The Ashes Of River

❥ 23| volta

I'D AVOIDED RIVER all day.

The weekend hadn't nearly been enough to forget the tingles of his touch and his kiss, or even just how right it had felt to be in his embrace. Thankfully, I hadn't seen him around — meaning I'd had to hide in the library at break like the coward that I apparently was. But it seemed that I'd pushed my luck too far when it ran out right before lunch.

We had supervised study as always before lunch, but I hadn't been able to focus on a single thing since it felt like a phantom was draining my soul out from behind me. But that phantom was none other than River, and every once in a while, a prickling sensation crawled up my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

I wasn't sure what he wanted when he'd clearly told me that our encounter meant nothing, but it was my fault for picking a seat near the front to avoid sitting anywhere in his vicinity. Like that had worked, when all I could feel and think about was him.

Against my better judgement, I slightly shifted, turning around to look at what he was doing once the feeling subsided. But that turned out to be a major mistake because his eyes were on me, as they always seemed to be.

He looked so comfortable, leaning back in his chair as his lean fingers clicked a pen on and off, watching me as if there was nothing more worth his time. When I didn't break eye contact immediately, he raised an eyebrow and I quickly faced the front, looking down at the stack of past paper questions that sat in front of me, half-answered. With a shaky exhale, I picked up my pen and flicked over to the next question, finding my mind to be utterly blank.

There was a sound of slight shifting against the stark silence behind me. I kept my eyes trained ahead, reminding myself of the warning I needed to heed.

But then, I noticed River walk up to the front, saying something to the supervisor that made her turn in my direction before she nodded at him.

Knowing that he'd done something I would hate, I watched him stride towards me, palms landing on my desk as he leaned forward, something satisfactory gleaming in the dark blue of his gaze.

I waited, staring up at him with a bated breath, before swallowing thickly and crossing my arms. "What do you want?"

"You."

I reeled back in surprise. "What?"

He concealed a smile. "You. Me. We're leaving. Let's go."

"Sorry?"

"Let's go," River repeated, tone full of mirth.

"Where?"

"Out."

I frowned. "Why? To do what?"

"Whatever you want. Get lunch if you're hungry or just take a breather outside."

I blinked. "It's lunch in half an hour."

"So?"

I tried another route. "We can't just leave the school premises. We're still in lesson."