A Wonderful Connundrum ~ Chapter 2, Revelations
I was woken the next morning by my obnoxiously loud alarm clock. I craned my neck to look at the time, only to find my neck stiff. That's what I get for sleeping on the floor, I guess... I thought with mild contempt. My arms heaved me up. I caught a better glance at the time. 6:20, right on time. A sigh escaped my partially parted lips, and I walked over to shut the damn thing off.
My mind recollected everything that happened the previous night. As such, my brows furrowed together tightly. "Great... Just fucking great..." I went about my morning routine, carefully avoiding my mother.
I stared at the front doors to the school. A feeling of absolute anxiousness swept over me. I really did not want to be here. Sighing deeply, I made my way up the steps and through the doors, knowing that I had to go, whether I wanted to or not.
My feet carried me automatically to my locker. I stared at it for a moment, then bent down to dial the combination. 27....45.....15... open. It, just like getting here, was automatic. I unloaded everything I didn't need for my next few classes out of my messenger bag, and closed the door. I then stood up, and turned to walk away, only to collide with him.
Stepping back in shock, I looked up at him and quickly averted my gaze. "Sorry..." I mumbled out, and began walking down the hall slowy to my first period class. He was following me, I could hear his steps behind me.
"I know why you're suddenly avoiding me... Because I was planning on avoiding you too..." His voice was soft, and sad. I stopped and turned to face him.
"Maybe we should spare all of this talk and just get it overwith..." My eyebrows were fixed in a sad position, my eyes already glossing over. A week, and I was heartbroken. Amazing.
He frowned at me slightly. "What do you mean..?"
"Well, with our parents together, and moving in with each other... means we can't really be together, now does it?" I clutched my hand to the strap of my bag. My gaze dropped to the tiled floor. It was wearing out, all of the school was. It was so old. A lock of my dark hair fell infront of my face.
His sigh brought me back to looking at him. He too had fixed his gaze on the floor. "Guess you're right." He looked back up at me. "Funny, it's only been a week, and both of us are acting as though we've been together for a year... Prolly feels just the same..." He looked away again. I could tell he was fighting back any form of pain. I frowned in return.
My feet carried me close to him, until I was right there, holding him. His body was stiff with shock at first, but then he relaxed and returned the embrace. I held him for a long time, hoping time would stand still for us right then. Of course, it didn't, and the warning bell rang through the building. 10 minutes til class. I pulled back from him, and looked into his eyes. They conveyed what words never could. I sighed gently and closed my eyes. One tear escaped from its hold. I wanted to turn my face away, but his lips pressed agains my cheek, right where it had been.
My eyes opened, and I looked at him once more before throwing my arms around him again. This time, he returned the embrace tightly right away.
"I should go..." I whispered sadly. By now we had only 5 minutes left, and my class was on the other side of the building. He nodded sadly against my neck, and kissed it gently.
"I'm not giving up just yet..." He whispered as he let me go. I smiled and nodded, then kissed him gently and began making my way to period 1, trigonometry.
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Lunch time came all too slow. I needed to get outside, away from everyone and into the warm air. Once I did, it almost felt like heaven on earth. I loved it outside on nice suny days like this one. Today, however, the feeling of glee quickly diminished. I looked around. A few students lay scattered throughout the campus grounds. Most students remained inside, where it was cool. Though, most of the ones that came outside, weren't eating. Most were writing, drawing, reading, or talking. I took my usual place under a small Ginko tree. It was especially nice in the late fall, when the leaves fell everywhere. I smiled softly, and leaned against its trunk. I closed my eyes, and tried so hard to calm myself down from the day's stresses.
I felt a pair of soft lips press against mine very tentatively. Smiling into the kiss, i pushed against the lips, recognizing them instantly. I had spent entire study halls gazing at them, it would be akward for me to not know them. His lips pulled away and he seated himself beside me. "Hello, Justin, love."
"Ello, Shauna. How are you this fine day?" His voice had taken on an air of an English accent. The corners of my lips turned up ever-so-slightly.
"Oh, miserable. And you, my dear...?" One eyelid raised up, just enough for me to look to him.
"Just the same." He leaned over and lay his head upon my shoulder. In turn I rested my cheek on the top of his head, sighing a bit. We sat that way for several moments. I could hear the faint voices of the other students, as well as random giggles from them. "I've been thinking, love," his quiet voice broke the silence between us, "about all of this..." He nuzzled his cheek against my shoulder.
"As have I, love, as have I..." My voice stayed on one pitch, sounding slightly airy. It was when his head moved away from me that I opened my eyes. He was looking at me with concern. "What have you been thinking...?" My face must have been in an expression of worry, because he shook his head dissmisively.
"Nothing bad, I promise... Just, hear me out, with no interruptions.. ok?" I nodded my response, comepletely curious. He began telling me of the constant turmoil in his head. He told me of every thought that made even a slight appearance. He saved one of them, however, specifically for last. "What... What if we stayed together...?" I frowned in confusion. "I mean, like..." He searched for the right words. "We could stay just as close as we are now... It's not like we are related, so it isn't that unheard of. And, well.. think about it! We would be that much closer to each other. We could talk more, see each other more! And, seeing each other daily... would hurt.. and you know it. If... we, well, yea... left each other."
I stared at him in disbelief. It made sense, yes... But, what about parents? They would surely disapprove. Hiding our feelings would be so hard around them. I voiced all of this to him, feeling worried. He had already thought of these issues, and said we could work it out along the way. Of course, I wasn't so sure. I liked the idea, loved it in fact... but, if our parents found out we would be in so much trouble.
"I'll think on it... ok? I'm just... not sure what would happen if we were found out. You know..?" He nodded. "I promise I'll let you know soon! I promise!" An embrace closed my sentance, sealing my word. He willingly returned the efforts, holding me tight against him.
We released each other, and spent the rest of the lunch period just chatting about the day and telling stories of our friends.
This was getting to be more and more difficult, but I hoped against all other hopes that it would right itself out...
My mind recollected everything that happened the previous night. As such, my brows furrowed together tightly. "Great... Just fucking great..." I went about my morning routine, carefully avoiding my mother.
I stared at the front doors to the school. A feeling of absolute anxiousness swept over me. I really did not want to be here. Sighing deeply, I made my way up the steps and through the doors, knowing that I had to go, whether I wanted to or not.
My feet carried me automatically to my locker. I stared at it for a moment, then bent down to dial the combination. 27....45.....15... open. It, just like getting here, was automatic. I unloaded everything I didn't need for my next few classes out of my messenger bag, and closed the door. I then stood up, and turned to walk away, only to collide with him.
Stepping back in shock, I looked up at him and quickly averted my gaze. "Sorry..." I mumbled out, and began walking down the hall slowy to my first period class. He was following me, I could hear his steps behind me.
"I know why you're suddenly avoiding me... Because I was planning on avoiding you too..." His voice was soft, and sad. I stopped and turned to face him.
"Maybe we should spare all of this talk and just get it overwith..." My eyebrows were fixed in a sad position, my eyes already glossing over. A week, and I was heartbroken. Amazing.
He frowned at me slightly. "What do you mean..?"
"Well, with our parents together, and moving in with each other... means we can't really be together, now does it?" I clutched my hand to the strap of my bag. My gaze dropped to the tiled floor. It was wearing out, all of the school was. It was so old. A lock of my dark hair fell infront of my face.
His sigh brought me back to looking at him. He too had fixed his gaze on the floor. "Guess you're right." He looked back up at me. "Funny, it's only been a week, and both of us are acting as though we've been together for a year... Prolly feels just the same..." He looked away again. I could tell he was fighting back any form of pain. I frowned in return.
My feet carried me close to him, until I was right there, holding him. His body was stiff with shock at first, but then he relaxed and returned the embrace. I held him for a long time, hoping time would stand still for us right then. Of course, it didn't, and the warning bell rang through the building. 10 minutes til class. I pulled back from him, and looked into his eyes. They conveyed what words never could. I sighed gently and closed my eyes. One tear escaped from its hold. I wanted to turn my face away, but his lips pressed agains my cheek, right where it had been.
My eyes opened, and I looked at him once more before throwing my arms around him again. This time, he returned the embrace tightly right away.
"I should go..." I whispered sadly. By now we had only 5 minutes left, and my class was on the other side of the building. He nodded sadly against my neck, and kissed it gently.
"I'm not giving up just yet..." He whispered as he let me go. I smiled and nodded, then kissed him gently and began making my way to period 1, trigonometry.
__________________________________________________________
Lunch time came all too slow. I needed to get outside, away from everyone and into the warm air. Once I did, it almost felt like heaven on earth. I loved it outside on nice suny days like this one. Today, however, the feeling of glee quickly diminished. I looked around. A few students lay scattered throughout the campus grounds. Most students remained inside, where it was cool. Though, most of the ones that came outside, weren't eating. Most were writing, drawing, reading, or talking. I took my usual place under a small Ginko tree. It was especially nice in the late fall, when the leaves fell everywhere. I smiled softly, and leaned against its trunk. I closed my eyes, and tried so hard to calm myself down from the day's stresses.
I felt a pair of soft lips press against mine very tentatively. Smiling into the kiss, i pushed against the lips, recognizing them instantly. I had spent entire study halls gazing at them, it would be akward for me to not know them. His lips pulled away and he seated himself beside me. "Hello, Justin, love."
"Ello, Shauna. How are you this fine day?" His voice had taken on an air of an English accent. The corners of my lips turned up ever-so-slightly.
"Oh, miserable. And you, my dear...?" One eyelid raised up, just enough for me to look to him.
"Just the same." He leaned over and lay his head upon my shoulder. In turn I rested my cheek on the top of his head, sighing a bit. We sat that way for several moments. I could hear the faint voices of the other students, as well as random giggles from them. "I've been thinking, love," his quiet voice broke the silence between us, "about all of this..." He nuzzled his cheek against my shoulder.
"As have I, love, as have I..." My voice stayed on one pitch, sounding slightly airy. It was when his head moved away from me that I opened my eyes. He was looking at me with concern. "What have you been thinking...?" My face must have been in an expression of worry, because he shook his head dissmisively.
"Nothing bad, I promise... Just, hear me out, with no interruptions.. ok?" I nodded my response, comepletely curious. He began telling me of the constant turmoil in his head. He told me of every thought that made even a slight appearance. He saved one of them, however, specifically for last. "What... What if we stayed together...?" I frowned in confusion. "I mean, like..." He searched for the right words. "We could stay just as close as we are now... It's not like we are related, so it isn't that unheard of. And, well.. think about it! We would be that much closer to each other. We could talk more, see each other more! And, seeing each other daily... would hurt.. and you know it. If... we, well, yea... left each other."
I stared at him in disbelief. It made sense, yes... But, what about parents? They would surely disapprove. Hiding our feelings would be so hard around them. I voiced all of this to him, feeling worried. He had already thought of these issues, and said we could work it out along the way. Of course, I wasn't so sure. I liked the idea, loved it in fact... but, if our parents found out we would be in so much trouble.
"I'll think on it... ok? I'm just... not sure what would happen if we were found out. You know..?" He nodded. "I promise I'll let you know soon! I promise!" An embrace closed my sentance, sealing my word. He willingly returned the efforts, holding me tight against him.
We released each other, and spent the rest of the lunch period just chatting about the day and telling stories of our friends.
This was getting to be more and more difficult, but I hoped against all other hopes that it would right itself out...