The Rest Is History | ✓

33 | the eyes

After the incident in Spanish, neither of us spoke about it and Archer went back to normal, acting like that small moment hadn't happened between us. He played it cool, so I did too.

Neither Archer nor I had addressed our feelings yet. The more I could put it off, the better (I knew it really wasn't better, but it sure felt far less confusing). We were just...getting along, and to be honest, I was liking it.

I was working on a new sketch for my Art class in the common room during the weekend. It was a multimedia sketch, using pencil, charcoal and ink. I was working on some new methods, trying to combine modern and traditional styles, when Archer walked in.

I immediately stiffened, putting the sketch away. I didn't want him to see it.

But he noticed. "Were you painting something?"

"Sketching," I immediately blurted out, unable to keep from rectifying him. I cursed myself for being so daft. There goes my plan of not revealing anything to him about what I was working on.

His eyes brightened. "Why did you put it away then? Show me!"

I shifted uncomfortably. "Um, no, it's not really finished and I don't think you'll be interested--"

"Nonsense," he interjected. "When have I not been interested to see your art? Come on, show me what you're working on."

His insistence finally made me pull out my sketch from the desk. I prayed he wouldn't recognise what I was drawing.

His eyes widened as he took in my sketch. "Woah, this is amazing, Vi! Why didn't you want to show it to me earlier?"

He continued looking at the sketch with admiration, but soon after, his eyes widened some more, this time in recognition.

I sank into my chair.

"Wait, wait," he said slowly, "Are these...are these my eyes?"

Indeed they were. I'd been sketching his hypnotic golden brown eyes, trying my best to make them look as realistic as possible, but I hadn't taken into account the fact that he might see my sketch himself.

Realisation dawned on him as he took in my brilliant red cheeks and downcast eyes. He knelt next to me.

"Vi, were you really drawing my eyes?"

I looked at him defiantly. "Yeah, so what? I can draw whatever I want."

His lips tilted upwards in a lopsided smile. "No, of course you can. I never said you couldn't."

I groaned. "Don't look at me like that, okay!"

"Like what?" he asked innocently.

I glared at him. "Don't play dumb. And don't tease me about this. I was just sketching this because...because your eyes are pretty, that's all."

"My eyes are pretty?" he smirked.

I put my hands up. "I give up with you! Yes they are! Happy?"

He grinned. "Very. But let me tell you, you've drawn them so accurately I had little trouble recognising."

I flushed under his gaze. "Um, thanks."

He smiled at me with something in his eyes, for a moment, and then he walked over to his friends.

Calm down Viv, that was nothing. No feelings, remember. What you have now is enough, there's no need for added confusion.

I closed my eyes for a second and then went back to add the finishing touches to my work.

After another half an hour, when I was finally done, I decided to add a small quote in ink at the bottom of the sketch, as an afterthought.

The eyes, chico, they never lie.

°

Later that day, I was revising some topics for my A-levels when Kate suddenly piped up, "Hey, Viv, won't we have Funday this year?"

Funday was an annual tradition at Bloomwood, and one of the things I really liked about it. It was held on the last Sunday before our annual exams, and every year, the students would engage in a different fun activity as a way to relax before the pressure of exams started.

Two years ago, we'd had a mixed team football friendly. Last year had been even better, we'd had a mini carnival on our school grounds, with our teachers setting up game stalls.

So basically, every year, on the last Sunday before exams, we took an entire day off to just have fun. Someone had thus come up with the most creative (note my sarcasm) name for it: Funday. The name had eventually stuck, and now everyone called it that.

It was a day we all looked forward to immensely, since it was the one time we could truly forget about our looming Annuals and just have plain, unadulterated fun.

Moreover, this year the fear and anxiety were at an all-time high due to the fact that it was the A-levels. This was our last and only chance to secure our future. Everyone in their second year of sixth form was on edge, immersed in textbooks and notes.

Therefore, Funday was highly anticipated and it was the one day we could really unwind.

So I turned to Katie. "Of course we will, don't worry, Kate."

Mary-Anne Lewellyn, a girl from my Art class, was seated near us in the common room, and she too perked up. "Really? What will we do this year, Vivian?"

I shrugged. "I haven't really given it much thought yet. Neither has Archer, at least I don't think so."

That's right, it was the Head Girl and Head Boy's duty every year to decide which 'fun activity' the students would be taking part in for Funday. In all the other years, we hadn't had to decide, but now it was up to us.

I took in a breath. "I'll discuss this with Archer in the next few days and we'll come up with a few options. Then maybe we can have a vote as to which option the majority wants to go with."

Angie replied without looking up from her book. "That's a good idea, that way you'll be taking everyone's opinions into consideration without spending too much time on it."

I nodded. "Yeah, I thought so too. I'll talk to Arch about it, let's see."

Katie started snickering. I frowned, "What?"

She smirked and imitated me in a really bad voice. "I'll talk to Arch. I'll discuss this with Arch. Arch--"

"Oi, shut up!" I huffed as Angie and Kate burst into peals of laughter.

I could only proceed to bury my nose further into Shakespeare.

a/n: 'the eyes, chico, they never lie' is an iconic line from the movie scarface, starring al pacino and michelle pfeiffer.
anyway, hoped you liked this filler! more to come, i promise!
also, random question: if you could meet archer and viv in real life, what would you first say to each of them?