Dusk Glow

Chapter III: Tangled in the Dusk

It's late afternoon, and Darla is wandering aimlessly through the school courtyard after class, her head full of unnecessarily dramatic thoughts. Her fingers fidget with the sleeve of her oversized, bland sweater, and she flips her hair from one side to the other—for no real reason—as if she's imagining she's in a movie trailer where the wind is always blowing perfectly.

There are a few students in the distance, but she's oblivious, lost in her personal monologue of teenage angst and deep, existential thoughts about life and love (well, mostly Edwynn).

She flops down onto a bench, sighing dramatically, because that's what you do when your life is as tragic and complicated as Darla's (even though it's not).

Ugh, why is everything so hard? Moving to Spoons was supposed to give me a fresh start, but instead, it's like I'm trapped in this love triangle from some weird fantasy novel. Except it's real...
Real and deep. Am I too deep for this town? Or maybe I'm just misunderstood. No one here gets me—except Edwynn. He's the only one who understands me... the way he looks at me, it's like he can see into my soul.

Darla sighs again, louder than necessary this time, like she's trying to make the trees around her feel her emotional weight as she flips her hair unnecessarily to the other side.

Suddenly, she feels a presence behind her—so quiet she almost doesn't notice it until a familiar, smooth voice breaks the silence.

"Darla... you've been avoiding me."
Edwynn appears dramatically behind her, as if he's been lurking, which he probably has. His voice was low, almost a whisper.

He stepped into view, his movements graceful, as if he was gliding across the ground. Darla is startled but trying to act like this is totally normal, which it's not. His dark coat billowed slightly in the breeze, and his piercing, cold blue eyes locked onto her. The sight of him sent a shiver down her spine.

"Oh! Edwynn! I... I didn't see you there..."
She continues fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve, her eyes wide as she tries to think of something that sounds mysterious and poetic, but instead, she blurts out.

Edwynn... Why does he always appear out of nowhere like that? It's like he has this unnatural ability to sense when I'm thinking about him.

"I haven't, I...
just needed to... you know... breathe."
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way her heart raced at his presence. She was angry at him, but no matter what, she was always drawn to him—like gravity pulling her closer.

She, flustered, tried to act nonchalant.
"I just... I needed some space." Her voice wavered, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't meet his eyes.

"Space? From me?"
Edwynn let out a soft, knowing smirk like he's seen this act a hundred times.

Darla is feeling the romance in the air, though it's actually just awkward tension.
"Yes, well, sometimes... I just... need space... to think."

He chuckled, but there was something darker beneath the sound, as if he found the idea ridiculous. His gaze never left her.
"To think?
About what?"

She chuckles awkwardly, though nothing's funny.
"Oh, you know... life. Stuff. Just... stuff."

His voice softened, his smirk deepened, clearly amused by her awkwardness, though Darla takes it as him being charmingly intense as he's raising an eyebrow, not fooled for a second.
"Darla, you don't need space to think. What you need is protection."