Not Today | ✔️

Chapter Two.

"Can see it from the way you looking at me
You don't think I'm worth your time
Don't care about the person that I might be
Offended that I walk the line..."

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People tended to say that eyes were the window to the soul, but if Evelyn had to describe the window baring Tristan's soul as his eyes met her own from across the crowded hallway, Evelyn would say the window seemed to be adorned with the words 'fuck off' in neon lettering. The boy was clearly very charming.

It'd been four days since the first day Evelyn sat next to Tristan in the library, and she sat by him each day since, but he hadn't warmed up at all from the cold disposition he'd given her that first day. If anything, he'd gotten more icy, which was a bit irritating. She didn't even like ice in winter, and that was the best season, but she had the lovely gift of ice much earlier and in the form of a teenage boy instead of frozen water.

On the first day, when she declared she'd keep him company, they sat in silence, him probably one of shock, and hers just because she was reading and silence was optimal.

On the second day, he glared at her so intensely, she thought he believed that the harder he stared, the more likely it was that his chocolate-colored eyes would strike her with red lasers. Judging by the fact that Evelyn was still in one whole part, rather than a melted puddle or cut up into pieces, he had no such luck with the lasers.

On the third day, they finally exchanged words. They weren't friendly ones, though, as Tristan, or as she'd occasionally referred to him in her mind, Grumpy, was convinced Evelyn had an ulterior motive and wanted something from him. Truthfully, the only thing she wanted from him, in that moment, was for him to stop talking so she could read her novel, but alas.

Unfortunately, his hostility wasn't limited to only the time they spent together in the library, but whenever they crossed paths in school. This moment was no different, he was glaring at her. Again.

It seemed like he was always giving her a warning glance, but she wasn't entirely sure what he was warning her not to do. Was it not to talk to him in school? Was it not to mention the library? Was it that he thought he could scare her off by making it clear his dislike ran deeper than just disliking her when she sat next to him in the library?

Tristan's attention diverted from Evelyn to his friends when a burly dude she didn't know the name of tapped him on the shoulder. Tristan was incredibly popular, though she wasn't entirely sure why. From what she'd been exposed to, his attitude was less-than-pleasant, so what was it that made him popular? His appearance? He was attractive, sure, but was that truly how you got a group of friends? Good genetics? She didn't think that sounded much like friendship.

Tristan's eyes caught hers once more, but she looked away quickly, not in the mood to be stared at like she was less than her worth, or like she'd done something wrong, when she hadn't. She let her locker slam and walked out the door of the school.

When she got to the library, she was going to have a word with him.

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As she sat across from Tristan, quiet as a mouse, she realized she hadn't exactly thought out what the 'word' she was going to have with him was going to be. If the phrase was literal, she did have a word with him. The word just happened to be 'hello' and his response just happened to be him rolling his eyes.

She collected her thoughts, staring at Tristan's choice of sweatshirt instead of the open page of her book. It was a pale beige color with subtle patterns, almost reminding Evelyn of camouflage, almost reminding her of her brother.