Mystery Eyes

CHAPTER ONE

I rolled my eyes. That's how it always starts. The weather in Michigan was finally getting halfways decent, and I was stuck inside spending my afternoon going through airport security. Though, as irritated as I was, it was the norm.

Travelling used to be my favorite thing in the entire world. Going to a new place was always so exciting. I loved having a father that got to go all over the world throughout the year. There was always new things to do, different foods to try, different music, different people. I loved exploring all these cultures that created the planet we all lived on. At least, that's how I used to feel. But it became a little boring after twelve years. All of the places started to blur together and my enthusiasm dwindled.

The lines seemed to take forever, the flights even longer. But after a couple hours of waiting to get on the plane, it was finally time to board. I walked through the cramped aisle and plopped down in a seat next to the window, my father taking the seat behind mine as he always did. I pressed my forehead to the tiny window. I already knew that I'd be sleeping the entire way there and back. And as the plane headed down the track and lifted into the air, my eyelids became heavy, my mind drifting into fantasy.

As the wheels touched the ground, I was jolted awake. I walked like a zombie out of my seat and off the plane. It had become a habit to follow my dad, but I didn't even need to. I could make my way through any airport with my eyes closed, knowing my way just from the sounds and smells. But still, I followed and my dad out to the black sedan that his work always sent and had waiting for us.

My eyes lit up as we drove through the streets of Rome. As tired as I was of traveling, I was still in awe of all the sights there was to see. Not that I got to see many of them outside of a car window. But I watched, my chin resting on the window sill. Until we drove up to the Gran Melia Hotel.

The hotel was beautiful. The building itself was a few stories high and had a charming, pale peach color to it, the slanted roof the shade of rust. Palm trees surrounded the building and made me feel like I was more on vacation than here for my father's work. Crowds of people shuffled in and out, half of them Italian workers and half tourists. I smirked. Typical.

We walked through the doors and into the lobby. Inside, the white walls ran all the way up to the tall ceiling and made the room feel extraordinarily large. Huge, arched windows spread across the walls with ledges that acted as extra seating and allowed waves of light to pour in. The furniture was so elegant, the chairs and chandelier making me feel underdressed. It was weird to feel upstaged by a room, but I couldn't seem to help myself.

As I scanned the room, my attention landed on a young man standing at the counter. He was dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, his black hair pushed back as though he had been running his fingers through it all morning. He had pale skin and a handsome, shaved face. We stepped up to the counter to check it, and I got a glimpse of his eyes. They were mysterious and different. I couldn't quite make out the color. Not wanting to stare I looked down and watched my hands. But then I heard a laugh from across the short space between us.

I looked up and our eyes met. For a moment, I thought I felt a flutter in my chest and a leap in my stomach. I quickly looked away, refocusing my eyes on my suitcase. Wanting to look up to see if he was still staring at me, I pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear and flicked my eyes back in his direction. The boy smiled slightly as we regained connection. It seemed as though all the blood in my body was rushing through my heart and up into my face as it got warmer by the second. I must have been as bright as a tomato.

"Angela," my father's voice rang out. "Grab your luggage so we can get to our room, please."

My head whipped around, breaking the gaze which now settled on my father's nose once again. "Yes, sir."

I grabbed my suitcase, and began following behind like a little puppy follows its owner after being scolded. Sneaking one glance back over my shoulder to see that the boy had disappeared, I decided that maybe I would actually enjoy this trip.