REDAMANCY ➳ Eric Matthews

Four

Adora sat in the library, fishing through a Lord Byron poem book, in detention. Letting her finger trail down to a specific word, her eyes lit up as she read it out.

"Redamancy." The girl muttered under her breath, it's like she had fallen in love with the word itself. "The act of loving in return." Adora smiled, romance was always a big part of her life.

Because her mother was not in her life, always running off and leaving her father, on and off, Adora always depended on Harlow's love life. He was always a big hopeless romantic ━ like their father. Harlow would always make sure to make dates perfect, so he wouldn't lose a girl, like he lost his mother. And she took his advice, considering he was the closest family member she's ever had.

Adora felt a pair of eyes digging a hole through her forehead. Eric sat across from her. not focusing on the pages full of poems. He seemed too interested in the girl. The girl he hadn't really took the time to look at carefully. 

"You know." Eric finally broke off the awkward silence, receiving a glance from the brown eyed girl. "I think Romance, is uh, cool for the project." He shrugged shyly. Eric's perfect hazel eyes, eyed her up and down, biting his lip a little harshly, yet secretly.

The way Eric was trying to be nice to her, made him feel weird in his stomach. It almost hurt, and he would also feel his eyes water simply due to the intense butterflies, that he would definitely deny. 

Adora gave him a small smile, nodding her head at his words. "Tell me what you think about this." She slid the book across the table, where she found the word Redamancy on. 

"Redamancy." Eric breathed out, reading the description. His eyes seemed to soften as he read it, it was like the entire world stopped for a second.

"We could use that for our final poem?" The brunette shrugged. Eric nodded slowly, he didn't know a lot about poetry, because he would never listen in class.

Adora glanced at the boy, who had his eyes stuck on the pages. His light brown hair, started falling down his forehead and overtop his eyes. He licked his lips in concentration. The girl could literally feel the brushes of his fingers on the paper, as he traced his fingers along the meaningful words. 

She took out her pencil, writing down a few words on her note book. Adora would look up and down from the paper to Eric.

𝐼 𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓉

 𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝑒𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝓃𝑒𝓉𝓈

 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓂𝒾𝓉

 𝒲𝑒'𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝓌𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉

The gal wrote secretly through her pages. She could literally see herself write an entire poem about him. Adora wasn't that crazy though, it was only a small jot down and a form of art.

"What about this one?" Eric snapped her out of her daze, the girl slightly jumped in her seat. "Gee, you're scared of me now?" He joked, shaking his head playfully.

Sending over the Lord Byron poem book, he made sure she could get it across the table. The girl muttered a thank you, before grabbing it in her small hands.

Adora's brown eyes skimmed the poem in her hands, it was beautiful. She couldn't even believe the words in it, she was in love with the poem itself! 

"She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade more, one ray less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent." Adora read out loud. "Lord Byron." She read the writer's name in a mumble.

Eric tilted his head. "If we go give this to Mr. Turner, he'll let us leave." He stood up, grabbing one of the poem books from the table. He was much taller than Adora, and he smelt like the most amazing thing possible, fresh laundry.

Lots of guys would put on cologne, but Eric knew what he was doing. Exactly. 

Eric glanced at her, it was almost in slow motion. As he walked passed her, his eyes stayed glued on hers, a little smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Admiring his looks, Adora made sure to go after him. She trailed behind him as they both left the library, to visit Mr. Turner's office. 

"Mr. Turner?" Eric called at the tall teacher, his eyes lingered toward the two teens in questioning. 

"Already?" The teacher asked, coughing in interrogation. Adora crossed her arms in panic, but Eric took the lead. 

"We finished, because we work good as a team." The boy placed the four poem books on his desk, turning around he winked at him and Adora. "See you tomorrow, teach." 

Mr. Turner shook his head at the boy, before looking at Adora who didn't budge. Her dark hair twirled down her back and her eyes stared at her teacher in confusion.

"What's up Miss Jenkins?" Mr. Turner asked, crossing his arms as he sat on the desk. He had a smile spread across his lips and his hair was falling perfectly down his shoulders.

Shit 

Shit 

Shit, the girl thought to herself.

"I've got to go!" She practically yelled, running off into the distance. She knew. She knew that Harlow would kill her, knowing she was in detention, especially knowing she was with a boy, alone, away from the teachers.

But also knowing that it wasn't Buddy or Cory or even Shawn! That it was a boy she had a crush on!

Running at full speed down the halls, Adora made sure to aim for the closest exit doors. She frantically pushed the doors open, running toward the sidewalk. "Thank god I took gym in freshman year." The girl huffed deeply.

A honk echoed beside the running girl. Adora whipped her head to the side, to reveal Eric driving his car. "Hey!" He screamed over the loud motor. 

"Get in! I'll give you a ride!"