If Tomorrow Never Comes | On Hold

4

The warning bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Avery, Maddy and Kelsey stood up from their table and silently slung their bags over their shoulders, disposing of their trash on their way back into the hallways. The chatter was deafening, groups of friends huddled together and walking to their lockers before their next class.

"What do you have next, again?" Kelsey asked as they met up around Avery's locker. Maddy flipped open her binder and glanced inside, her eyes scanning her schedule.

"Avery and I have History with Ms. Lamstein," she said as she closed her binder back up and hugged it to her chest. Kelsey nodded and checked her phone, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"I'll see you during free period, Aves. My next class is on the other side of campus." The three girls hugged and Kelsey bid her friends goodbye before disappearing into the mass of students.

Avery closed her locker and leaned her forehead against it, letting out a heavy sigh as she held her notebook in her hands. Maddy watched her with furrowed brows, about to ask her if she was okay when a shadow fell over them.

Both girls lifted their gazes and saw Kaleb standing there, playing with the strap of his backpack.  He smiled at them both, his eyes lingering on Maddy for a second too long before they rested on Avery.

"So what did Aiden do to piss you off?" He asked and Avery chuckled lightly. She pushed off the lockers and Maddy was immediately at her side as she began walking away. Kaleb caught up quickly, hands in his pockets and his eyes flickering between Avery's face and watching where he was going.

"Honestly, it wasn't even that bad," Avery began, "I accidentally knocked into him this morning and he was an asshole. He's kind of moody." She shrugged and saw Kaleb roll his eyes, his lips turning up at the corners as he fought a smile.

"Understatement of the year," he said as they turned a corner. The halls were beginning to empty out as students walked into their classes, the noise dwindling to just random conversations of passerby's.

"Alright, I just wanted to get an actual answer other than his riveting and slightly annoying 'nothing'," Kaleb said as he started slowing down. "I'll see you guys around." Avery and Maddy waved at him as he walked backwards before turning and disappearing around the corner they came from.

The girls walked a couple of doors down and stopped in front of their class.

"Are you okay?" Maddy asked and Avery shrugged again.

"My dad has a brain tumor and I just broke up with my boyfriend," she said and glanced at Maddy from the corner of her eye.

"Right," Maddy nodded her head once and they both walked into their classroom.

Almost as if sensing his presence, Avery glanced around until she locked eyes with Aiden. He was sitting on the far right side of the room in the chair closest to the window. The black hoodie he'd been sporting all day was draped over the back of his chair and Avery's eyes widened when she looked at his arms.

Not only were they muscular and defined but every single inch of skin from the tips of his fingers, all the way up his arms and under the sleeves of his black t-shirt was covered in beautiful ink. There were faces and sceneries and words all intricately wound together to cover the entirety of his exposed skin.

As her eyes danced across his torso, she noticed more ink peeking out from the collar of his shirt and onto his neck. She was mesmerized. Her eyes were shining with nothing but pure admiration at the sight before her. He was absolutely breathtaking to look at.

She snapped out of her trance when her History teacher, Ms. Lamstein, cleared her throat. She realized that she'd been gawking at Aiden in front of the entire class and her cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. Maddy had already taken a seat in the second to last row and was staring at her with panic stricken eyes since now there were only single seats left next to people neither of them knew well.