Dream Come True

2

I stared at him, eyes as wide as mum's floral china dinner plates. His beautiful eyes slowly drifted to mine and a corner his mouth slowly quirked. I looked around the room and panicked when I saw the only seat left - next to him. I exhaled and looked to the ceiling, cursing the my luck and fate's cruelty. My heart thumped in my chest as my mind involuntarily rewatched the traumatic scenes linked to those brown eyes. Gradually, I felt my fear trickle away, my heart slowing to a steady rhythm and the lump in my throat softening. I blinked at the relaxing softness that had replaced the sharp pains in my chest.

"Are you planning on taking a seat, Miss Avenir?" Mr Sullivan asked sourly.

"Uh, wel- no- Yes sir." I squeezed though the line of people, muttering apologies, sat down and pulled out my books, careful to not turn to look at the stranger.

The lecture seemed even longer than usual as I tried to stop myself peeking at Him through the corner of my eye. He caught me for about the seventh time before I turned to the board, forcing myself to focus on the work.

My mind began to skim through the recent developments. My gut sank. If he was real, did that mean the rest was real? Sweat pricked my forehead and my back become uncomfortably tense.

"Pythia." I looked up, grimancing at the sound of my full name. Mr Sullivan sneered at me.
"This is a classroom, not a band practice. Please continue reading." My face burned as I realised I had been beating against my desk with my pen. I felt every pair of eyes burn into my back as I rummaged through my backpack for my Shakespearean Hamlet novel. Almost unbearable seconds ticked by until I felt a tap on my shoulder. Mr Dreamboat next to me slid over his book, his finger tip pointing to a paragraph.

"Our wills and fates do so contrary run
That our devices still are overthrown;
Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own." I read out shakily.

"Bring your materials next time." Mr Sullivan said begrudgingly. I pushed the book back. I looked up and saw two brown eyes staring back.

"Thank you." I said, barely above a whisper. He replied with a quirk of his lip, and a nod. I managed to pull my eyes away and focused on my notes.

Get a GRIP. I scolded myself.

Mr Sullivan finally dismissed us and I hastily piled my books into my arms.

"My name is Xander by the way." I whipped my head around to look at the guy next to me once more. His lips moved in to that already familiar half smile as I stared at him, my eyebrows lowering slightly as I shuffled through my thoughts. I shake myself from my daze, pulling myself together and readjusted my backpack.
"Pippa." I said, hugging my bag to my chest. "Um, you new here?" He bent down to scoop up his backpack and I mentally smacked myself. You new here? You new here? Could I have said anything more stupid?

"Yeah. Just moved here with my mum." He said casually, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Well, do you know where you're going next? Like to get home?"
"Yeah, I'm just past the park. You?"
"Oh, me too." We walked side by side out of school and we made small talk about classes and family.

"You're family sounds really cool. Normal." He said. I smiled absentmindedly and nodded.
"And yours? What's your family like?" I asked looking up at him. He just shrugged.
"My mum's great. I don't really know much about my dad. I don't really know where he is. I guess on a base somewhere. He's a military General. Really influential apparently. To be honest, I've never really met the guy."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" He cut off my apology with a smile and a wave of his hand.
"All good, all part of the conversation."

We continued to make small talk and we talked more about his mum. She was a strong woman who raised him on her own with multiple jobs and telling him stories about the father he never knew.

We reached my house first and I stepped onto the porch.
"This is my stop. So.. I'll see you around?" I asked. His mouth quirked into a half smile.
"Sure, I'll see you around." I returned his grin and pushed open my door, shutting it behind me.