Our Little Cherry Blossoms

eight. astray

ＮＯＶＥＭＢＥＲ (( ＣＡＳＥ ))

I denied the thought, over and over again until I grew more desperate than I have ever been. Desperate for it to be the truth. Yearning for my fantasies to become reality. My pounding heart halted, when those agonisingly beautiful, viridescent eyes yielded to my desirous pleas. I silently urged her to answer my inaudible questions, a vain spark of hope igniting as the moments wore on, her answer sprinting towards me, hesitant but swift as I reached out - only to grasp at nothing. Chocolate brown strands vanished through the door, a resounding slam following after. The classroom seemed to freeze over, the despairing hiss of crackling verglas impaled my eardrums, continuously spearing through the tissue, deeper and deeper until it pierced my mind. The answer was delivered to me with the sharp voice of Valerie. Strong, firm and..absolute.

Are you okay?

It's not true.

My head slowly swivelled around to meet the monotonous, grey eyes of the inquirer and nodded softly. Whether it was in reply or agreement, I wouldn't know. She smiled, and I thought I sensed warmth in her dull gaze, so I glanced towards the door. Not a speck of frost was to be seen on the quaint, ligneous door. I was acutely fragile, vulnerable, and fragmented. Valerie proffered her hand for me, and I acknowledged it. Everything else gained colourless momentum and passed my by in a tedious blur. It was after school that day, when she confessed. I was convinced that it was her, Valerie, who had defrosted the barrier separating me from Lark, but it had never been frozen. Miserably blinded by the unabating torment, I failed to realised and reconsider what had transpired in our english classroom. My response, was, inevitable.

"Okay, let's date."

...'come back,' they plead...