Echoes Of The Unseen

EOTU -CINCO

Noah burst through the bathroom door, his heart racing. He leaned heavily against the sink, staring at his reflection. His mind replayed the moment he had just asked Reverie to be his prom date, her confident smile etched into his memory. He couldn’t help but grin, but the grin quickly vanished when he realized how ridiculous he had acted.

“What was I thinking?” he muttered, shaking his head as he turned on the tap. Cold water splashed onto his face, a quick shock to snap him out of the daze. But no matter how hard he tried, Reverie's warm smile kept flashing in his mind, making his cheeks flush all over again.

“Pull it together, man,” Noah grumbled. His hands gripped the edge of the sink as he glanced at his reflection once more. He slapped his face lightly, then harder, trying to shake the butterflies that wouldn’t go away. “Stop acting like a loser. It’s just a date.”

But it wasn’t just a date. It was Reverie. The girl everyone wanted but no one could figure out. Her cool, multi-talented nature was something that had intrigued him for a long time. And now, here he was, lucky enough to be her prom date. He still couldn’t quite believe she had said yes.

Noah let out a long breath and gave himself one more determined slap. “Get it together. She already said yes. No need to act like an idiot,” he told himself. But as he stood there, cheeks red from the slaps, he realized he wasn’t alone.

A couple of guys from the football team had walked in, staring at him with raised eyebrows. “Dude… are you okay?” one of them asked, clearly amused.

Noah quickly straightened up, forcing a casual smile. “Yeah, just... uh, getting hyped for the prom tonight. You know how it is,” he said, trying to play it cool.

They exchanged skeptical glances but shrugged it off, and Noah took that as his cue to make a swift exit.

As soon as he stepped back into the hallway, he plastered on his best "cool guy" face, trying to act like nothing had just happened. But he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. No matter how hard he tried, thoughts of Reverie kept creeping in, making his heart beat faster. He shoved his hands in his pockets, hoping it would help hide how giddy he felt inside.

Walking down the hall, Noah could feel eyes on him. He wasn’t exactly used to all the attention, but it came with the territory. Between his athletic build, good looks, and strong academic performance, he had earned a reputation. People respected him, and some even envied him. And because of that, the requests for prom dates had started flooding in early in the day.

Fifty-seven. Fifty-seven people had asked him to prom since this morning. Some had done it shyly, others boldly, but every time, he politely turned them down. All of them, except for her. Reverie had been on his mind the whole time, even if she didn’t realize it.

As he passed groups of students in the hall, some whispered and giggled, probably wondering if he’d turned them down because he was going solo. Others gave him nods of acknowledgment, knowing him as the guy who could excel in sports and ace his tests. But Noah wasn’t focused on any of that. He was thinking about Reverie, about how she was probably one of the only girls in school who didn’t try to impress people. She didn’t need to. Her natural beauty, talent, and charm spoke for themselves.

And the fact that she had agreed to be his date,despite all the chaos surrounding her recent breakup with Aries felt like a win Noah hadn’t expected. Aries, who had once been the “lucky guy,” had ruined his shot with someone as amazing as Reverie. And though Noah hated seeing her sad, there was a part of him that was relieved. Relieved that Aries had blown it, leaving the door open for someone else.

Noah’s lips curled into a wider grin as he walked. He felt a renewed sense of confidence, knowing that tonight, he’d have the chance to spend it with the girl who, whether she knew it or not, had him completely hooked.

-26MARCH2004