Unconditionally yours

2. Dawson

He thought about her more than usual. She was pretty no doubt. He found her prettier than most of the anorexic, self-obsessed girls in school. He found her different. Unique. They met often in the DVD store. He enjoyed her company too. They fell into easy conversations. He could relate to her he thought. He remembered little things about her. Her nails painted black, how she swiped her hair off her face, her movements. He remembered her hand gestures. She made a lot of them every time she spoke. Her eyes were brown, tinted. They were beautiful. However Dawson could make out grief in them. He saw remorse, resentment, sorrow. Guilt. He knew those eyes didn't shine like they used to. There was something missing about them. Dawson for the first time was happy about school. It was the first day after mid-term break and he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to meet Jen. He was attracted to her, he realised that, and he didn't mind it.

School was something he never looked forward to, ever. He knew most of his classmates were either spoilt and pampered kids to super rich families around the town, or were obnoxious narcissistic idiots . He always felt he never belonged here. Owing to this fact in all his years he spent at River Rock, he made only two friends. And as he walked down the hallway, looking around at all the kids he knew, he couldn't ask for more. Befriending any of them was the last thing he would do. There were just some cliques he did not fit in. Well, 'some' would be understating a bit. For Dawson it was more or less the entire school.

"Earth to Dawson, earth to Dawson," an all too familiar voice reached Dawson's ears. He turned around to see it was Ian. Dawson chuckled and said, "Sorry, didn't see you there."

"I figured that out when you couldn't hear me calling out your name four times in a row. What were you thinking anyway?"

"Nothing important." Dawson noticed the sceptical look on Ian's face. He knew Ian could read him better than anyone. He knew his every mood, gesture, way of speaking, expression by heart. He could understand his eyes which not even Felix could. It was the same with Dawson too. They had spent most of their waking moments together since both of them had control of their senses. However they were very different people. Ian was in no way quiet or demure as Dawson was. He loved company unlike Dawson. This didn't affect their friendship in anyhow though. Dawson did occasionally get annoyed by being pulled to the various parties Ian was invited to and Ian too never fully understood his reluctance. But mutual sacrifices somehow always made their friendship work. They could never really hide anything from each other. And even now Dawson fully understood, Ian figured out what was going on in his mind.

"You are thinking about that girl again, aren't you?" he asked smugly.

Dawson narrowed his eyes. "No," he said trying to sound convincing.

"Sure you were," Ian said and started to walk towards his locker. Dawson followed.

"Wipe that smirk off your face idiot. How did you even get that?"

"I have my ways," Ian said in that same complacent manner. "You really have a thing for her don't you?"

Dawson stuttered. He did and he couldn't deny that. It was unusual for him. He wasn't the type of guy to be too obsessed about some girl he met a week before. It took time for him to develop any sort of feeling for anyone. He knew it was too soon to grow an infatuation or liking towards her. He was aware. But at the same time he knew his heart felt different. He also figured that Jen probably didn't feel anything same. He also knew she was way out of his league. He saw her with Nathan Evans, captain of the football team, fair number of times. Though Jenn was of course different from Nathan and his friends, the fact that she hung out with him made Dawson think that she probably preferred them over him any day. Just as he was thinking about this he saw Nathan walking down the hallway. His "squad" following him, acting all cool and popular, which they were of course. Their actions always repulsed Dawson. He could never understand them, neither did he want to. He could never understand how girls could be toys to these guys, or how they could exploit their personal lives for popularity. He would never understand.