Beyond The Eyes

J.A. & A.J.

AVERYS POV

There is so much beauty in a rainstorm. The sounds of the drops slamming against your roof while you lie awake late at night. The way the drops race down the window as you stare out into the open world. The feeling as you tilt your head back, letting the wetness hit your bare skin and run through your hair; you feel alive and free. Most people don't appreciate it, but I certainly do. There is nothing better than a good shower. My fingers can taste the rain as I put my hand outside the awning of the bus stop. I stood, leaning against the wall, looking at the rainfall from the cloudy sky. My book was pressed against my chest. I couldn't wait to sit on the bus, put my music on, and escape from reality. Nothing was going on in my life for me to want a way out, but it felt comforting knowing I had one. My eyes would wander to the end of the street, but only small cars and trucks would pass us. There was a lady sitting down focused on whatever crossword she was doing. I've seen her every single day, but I never bothered to say hello. I wonder if she ever wanted to say hi to me, but never did. I turned my head and noticed an older man standing across from me. His hands covered his mouth, trying to warm himself up. The baseball cap he was wearing covered his light grey hair. He noticed me staring. His hands moved down to his hips, "Brutal storm we are having huh? I heard it's going to be for a couple days," he smiled. Did he enjoy the storm like I did? I couldn't tell. "Yeah, but I don't mind," I smiled back. He nodded, looking down at the street. I felt awkward standing there, but as I heard the bus pull up, I washed away the feeling by stepping out into the rain. The door of the bus opened and we all started heading inside. The bus was filled with the older man, the lady, and me. I went straight to my seat in the back. I pressed my head against the cold foggy window. I wiped away the flog, revealing the scattered raindrops that were on the window. I smiled, but my eyes did not move. I placed my book on my lap. I took a deep breath, still staring out the window. My thoughts started to come to my mind. My hands were craving the touch of the single pieces of paper. My eyes moved down to the book. I felt the bus move then stop short. I flew forward, holding onto the side of the bus. I heard the door swing open. "I'm sorry, I'm late," a deep voice rushed. It melted my ears, making my heart beat faster. He made his way down the aisle. His damp dark long hair was the only thing I saw since his head was down. I was eager to see his face, but he never looked up. He sat a few seats away from me. As the seconds stretched into minutes, the thoughts I had before vanished into thin air. All I could think about was him. I looked down, reading the words that were on the page. I was trying to distract myself, but I smelt the scent of cologne come near me. From the corner of my eyes, I saw someone sitting next to me, staring down at me. His fingertips ran through his wet hair. I looked over at his pale skin. His crystal eyes were directly on me. I couldn't help myself get lost in them. I began to forget about everything. My name, where I was, why I was here, everything. He wore all black attire, which made him look mysterious. It was strange feeling this way about a complete stranger. His lips began to move, but I couldn't hear a word he said. I was staring at the beauty of the waves in his ocean eyes. I blinked and his voice went through my ear, smoothly and sweet. "For a girl that just got soaked in rain, you look good," he spoke. His voice made everything around me go in slow motion. The sound of the raindrops hitting the window got louder. "Being on time has its price," I said back without thinking. A smile was plastered across his pale face. His bold smile was giving me goosebumps on my upper arm. I hope he didn't notice how nervous I was. My heart rate was going crazy, but he just stared into my ugly eyes, getting lost in them. I never understood why. "You read?" he questioned, looking down at the words that lay on my lap. I nodded, still staring into his eyes. "Girls that I know don't read that much. They usually just drink and do drugs," he laughed. Our eyes were now locked and I couldn't breathe, but I still managed to speak. "Well, you don't know me," I answered back. He stuck out his hand, waiting for me to take it. "Hello, my name is Jacob Austin," he smiled. I took it. "Hello, my name is Avery James."

"Tell me five facts about you," he smiled. Why was he so interested in getting to know me? Nothing was making sense. I ran my hands through my hair, putting the strains that blew in my face behind my ear. I looked down at my black boots, thinking. "I'm sixteen years old. I go to an all-girls school on the other part of town and-" I started to say, but he interrupted me. "No, that's boring. I want something different, something deeper than that," he smiled. I couldn't see his smile, but something told me he was. Maybe it was his sweet voice. I couldn't tell as I kept my eyes on the floor. Jacob put his hand on my chin, lifting my head up. He wanted me to look into his eyes, but when I do, I get so lost and distracted by them. I don't want to forget what he's saying, but his eyes are just so dreamy and beautiful. They reminded me of my favorite storm. "I love reading stories about characters that have special abilities. It makes me think that maybe there are people out there like that. Hidden and unknown people. You know with special abilities and are able to do amazing things. Cure people with just a touch or make them forget all the pain in their life. I don't know I'm different than most people. I think weird," I blushed. He was waiting for me to continue. "I see the best in people who seem the worst to others. Maybe that's why I always get hurt, but I always find forgiveness. I'm what you call "popular" in my school, but some days I feel so invisible even when I'm not. I've never fallen in love with anyone before. I don't think I'm ready for that commitment. My parents fell in love so young, but they drifted apart as they got older. I don't want to go through that," I explained. Why was I telling this much to a complete stranger? It was just slipping out of my mouth and into his ears. He listened to every sentence, every word, and every syllable. He nodded his head, moving closer to me. Jacob slipped something through my fingers before whispering, "Truly unique." He got up, but I stopped him. "Where are you going?" I asked desperately. "This is my stop, love," he shot his eyes back at me. "We will continue this conversation over text," he smiled before leaving the bus. I felt overwhelmed by his beauty. I synced back into my seat, taking the deepest breath. I opened the small piece of paper. It had his number on it. "When did he write this?" I asked myself. My eyes wandered to the window. We were stopped in front of a tall building. Jacob quickly rushed inside, trying to get even wet. It was a hospital. I wondered why he was there. Maybe he will tell me later.