Eyes of Fire
His eyes—dark and smoldering—raked over her face with slow perusal as he sauntered past. Her heart stopped then thudded against her ribcage. Brows furrowing with confusion, she looked away for a moment, only to glance back seconds later; his eyes seared into her. With her breath lodged in her throat, she clutched her books to her chest and lengthened her strides until he was out of sight. Her limbs, now strangely limber, felt liquefied as she maneuvered through the crowd and into her classroom.
Sinking onto her seat, she realized her hands were trembling and clasped them together, bewildered.
"Is something wrong?" Someone asked from her left. She shook her head, but she wasn't sure.
~o~O~o~
The hallway, a swarming, boisterous mess of pushing and shoving, was a chaotic disaster. Her small frame darted between bodies, dodging oncoming traffic while advancing forward. A tingle ran down her spine, and her eyes snapped upward to search the mass. With an electric sizzling in her stomach, their eyes met—brown against green. Faltering, she slowed with the ground and forest still locked together.
A body slammed into her and she stumbled, ducking her head in embarrassment. Muttering a halfhearted "sorry", she raced into her class and fastidiously ignored her quivering appendages as she arranged her notebook and pencils.
~o~O~o~
She turned the corner while humming under her breath, at the same time he did. Jerking, she glanced at him, pleased he had not seen her, only to jump as his eyes darted to hers. They narrowed in something like perplexity. Baffled, she looked away and continued to her classroom, though his shadowed eyes stared at her from the backs of her eyelids.
~o~O~o~
She kept her focus on the right side of the hallway and away from where she knew he was passing. She felt his gaze burn into her skin, erupting young butterflies in her stomach. Yet her eyes never met his, even when she felt something drop off inside of her as his fiery watch left her. He would be gone in less than a month; they had spoken only a handful of words. She was younger, and he was older. Those were clearly cut things and they registered with ease. What she didn't understand though, as she stared blankly at the tabletop, was the regret swirling in her gut.
~o~O~o~
His gait was unhurried, casual, but his eyes indifferent. He was speaking to the friend beside him, when she entered his sight. His eyes flared as they met hers, and he cut himself off. Her breath caught, and her eyes widened as she stared into him. With a startling moment of clarity, she saw something deadened and his restlessness, so similar to her own. Their gaze broke, his face scrunching while hers creased with puzzlement.
~o~O~o~
He gazed at her, eyes dark with some emotion. Unsure, she stared back. His friends jeered at her, but she remained impassive and wholly at his attention. They nudged him, but his eyes never strayed. A swirl of emotion rose from her stomach into her chest before settling in her heart.
~o~O~o~
She watched, brows furrowed with concern, as he dragged his feet in a tired walk. His mouth was drawn, eyes darkened and fatigued. His gaze turned from the floor to her eyes, their murky depths pools of barely restrained stress. He seemed to scream weariness; that he was one snap away from the edge, yet his friends chattered on—all smiles. His frown cut into her, and she tilted her head in slight confusion.
~o~O~o~
She laughed at her friend, eyes crinkling at the edges. She took a deep breath while glancing ahead, to have it freeze in her throat. He stood at the edge of the stairs, face tilted down, and his eyes gleaming out at her. Her breath stuttered, chest rising and falling in quick bursts as the corner of his lips turned upwards in an almost smile. A surge of something exploded in her chest, its sparks running throughout her body. She smiled back.
~o~O~o~
She was descending the stairs when the signature of his blazing stare lighted her nerves and raised the downy hairs on her skin. Glancing up, she looked from beneath her lashes as he walked across the courtyard, eyes burning into hers. Yards of distance separated them, but the light, tinkling feeling in her chest persisted. It wasn't until she had left the stairs, walked across the common area, and passed through the door to the school that she realized she was beaming.
~o~O~o~
Anticipation sped her heart, its thumping and pounding echoing in her ears as she glanced at the clock. Its second hand ticked, ticked, ticked on, but the seconds seem to have slowed. Frustrated, she fidgeted with her binders and fumbled the bottom of her t-shirt. The bell rang; and she shot out of her seat— gathering her books— and sped out of the room. Her legs rushed back and forth as she raced across the courtyard. She slowed, though, as she entered their hallway. Glancing ahead, she saw his messy head of hair and fought a grin. As they passed, their eyes crept towards each other and they shared a barely-there smile.
~o~O~o~
His dark and unreadable eyes gazed down at her. She had never realized how much taller he was until he stood close as to feel his breath ghosting over her cheek, the warmth of his body sinking into hers. Gooseflesh broke out across her skin and she let out a shaky breath. He leaned forward minutely, as though to speak, before stepping away. Something akin to loss resounded within her as he turned.
~o~O~o~
She walked down their hallway, a grin already tugging at her lips. Searching, she lifted onto her toes. Continuing down the hall, she turned her head left and right, but his messy head, stubbly cheeks, and smoldering eyes weren't there. The smile slipped and fell into a frown.
~o~O~o~
The hallway was crowded, full of people she had no interest to see. Her eyes raked over the mass, hoping for his mop of hair to step out of a classroom and turn towards her. Disappointment ran through her and settled in her gut as she lingered at the doorway of her class, turning her head to glance at the hallway once more. When her eyes made no purchase on whom she wanted, she sighed.
~o~O~o~
She walked slowly towards her class, her mood dipping further when she caught no sight of him. Tears pricked, and she furiously pushed them back. Angry with herself, she stormed into her class. She'd never hated the idea of Senior Skip Day more.
~o~O~o~
He entered her classroom, his face set. Surprised, she jerked upward in her seat. His gait was casual, practiced, yet his dark, hooded eyes were dead. Gasping in air, she stared at him, willing his head to turn and catch sight of her. As he started to leave, he swiveled. Their eyes clashed as his caught fire. A long moment passed between them and as his eyes darkened, she imagined she knew what he was thinking. There was so little time left.
~o~O~o~
Walking aimlessly around the mall, she wished desperately she hadn't agreed to accompany her friend shopping. After begging off, she had escaped the shoe store and headed for the higher ground of the food court. With a chicken sandwich in hand, she begrudgingly resolved to find her friend. Yet there— walking up the same path she had— he was. Faltering, her breath rushed out of her and her heart slammed against her chest. A soaring feeling in her gut made it almost impossible to breathe, until he looked up at her and then she couldn't at all.
She stilled while staring at him, eyes bright, but stayed where she was. He tipped his head at her. Her foot raised to step towards him until she realized what next week was: graduation.
~o~O~o~
She trudged down their hallway, an empty feeling twirling in her stomach. As she began to enter her class, she glanced up for a final time. He stood across the hall; eyes alight while the rest of him was dark. A vicious frown pulled at his lips, his brows scrunched, and his posture angry. She smiled weakly at him before regret drooped her lips back into a line. They were on opposite sides, and all it took to unite them was tackling the chasm between them. Longing coloured her face, but as she moved to take a step, a person raced in front of her and forced her back. A heavy pit settled in her stomach and they gazed at each other, fire in their eyes.
~o~O~o~
-It spans over seventeen days, telling the tale of fascination before ending with regret.