle, carefully shading them in without messing up the drawing.

The air was dry and cool, Spring air, and it refused to leave my hair in peace. Hair went into my mouth and blocked my vision, so I pulled it away. But try as I may, the wind would not let up. The pages of my sketchbook fluttered and wrinkled. I heaved a sigh, ripping the page I was drawing on off and beginning to crinkle it up. But as the wind blew and I reached for my hair once more, the paper flew away and onto the ground, where a blonde boy bent down and picked it up, staring at the paper in curiosity. He looked around for a moment, soon meeting eyes with me and smiling, pointing at me.

"You're that Luna girl, who sat with us at lunch, right?" He asked. I nodded once, then returning to my sketchbook. I was hoping he wouldn't analyze the drawing he had discovered too much. Embarrassment was already something I was trying to avoid more of. He sat down next to me on the bench, leaning back and crossing his legs, examining my drawing, handling it with care, as if it were some ancient artifact that needed to be naturally preserved.

"So uh... what is this?" He asked, unable to decide on an explanation. I shrugged and looked down at my sketchbook, tightening my grip on the pencil, and beginning to doodle. The guy stared at me, trying to read my thoughts, it seemed. I could feel my ears and neck getting hot as I grew more uncomfortable. He chuckled.

"I forgot; you don't talk. I guess I'll just have to figure this out then later." He folded the paper carefully and stuck it in his jacket pocket. I didn't really care if he kept it or not, so I nodded and continued casually doodling. I glanced up at the guy. He looked familiar, and I knew he must have sat with James and I at lunch, when Jeremy announced to the table that Roy and I had something going on.

I gazed at him, examining his features. Blonde hair and blue eyes. I now recognized him. James had had an obvious crush on him, I remembered.

"You remember me?" He asked, a smile creeping upon his lips. He sat up straight and held out his hand politely. "Lucas Jones, at your service." 

I smirked and shook his hand, nodding in acknowledgement, planting the name in my brain for future reference. 

"So what are you doing out here, all alone? It's a beautiful Saturday," he gestured to the nature around us, the people socializing and laughing. He then added in a loud whisper, "Shouldn't you be with Roy?"

I don't know why, but I froze in place at Roy's name. The dance the night before had been amazing, but even though Roy was everything I could need in one package, I felt that something was missing. A connection, maybe. I sighed and shrugged, looking down at my black converse shoes. There was a speck of dirt on the toe. I would not have it. I leaned over and smudged it off, my head hitting someone in the stomach as they walked by.

They made a loud OOF sound and laughed. I leaned back up and rubbed my head where it had hit.

"Sorry, I guess I need to watch where I'm -- Luna?"  Michael stared at me in awe, as we hadn't really seen each other in quite a while (I guess the dance would be an exception, as it was from far away).

I nodded and smiled awkwardly. Suddenly, as our eyes met, everyone moment I had spent with him came back to me. The moment we met at my dorm door with Ryan, Roy, James, and Jeremy. The fire drill where he grabbed my waist and flirted with me. The time we hugged, our bodies warm against each other. The time that we caught Roy and Miranda making out. The time he introduced me to the guys at their dorm. The time Roy and Michael got in a fight. And finally, the time that he caught Roy and I kissing... and the time I said his name out loud.

Still locking eyes with me, he seemed to have the same flashbacks. After a few moments, he cleared his throat dramatically and rocked back on his heels nervously.

"Uh... sorry about bumping into you... I, uh... How's it going with Roy?" There was an awkward silence in the air, as Lucas stared between Michael and I curiously. Michael laughed and rubbed his head, much like Roy did when he was nervous. "Good then, huh?"

Lucas continued to watch carefully, as if we were a crime scene that he had to examine completely and look for evidence of the crime that was committed here.

"Well, I, uh... I gotta go where I was heading... before." Michael chuckled as he pointed the way he'd been walking before he bumped into me.

I nodded and waved my hand once, as if saying 'why don't you just go then?'. He took the hint and nodded, then began walking down the path toward the Bridgeton High building.

Lucas gazed at me in thought for a long minute, while I tried to ignore the hole he was burning into the side of my face. I took a breath and began doodling little aliens on the moon.

~*~ Michael stared at me hungrily from the foot of the bed, as I lay in lingerie at the head of the bed. He was shirtless, and I could tell he wanted me more than ever before as he began to crawl slowly up the bed, hovering over me as I caressed his face in my hands, staring into his eyes seductively. "I love you." He whispered as a smirk crept upon his face and I disappeared into paradise. ~*~