Eclipse By Love

Chapter 2: Growing Closer

As the days passed, Blair and Angel found  themselves thinking about each other more and more. They still hadn't spent much time together outside of school, but something had changed. Whenever they saw each other in the hallways or during lunch, they shared a small smile or a quick wave.It was subtle, but it meant a lot to both of them.

One afternoon, a few weeks after the lake trip, their teacher assigned a project for history class. The students had to pair up to create a presentation about an important event in history. Angel usually worked with her group of friends, but on that day, they had already paired off. As Angel looked around the Classroom, she saw Blair sitting alone in the desk.

Before she could stop herself, she walked over to him. "Hey, Blair, "she said with a smile. "Do you want to be partners for the project? "

Then looked up, a bit surprised but please."Sure, that sounds good, "he replied.

Over the next few days, Angel and Blair spent more time together than they ever had before. They met after school in the library to work on their project, choosing to research the invention of the telephone. They divided the work between them. Angel was great at gathering information, and Blair was skilled at organizing and presenting it.

At firts, their conversations were mostly about the project, but as they grew more comfortable with each other, they started talking about other things. Angel told Blair about her love for playing soccer and how she hoped to make the school team next year. Blair, in turn, shared his passion for art and how he spent hours sketching landscapes, animals, and even random people in the park.

Angel was surprised to learn how much she and Blair had in common. Though they were different in many ways, they love spending time outdoors and had a strong curiosity about the world.As they talked she realized that Blair wasn't just quiet he was thoughtful, observant, and kind.

One evening after they had finished working on their project, Angel suggested they take a break. "Wanna grab a snack from the vending machine? " she asked.

"Sure", Blair said,  standing up they walked down the quiet hallways of the school, the afternoon sun casting long shadows on the floor. As they reached the vending machine, Angel asked, “What’s your favorite thing to draw?”Blair ought for a moment before answering. “I think I like drawing nature the most trees, mountains, rivers. It’s peaceful. It feels like I can escape when I’m drawing.”Angel smiled. “That’s cool. I’ve always wanted to learn how to draw, but I’m terrible at it. Maybe you could teach me sometime?”

Blair grinned shyly. “Yeah, I could do that. It’s not as hard as it looks, I promise.

”They sat down on a bench in the hallway, sharing a bag of chips, and talked about everything and nothing. Angel felt like she could talk to Blair  forever. She had never felt this way before not just about a boy, but about anyone. It was like they could be quiet together and it was still comfortable.

By the time they finished their project, Blair and Angel spending almost every day together, whether it was working on homework, walking home from school, or just hanging out in the park. Neither of them said it out loud, but they both knew they were becoming more than just friends.

It was something deeper, something unspoken that made Angel’s heart race whenever Blair smiled at her. Blair too, felt something change in the way he looked at Angel. She wasn’t just the girl who loved to laugh and play soccer. She was the person who had seen him for who he really was, and he had done the same for her.

Their friendship had grown into something else something neither of them had expected but both of them cherished.

As the school year went on, their bond only grew stronger.

To be Continued....