For Now | Dreaming Trilogy | Book 1 (HEAVY CONSTRUCTION)

Phoenix | New Record

 This guy, Shane, kept staring at me, biting his lip, looking at the window beside me. His attitude reminded me of a puppy. Finally, I caved, and motioned to his blue jacket with its iconic red and white striped sleeves. "You like My Chem?"

Light flooded his heterochromatic eyes. The left glowed with the passion of the ocean, and the right frenzied with the power of the forests. "You do, too?"

I nodded. "Cool band."

"Beyond cool! My little sister and I always wanted to see them live," he gushed, a dumb smile never abandoning his lips.

Unsure of how to respond to this, I simply gave a slight nod before returning to my book. That was my one and only attempt at being friendly. Shane occasionally asked me something here and there, but I never gave more than a one word answer.

7:03 AM

The bus finally pulled up. Shane's freckled face never stopped searching mine for some form of approval or interest. He found none, because I neither approved, nor was interested by him.

Even so, he took no hints. Shane hopped off the bus after me, his face beaming after me. I tried not to flinch when he grabbed my forearm and brought my face towards his, looking into me with his weird, heterochromatism.

"Which class is first for you?" Shane asked, brushing the sandy hair out of his eyes.

I chewed my lip for a moment, glancing over my shoulder for any earthly reason not to share this information. Finding nothing, I sighed and turned back to his freckled face. "Pre-calc, AP."

He kept staring, expecting more information.

Blowing out more exasperated air, I conceded it. "Mr. Clowy."

"No way! Me, too!" He grinned, pulling his bag over his shoulder and walking down the aisle. "Isn't that cool?" He asked, flashing me a smile as I stood.

"Cool is not the word I would use to describe this situation," I said bluntly as I followed him.

"So... How come I haven't noticed you before? I tend to notice beautiful ladies around me." Shane asked, flashing me the iconic heartbreaker smile. The kind he probably picked up out of a Disney movie. Tangled called it "The Smolder." It just creeped me out.

"Well," I replied, hardly containing the bite in my tone. "You seem to be a complete idiot, so that's probably why."

His eyebrows shot up, out of view behind his shaggy bangs. "Damn," he muttered. "Ice fuckin' cold."

Something about his genuine surprise mixed with the confused puppy aura he radiated made me crack a smile. Almost instinctively, I turned away from him to hide it. Adjusting my bag on my shoulder, I started towards my class.

At first, I didn't hear Shane following me.

Then I heard a quiet hiss of, "Shit."

I really, really didn't wanna turn around, but some kindness in my heart took over. I glanced back at Shane, who was staring helplessly into the bag he'd slung over his shoulder. He looked up and caught my eyes in his strange gaze. "I forgot my book, Phoe."

I released a dry, annoyed laugh. "Of course you did. You can look on with me today," I said. His face lit up. "Only," I continued. "If you swear never to fucking call me Phoe again."

A devious smile overtook his face as he reached forward to tousle my hair. "Whatever you say, Phoe." I resisted the urge to rip his head off as he walked into the school. "Come on, partner," he said. "Don't wanna be late for our class together."