Chapter 2
The next morning dragged by slowly. The second day of school was much like the first day of school – meeting all new teachers and having all new classes with different students. My first two classes, Chemistry and Spanish, went by at an excruciating pace – both teachers droned on in a monotone voice about their rules and classroom courtesies. In Spanish, as Senora Alvarez wrote her policies on the board, I peeked around the room to see if anyone was still paying attention. Several boys were chatting quietly in the far back corner, mumbling incoherently – at least to me – clearly not listening to what was going on in the front of the room. A few scattered boys and girls were resting their heads on their arms and hands, either fast asleep or dozing, and tuning out the teacher effortlessly. As I watched the big teasing clock on the wall above the door, I silently wished I had the ability to sleep easily in class. I'd always had a major problem sleeping in school, although I had tried several times before in my most boring classes. Finally, the bell rang, startling Senora Alvarez, who whipped around like someone was trying to break into the window. She giggled as she realized that class was over, and said goodbye in Spanish, but the majority of us were already out in the hall.
Poor woman, I thought with a chuckle, as I headed to my locker to meet Anna for lunch. When I arrived, she was standing by her locker, grinning.
"What?" I asked with a chuckle; I was in a much better mood than yesterday. "You know that new guy?" She asked.
Oh boy.
I nodded. Of course I knew who he was, but I knew the question was meant to be
rhetorical. I started fumbling with the knob on my locker.
"His name's Owen, and he's in my Algebra class," she said excitedly, but in a low tone to
keep others from hearing.
"Oh?" I asked, pretending to be distracted. I hadn't told her about how he followed me
yesterday, and I didn't intend to. All that would do would be to entice her further in her matchmaking efforts, and I wasn't going to encourage that.
"He doesn't talk to anyone," she continued. "He seems like kind of a loner. But, you know, the sexy kind. Poetic and stuff. Doesn't he seem kind of artsy to you?" She was babbling now, and I was only half-listening.
"I don't know," I replied, hoping she would get the hint and drop the subject. I gathered my things for English, which I would have right after lunch, and shut my locker. When I turned towards Anna she appeared to be distracted, watching a small group of senior boys walking past us, and I knew, thankfully, that the conversation about Owen was over, at least for now.
We walked across the hall to the cafeteria where people were streaming in, and found a seat at a small round table in the corner where a few of our other friends were already sitting. The topics of conversation at the table could not keep my mind from wandering.
"Did you see that horror movie that just came out last weekend?" asked one of the guys, Matt. The question was open for everyone to answer, and everyone answered except for me, who was hardly paying attention.
I felt a hard jab in the ribs and nearly jumped out of my seat.
"What?" I rubbed my left side and made a face at Anna, who looked at me with a confused expression.
"What's with you?" she whispered. "Are you feeling alright? You're barely talking." "Yeah, yeah," I said, waving my hand nonchalantly to dismiss her question. "Just tired." I glanced around the cafeteria, knowing who I was hoping to lay eyes on, but refusing to
admit it. I turned my head as discreetly as I could, to look behind me until I spotted Adam waving to me from a few tables over. I turned to look at my tray of hardly-touched food quickly.
Crap.
Too late; his hand was on my shoulder in a matter of seconds, and when I looked up, he was towering over me with a smirk on his face. My eyes narrowed at him and my friends all looked from me to him with a look of shock on their faces.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked me, backing up to allow me to push my chair out.
I stood up without responding and started out of the cafeteria, with Adam in toe. I was annoyed. No, I was more than annoyed. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? Yesterday had been difficult enough in the parking lot, but now he was taking me away from my friends during school? I needed to show him that I wasn't happy, but I wasn't used to being rude to him.
Irrelevant, I thought as I swung the cafeteria door open, not bothering to hold it for Adam as he lingered out behind me. When we reached the hallway I spun around.
"What?" I demanded harshly.
His eyes widened and he threw his hands up in a defensive gesture.
"Cal, I just wanna talk," he said softly.
"About what." It was a statement, not a question, and it came out so harshly that I
impressed myself.
"About us," he said quietly, and he reached his hand out to touch mine. I pulled it back
out of his reach abruptly.
"You broke up with me, remember?" I said icily as a backed away a few feet.
Adam turned his eyes away, looking around to make sure no one was watching this, no
doubt embarrassing, confrontation. He darted his eyes back to me sternly.
"Can you please not be dramatic?" he said through gritted teeth. "And don't make a
scene."
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
My patience was wearing thin, and as hard as it had been to be rude when we first started talking, it was growing easier by the second.
"Didn't you say you wanted to talk to me? Just talk."
His eyes narrowed but he took a short breath and opened his mouth, about to start. "Excuse me," a voice cut in. Before I even looked up I recognized the voice. I couldn't
mistake its softness and beauty.
"Owen," I breathed. Adam gaped at him, clearly aggravated by the interruption. If Owen
noticed, he didn't let it show on his face.
"May I borrow Callie for a moment?" he asked Adam kindly. Adam shook his head and
looked back at me. I assumed he was expecting me to deny Owen's offer. As if.
"Actually, we were in the middle of a discussion." Adam's tone was rude, and I was
praying that it wouldn't discourage Owen.
"I'm sorry," Owen replied. "But this is important, it's about one of our classes. I need to
ask her something."
I stared at Owen, my hero. Adam looked furious, and opened his mouth again – my
guess, to yell something rude back - but Owen's angelic, peaceful smile caused him to snap his mouth quickly. He stalked off without looking back and slammed the cafeteria door behind him.
I had hardly taken my eyes off of Owen the whole time he had been standing there; studying his perfect features, fantasizing about touching his soft-looking skin. His eyes turned down to me as soon as Adam was out of sight, and I averted my gaze to the floor.
"Wow, t-thanks," I stuttered.
"You didn't want to talk to him, did you?" Owen asked, that smile creeping up on his lips again.
"How could you tell?" I snorted sarcastically, nervously shifting my weight from side to side.
"It was just a funny feeling," he laughed. "Glad to help."
He smiled once more and disappeared down the hallway just as the bell dismissed students from lunch.
I walked into my English classroom still thinking about the encounter during lunch. My mind had focused on two things during the walk to class. First of all, Adam hadn't been able to finish what he had wanted to talk to me about. Not that it really mattered – what could he possibly have to say? Still, I wondered about what he had intended to discuss, although I had no clue. The other thing I focused on was how Owen had snuck up on us so easily, going so
unnoticed. I hadn't heard him walking up, and Adam hadn't appeared to; and how did he know that I didn't want to talk to Adam? I had tried to keep my voice low when we were talking – as Adam had pointed out, I didn't want to make a scene. But Owen had picked up on the fact that I wanted Adam to leave, and he took care of it with such grace and class.
I allowed my mind to continue wandering as I stepped into the classroom. As I scanned the room from the doorway my eyes froze on Owen sitting at a desk in the back corner, away from everyone else. He smiled at me when I looked at him, and some unexplained magnetic force pulled me back to him. I didn't fight it.
He pulled out the chair at the empty desk next to him when I got closer.
"I was hoping you'd sit here," he smiled.
Immediately my knees went weak and I subconsciously reached out for the desk to hold me up.
I slid into the seat that he had pulled out and he pulled his hand back into his lap. I looked at him nervously and pulled a notebook out of my bag. All through class I took careful notes on American Literature, which was the title of the class, but the whole time I was very aware of how close together Owen and I were sitting.
Had our desks been this close to each other when I got here?
I could feel his body heat as I leaned over my desk, scribbling everything Mrs. Kagan was lecturing about, but my mind was far away from the lesson. I found myself nervously tensing every time Owen moved. Spasms of energy surged through my body whenever I sensed him looking at me, but I was careful to control it. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was a freak who couldn't handle sitting next to him. But controlling my urge to touch him became progressively more and more difficult as the hour dragged on. I found myself staring at the clock, watching time tick by slowly, until finally the bell rang and I was able to relax.
I packed up quickly and stole one last look at Owen; he was standing up and pushing in his chair. He glanced up and winked at me before I turned around. I left the room and raced to my locker, desperately escaping whatever weird sensation had just taken over me.
My last class went by slowly, as all the others had, and I anxiously tapped my mechanical pencil on my notebook paper, waiting for the bell to ring. I had no interest in government, so unfortunately it was too easy to tune out the teacher, Mr. Hagler. My mind was on other things which were, in my mind, more important. I was out of my seat and walking out the door at the first bell.
I gathered my things out of my locker and practically sprinted out the door. I wanted to avoid seeing Owen if that was at all possible. I couldn't afford to get weak-kneed around him. I was fighting myself the whole time I crossed the parking lot. Of course I wanted to see him. I had never felt such a strong pull and desire to be around someone else. But something about the way he made me feel sent shivers through my body when I thought about it. No matter what, I had to stick to my promise to myself that I would remain single and focus on school this year. Luckily, I reached my car before he did and pulled out of the school and onto the road without spotting him.
When I got home, I turned on my computer, eager to distract myself. I sat down to write a paper for Spanish class, and settled into my chair with my notes and textbook, and opened Microsoft Word; suddenly, my instant messenger screen popped up with a message from Owen83. My body stiffened as I read the user name and then read what he had typed.
Owen83: Hey.
Owen83: Are you there?
I swallowed hard. I knew I should have closed out of the message box, but I responded anyway.
Live4Music: Hi, I'm here. Is this Owen? He responded within five seconds.
Owen83: Screen names don't lie. :)
I breathed out slowly, my fingers trembling.
Live4Music: Thanks again for today. Saving me from Adam. Owen83: Ex-boyfriend?
I gulped.
Live4Music: Yes. We broke up over the summer.
More like, he completely crushed me and dumped me in a ten minute conversation over
the phone.
Owen83: I'm sorry. Live4Music: Thanks.
I was about to start my Spanish essay when he typed,
Owen83: He's an idiot for breaking up with you.
How does he know he broke up with me? I thought. Do I really seem like the kind of
person who wouldn't dump her boyfriend?
Live4Music: I never said he broke up with me.
Owen83: Didn't he?
Live4Music: Umm...
Owen83: I'm sorry. It's none of my business.
Live4Music: It's fine. And he did. I'm just surprised you knew that.
Maybe he had already talked to Adam. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Either way,
Owen didn't respond for several minutes.
Owen83: I don't like the looks of that guy.
I was flipping through my Spanish textbook, trying to motivate myself to navigate away
from talking to Owen to start my homework, but somehow I couldn't.
Live4Music: Why?
Owen83: He thinks he owns you. He thinks you'll always come back to him.
I stared at the screen. Did he really think that? And if so, how did Owen know that? I decided not to act suspicious.
Live4Music: Well I won't. I'm done with boyfriends for now. Owen83: I see.
I bit my lip. This conversation was becoming awkward, not least because I could picture his perfect face on the other end in front of his computer screen, the corners of his lips twitching into that adorable smile that I turned into jelly just thinking about...
Live4Music: I really should get to my Spanish homework. Bye, Owen.
Owen83: See you tomorrow, Callie. :)
And then I signed off. I took a deep breath and started my essay. Before I even finished the first sentence, there was a knock on my bedroom door. I sighed.
"Come in!" I shouted, my fingers still poised over the keyboard.
It was my mom. She opened the door with a smile, carrying a plate full of food. Bless her.
"I figured you would want your dinner in your room tonight," she said, placing the plate on the desk next to my textbook. "Looks like you've got quite a load of homework."
"Yeah," I laughed. "It already feels like this year is going to be difficult." I meant that in more ways than she was aware of.
When she perched herself on the edge of my bed I knew we were in for a conversation. "Callie," she started.
"Mom."
"How's school going? I didn't get a chance to ask you yesterday, you've been so busy
with homework. After school yesterday and today you came home and locked yourself in your room."
I flinched. I knew I was acting less social than usual. Part of it was due to homework, but the more dominant reason had to do with the amount of thinking I had been doing for the past twenty-four hours.
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Is everything alright?" She wasn't going to give up.
"Of course." I tried to sound cheerful by raising my voice an octave.
My sudden change of tone set her off into a frenzy of questions about friends, teachers,
and classes. I avoided the topic of Owen. My mom was famous for interrogating me about people at school. Even worse, her eyes always lit up at the mention of boys, which always called for a long conversation, one that I normally endured, unwillingly, for her benefit.
"Have you seen Adam?"
I had been expecting this question, but I felt my body stiffen. She didn't seem to notice. "Er, yes," I replied warily.
My mom's lips pursed. She hadn't been fond of Adam since the breakup. She had seen me
at my worst, and she didn't want me to end up back there. Still, I knew she felt like it was her duty to ask about him.
"And?" she continued.
"Mom, I'd really rather not talk about it."
"Was he mean to you?"
"No."
"Do you have any classes with him?"
"No."
"Are your...feelings for him still strong?"
I winced.
"Not as strong."
"Well good," my mom's tone became more cheerful. "That's all I wanted to know."
I sighed. I was glad she had asked the questions that intrigued her the most, but I really
wanted to drop the conversation. To avoid being rude, I shot a glance at my Spanish textbook, still laying open, inviting me to start my homework. My mom picked up on the hint.
"Oh!" She jumped up from the bed. "You're homework! And your dinner, I'm sure it's getting cold." Her bubbly personality was coming back.
"Thanks for dinner, mom."
She smiled once more and left my room, closing the door quietly behind her.
I turned in my chair to face the computer again and took a bite of my chicken. I placed my hands on the keyboard again, prepared to write, when my phone vibrated angrily against my wooden desk.
So many interruptions.
I leaned over to read the name on the caller I.D.
Adam.
I tossed the cellphone onto my bed so the vibrating wouldn't distract me, and returned to my homework, which I attempted to concentrate on for the next hour.
The rest of the week passed in a blur of changing classes and doing homework. I saw very little of Owen except in English class, where I continued to sit next to him. Somehow I couldn't convince myself that anywhere else in the room would be a better place to spend the hour and a half. However, despite being so close to him every other day, we said very little to each other. Most of the communication between us took the form of shy smiles and awkward laughs. It was now clear that there was something strange going on between us, some unidentifiable tension. Everyone who saw us could tell, and Anna would not leave it alone. Every time she mentioned our 'chemistry' I laughed and rolled my eyes, but of course I knew exactly what she was referring to. The ache in my stomach whenever he walked into the room, the tingling that reached my fingers when he sent me a message on the computer, and, most recently, the choked up dry throat I'd gotten when he'd asked for my phone number on Friday in the parking lot – all of these things were proof that there was a kind of chemistry between us. When he had nonchalantly asked for my number by our cars, I had almost forgotten what they were, too concentrated on the fact that he, for some strange reason, was interested in contacting me. He had penned them on a slip of paper before shoving it into his jeans pocket.
The way his jeans fit his perfect long legs, and how his red v-neck shows off just enough of his chest...
But I was shaken awake from my daydream when he kindly said goodbye and told me to have a 'lovely' weekend before driving away.
It was Saturday morning, and I was finishing up some Trig problems in my room when my phone vibrated from across the room on my nightstand. I flew out of the chair and hurled myself across the room.
Could it be Owen? I thought excitedly, but my hopes were crushed when I saw Anna's name on the caller I.D.
I answered with a sigh.
"Hello?"
"Rise and shine!"
"Anna, it's 10:45, I've been up for two hours already." "Oh, well great! Let's hang out today."
I thought about it for a couple seconds. I had a lot of homework to finish up, but I still had Sunday to help me. Maybe going out for a little while would be a good idea.
"Alright, what time?" I asked.
"Noon. I'll meet you at the park by your house."
"Okay, see you then."
I hung up the phone and returned to my desk. I still had an hour and fifteen minutes
before I had to meet her, but I hadn't showered or even changed out of my pajamas yet. I stuffed my Trig homework into my textbook and tossed it aside, making my way to the shower.
At 11:50 I began walking to the park that was only about a block from my house. The weather was beautiful and sunny; not too hot, but not cool enough for a jacket either. I picked up pace as I saw Anna waving to me from the swings.
"Hi!" She greeted me happily as I plopped myself onto a swing.
"How are you this morning?" I replied, kicking my feet off the ground to propel myself. "I'm fine." she answered dully. Her face suddenly lost its excited glow and she looked
straight ahead at the empty playground. She appeared to be deep in thought. How quickly her happy demeanor had changed.
"What's up?" I asked curiously.
She shook her head and smiled again.
"Nothing," she responded. "Just thinking about something my friend told me yesterday,
something odd."
She was a fool if she thought I would allow her to stop there. Suddenly it was obvious
why she had invited me to hang out.
"What friend? What did she say?" I sped up my swinging to match hers.
"Alex. You know, the girl over in Vineland?"
I nodded. Of course I knew Alex, she'd been to every one of Anna's birthday parties since
we were five years old. I was pretty sure Anna considered Alex another best friend.
"Well," she continued. "we were on the phone last night and she was raving about this
new guy at their school, named Ty."
My eyes were still watching the ground as I swung higher. When I didn't respond she
continued.
"Apparently he's totally gorgeous, just like Owen."
I looked at her.
"Don't kids transfer to new schools all the time?"
Except us, I thought. We've lived in the same place with the same people for sixteen
years.
"I guess," she answered, slowing down her swinging. I slowed with her. "but the weirdest
thing is, one of Alex's friends up in Hopewell told her the same thing." "About a new student?"
"Yeah, and apparently they all have those pretty blue eyes."
I laughed, "They're just blue eyes, Anna."
"Are you crazy? Have you even looked at them? They're not just blue, they're almost
silver! I've never seen anyone else with the same ones before. They're totally unique." "Obviously not, if other people have them." I was fighting myself now, trying to make it
seem like I had no idea what the big deal was.
Anna pursed her lips – she was getting agitated with me, I could tell.
"Callie. The reason Alex told me about Ty was because of how unique he seemed. She
said she had never seen a guy who looked like him before, and when she described him to me, he sounded just like our Owen."
My heart fluttered and a smile played at the corners of my lips at the mention of our Owen.
"You don't find it strange at all?" Anna pressed.
I silently considered everything she had told me. Owen had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They were a blue, almost silver pool of color, and almost glass-looking – like liquid
crystal. I couldn't imagine anyone on the planet having the same perfect eyes. A shiver ran up my spine. When I didn't respond, she continued.
"They're all really polite too. And they dress nicely. You've seen how Owen dressed – always in nice pants and a formal top of some kind. I haven't seen him in jeans and a T-shirt once!"
I nodded.
"There were a lot of similarities between them all. I just thought you'd be interested to know."
I kept my eyes on the ground, swinging slowly now.
"The one in Hopewell was the same, too?"
"Yep. A girl, though. I think her name was Molly? I can't remember exactly."
"It's a coincidence." I laughed lightly. This was silly, for us to be analyzing the new kids
in and around town. There couldn't be anything strange or unusual about three new students who all had blue eyes and dressed nicely.
"Maybe," Anna said. She stopped swinging and stared out into the distance.
"Are you really concerned about it?"
"It's just a little odd. No one new ever moves here. What are the chances that three
extremely similar people all moved around the same place at the same time?"
I pondered that for a moment. All three areas were small enough that it was certainly
unusual, though not unheard of, for new students to arrive. And when they did, it was big news. "I'm sure it's a coincidence," I repeated, but I jumped off the swing quickly, my arms and
legs tingling.
Anna shrugged and got up from her swing. We walked around the grassy area of the park,
my head miles away to wherever Owen was. I thought about his laugh, and how his eyes danced when he spoke. I thought about his voice calling my name through the parking lot on Friday when he summoned me to his car to get my phone number. As if my name was even worthy of his lips...
"Callie?" Anna demanded, pulling my arm to stop me.
I pinched my eyes shut and opened them wide again, releasing all thoughts of Owen. And of the others...the new students who had the same eyes as him but lived in different towns.
"Have you even been listening?" she sounded impatient.
"Of course," I lied. I bit my lip.
"So has he called you?"
I shook my head quickly, disappointed that Owen hadn't called my number since he
asked for it. Anna looked skeptical.
"But I thought you said you had three missed calls from him last week," she said. We
were walking again now.
I looked at her, confused. I was sure Owen hadn't called me at all, let alone three times.
Then it dawned on me that the conversation Anna had thought she was having with me, which I had tuned out to think of Owen, had been about Adam.
"Oh, right!" I gathered my thoughts.
Get it together.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked, concerned now. "Yeah, of course, I...um,"
What am I trying to say?
"I should get home," I finished. "I have a lot of homework to do." I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and checked the time. We had been at the park for over an hour and I was getting hungry...and tired...and dizzy...
We said our goodbyes and I turned towards home. I walked quickly, yearning for the comfort of my room and the stability of the homework that was waiting for me - no, calling to me - from my desk.
I sat back down in my chair when I reached my room and opened my textbook back up. Okay, focus. No thinking about Owen or Adam, or the other new students...
I pulled out my pencil and chewed on the eraser as I read the first Trig problem, but I was
jolted upright and alert at the sound of a message popping up on my computer screen.
Owen83: Hello.
This was the second time I had tried to start my homework only to be distracted by
Owen, although I couldn't necessarily say I was disappointed by the interruption.
Live4Music: Hey.
Owen83: I meant to ask you something the other day...
My breath caught in my chest as I waited.
Live4Music: Yes?
Owen83: Your screen name – do you play an instrument?
I breathed out, relieved that the question was innocent.
Live4Music: Yes, I've played piano for almost 10 years. Owen83: Wow, impressive. I'd love to hear you play some time.
I stared at the screen. Really? I thought. I relished the idea of him standing behind me, listening and watching me playing a classical piece, or one of my favorite love ballads... Owen83: Callie? Are you still there?
I was stirred awake.
Live4Music: Yes! Sorry, that would be great. Of course you can hear me play. Owen83: Good. :)
I fought against my better judgment to tell him I really needed to get back to my homework, but it felt so good to talk to him. We continued talking for several minutes, mainly about school and what we thought about our classes.
Owen83: What are your hobbies? Other than playing the piano.
Live4Music: I ride horses. It's pretty much my life.
Owen83: Ah, so you're an animal person.
Live4Music: Yes, are you?
Owen83: Not at all.
Live4Music: Oh.
There was an awkward pause in our conversation as I absorbed that information.
Not an animal person.
That was completely different from myself. I'd been riding horses for almost as long as I'd played the piano, and I loved it more than just about anything. Although I didn't own my own horse, I spent a few days a week at my lesson barn riding many different horses. I decided I should change the topic of conversation.
Live4Music: So...
I couldn't think of what to say.
Live4Music: What's your family like?
He didn't respond for nearly five minutes.
Owen83: Pretty average, I guess. They'd like you, I think.
Live4Music: Why's that?
Owen83: Oh, I don't know. You seem really smart, always focused on school, doing homework.
How does he know when I'm doing homework? I've never told him...
Owen83: And you're very nice, of course. I was flattered.
Live4Music: Well, maybe I can meet them sometime.
Clearly the wrong thing to say. His response popped up within five seconds.
Owen83: I don't think that's possible. I chewed my lip as I typed.
Live4Music: Oh, why?
As I waited for his reply, I contemplated. Had I been too forward? Maybe I was reading
his signs wrong. Wasn't he flirting with me? And he had been staring at me on the first day, right? And every day since then?
Shut up, I thought to myself. You don't want another boyfriend. But still, friends meet each others' parents, right?
Owen83: It just won't happen.
I left it at that. I was learning new things about Owen in this conversation, things that
confused me. He wasn't an animal person, and he was apparently adamantly against me meeting his family.
Fair enough, I decided. I was just about to tell him goodbye when he sent another message.
Owen83: Do you have plans tomorrow?
Live4Music: No.
Owen83: Great, let's get to know each other a little. I'll be at your house around 4:00.
And with that, he signed off. I didn't even get a chance to send him my address, how would he find where I lived? This conversation had sent many mixed signals and I wasn't sure how I felt. Giddy, of course, because I was going to be seeing him tomorrow, but confused and intimidated at the thought of being alone with him. I quickly shut down the computer to keep from being distracted, and finally started my Trig homework, desperately trying to keep my mind from wandering to whatever was going to happen tomorrow.
