I was flying past the stars on silver wings || Jurdan

3 - Almost

It was an extremely boring Friday, most of the students didn't pay attention to the lessons, too occupied in thinking about all the amusing activities they would do on the weekend, and nearly all the teachers didn't want to explain a new lesson, so, all I had to do was homework. I didn't even have my course; the only business separating me from eight complete hours of sleep was my meeting in the library with Cardan.

When I arrived at the library Cardan was surprisingly early. "Sorry for yesterday. I had a family business to attend." He wasn't smug or playful like usual, he seemed quiet, even sad, his golden pen was on the table in front of him, but he wasn't playing with it.

I didn't respond at all and took a seat in front of him, opening my laptop.

"Last time we choose to talk about 'Matilda', we should get the book and reread it, but the battery of my computer is dying so we should talk first, so we can write our first notes down." he nodded.

"Why did you like this book so much as a child?" he asked, glancing at his golden pen.

"I liked it because Matilda is a smart person. Yes, she is incredibly intelligent, but she is selfless and decides to share her powers by helping a friend, Mr.s Honey, and even if growing up I didn't become a very altruistic person, when I was little I appreciated her loyalty toward her friends." I was talking and writing simultaneously, to spare the time I still had my precious PC with me. "Plus, I wanted to be like her in real life, I wanted someone to call my parents and tell them I was too intelligent to frequent my actual class, and it would be better if I upgraded it. She passed from the first grade to the fifth. I read the book in third grade, so I wanted to move to fifth grade from there, like Sheldon Cooper, that boy went from first grade to high school! Guess it never happened. Maybe I'm not that smart after all." I mumbled the last part to myself so he wouldn't hear it, but he did anyway. His eyes became softer, almost clear, the black ink in his irises was pure like water, and the gold was shining in the sunlight.

My stomach twisted at his gentle smile, I wanted to eliminate it, but not by slapping him, by kissing him. The thought made me shiver. He was about to say something but I was quicker, I stand up and directed toward the big shelves.

"I wrote the notes, but my computer is nearly gone so we would do the rest of the talking on Monday. I'm gonna take the books, wait for me here."

I didn't exactly know when they kept the kids' section, hell, I didn't even know if there was a kids' section!

I passed by the fantasy section, Liliver spent here most of the time, and sometimes I was with her, reading the books she recommended to me, like Shatter me or Crescent City.

After my tour with no avails I sighed, I was about to return to our table when I took a glimpse of a corner I didn't look at. There there were the most unusual books, like strange dictionaries of foreign languages or little books about topics only god knew. and then, the kids' section!

I searched for 'Matilda' in every available spot, yet I couldn't find that book. I was so concentrated on my task that I didn't even notice a presence behind my beck, suddenly I turned, only to find dark black hair and obsidian black eyes, the ink inside them was still pure and limpid, even if a veil of melancholy was obscuring them.

He took out a book from one of the highest shelves, I rolled my eyes, of course, I had to have my book moment in real life with Cardan Greenbriar. Resisting the impulse to sigh exasperatedly, I thanked him taking the book from his hands.

He had an arm over the shelf, nearly leaning on me, I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

It wasn't the first time I remained paralyzed by his beauty, I wasn't blind, I could see how he was inhumanly handsome, he was the most gorgeous of all the Greenbriars, even prettier than Balekin, that was nearly him but older. I had learned how to live with his beauty near me all the time, learned how to not be distracted by the charming aura that enveloped him, yet, sometimes, I was overwhelmed by his sharp jawline, his soft hair, his piercing eyes...

His gaze was directed toward me, a predatory stare, goosebumps raised in both of my arms, and a chill ran through my body. He leaned in, his lips barely millimeters away from mine when I snapped. I backed away and put distance between us.

He was anchored to the ground, speechless.

A ding draw my attention and I lightened up my screen.

"I gotta go, keep the book!" I mumbled and shouted at the same time while running away.

When I arrived at the dorm I was out of breath, I sprung the door open and found Liliver lounging on the bed, with her phone in one hand.

"Woah, Woah, Woah, what happened? Last thing I knew you hated parties, so I suppose that you are not here for my message."

"What?" I murmured while catching my breath.

"My message, the one about Locke's party."

I took a look at my phone and saw Lil's message, the one I used as an excuse to run away from him.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed, closing the door.

I jumped over my bed and pushed my face on the pillow, in a vane tentative of suffocating myself.

"I almost kissed Cardan." I mumbled, my face still in the pillow.

"What?" liliver asked.

"I almost kissed Cardan." I whined.

"WHAT?!" She yelled, I suppressed the instinct of groaning and turned over the bed, now I was laying on my back, my face was facing the ceiling.

"How did it happen?" she asked cautiously.

"We were studying in the library, I decided to go searching for our book and I couldn't find it. After about ten minutes or so I noticed a hidden spot and I went there, I found the book but I couldn't reach it, then Cardan came and took the book for me. We looked at each other, I don't know for how much time, and then he leaned in and tried to kiss me, I snapped and used your message as an excuse to run away as fast as possible."

After a moment of silence, I stand up from my bed and looked at liliver, she was seated with her legs crossed on her bed, facing me.

she then smiled. "Oh my gosh! You had your book moment! I'm so jealous girlll!" she laughed and I made a fake offended face, how dare she laugh at my problems?

"Come on, Lil! We've screwed things up! How Am I supposed to look at him again now?"

"It seems to me that you 'rejected' him, so you shouldn't have to worry that much. I understand how are you feeling, but, really, there was sexual tension between you two since literally sixth grade, that was like 10 years ago, a little bit of that won't hurt any of you." I threw a pillow at her.

"HEY! what's with you and violence with pillows?" she asked playfully I snorted amused and threw another pillow at her and she raised her arms in surrender giggling.

after a moment of silence, she spoke.

"But, really, don't stress yourself out, you two will return friends again." all the playfulness of before was gone, substituted with softness.

"Thank you, Lil." I said, smiling gently at her, one of my rare genuine smiles.

"And now, let's get ready for a partyyyyy!" she screamed in enthusiasm.

For once, I didn't complain.