Road to Evergreen | #Wattys2016

f i v e

I'm out of the class and I scan the hallway, trying to find which way he went. On the right, I spot the black hoodie he was wearing that day at Jackie's, so I follow.

"Hey!" I yell.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

He doesn't answer. Keep losing, Lesley.

"How do you know my name?" I shout, pissed and annoyed. I think I'm the color of red now.

He stops in his tracks but his back is still facing me.

"How do you know my name?" my voice comes out as a whisper. I fell my emotions are getting the best of me. I'm just so tired and I don't need some jerk to make me feel less than I am. I shake my head reluctantly.

As I'm about to turn and leave, our eyes lock and at that moment I forget why I'm mad at him in the first place. Before I can even think, I find him getting closer and closer and closer. I try to move backward but my feet are stuck to the ground.

Run, Lesley. Run.

Too late for that now as he leans forward and smiles. I feel his heat on my skin which aroses my body with goosebumps. I gulp down.

"How can I not know the name of a pretty girl?" he teases.

I think I'm even more red than before.His mouth parts as I bite down on my lips. There's an undeniable physical attration between us. I know it. He knows it. Hell, I think the whole hallway knows it.

"What's your name?" I ask.

His features change from calm to annoyance, as he takes a step closer. Our faces are 3-inches away from each other. He is breathing heavily and his jaw tenses. The hallway seems to get narrower.

"Adam" he finally says. "Adam Reindl," he continues.

I slightly nod as I feel his heavy eyes on me. I follow his gaze that trails down from my head to toe. My cheeks boil with heat as he finishes. A hint of smirk is shown on the corner of his mouth.

"Beautiful," he whispers. My legs turn to liquid.

I meet his eyes as and find him already looking back into mine, trying to read me.I put on my poker face, hiding everything about me as I count my heartbeats: one..two..three..four..five.. I stare back, taking my time to capture as much of green in his eyes as I can.

He breaks our gaze and walks away. And I'm left alone dwelling on what just happened. It was intense- very intense.

I search for him but he's already gone and Megan is approaching me.

"What the hell was that?" she asks as she eyes me.

Adam.

"I don't even know," I state out, truthfully. "I'm still trying to figure it out."

And I let go of a breath I didn't even know I was holding.