Her

Part 6

I sat silently in my seat, waiting. All around the room, small, mundane conversations were occurring, whispers, laughter, a sigh here and there. My eyes remained fixed on my pen and notebook, which lay side by side on my desk. I scuffed the toe of my boot lightly against the dark wood floor, still waiting. A succession of blurred, unchanging moments passed, seconds becoming minutes. Doubt filled my head, and worry. Fear. Those ruthless “what-if's” seized my thoughts. What if- she'd been in an accident. What if- she had quit and no one had bothered to tell us. What if- the entire thing had been just a dream on my part and there was no her. What if- she was never coming back. What if- I never felt her hand brush my back as she walked past me again? What if- I never saw her soft, olive green eyes again, never heard her voice, never felt her touch, never kissed her, never touched her, never felt her nearby- Just then, the classroom door burst open, the sound resounding through my head deafeningly, though I doubt anyone else heard it. I whipped my head around, ignoring the pain in my neck, and felt overpowering relief wash through me as she shut the door behind her and turned around with a big, warm smile on her lips. She walked quickly to the front of the room, and I smiled as I felt a slight breeze as she passed me. I breathed in the sweet trail of her perfume she left behind. She perched on her desk and crossed her legs, her tight blue jeans embracing her long legs. She tucked her medium short, dark hair behind her ear, and as I stared at her, I noticed how... perfect she looked today. Her white shirt with lace crochet around the low, rectangular neckline, made her look so summery and sweet. She seemed so alive, radiating happiness and warmth. I allowed myself to bask in it until she spoke. I froze, slowly becoming number, unable to tear my eyes away from her. The words that spilled from her soft lips cut me. I repeated them in my head, trying to deny it. I only caught a few words here and there. engaged... to my boyfriend... fiance... so happy... thank you... summer... white...wedding... family... dress... I dug my fingers into my desk as hard as I could, mu muscles burning, the wood splintering beneath my nails. The worst part was the smile she wore. The worst part was that she was absolutely glowing.