Black Smoke

Intro

- 10:40 p.m -

I saw her there, at just about the only convenience store Ashton Creek had- Mendoza's Mini Mart.

I knew she saw me with those big brown eyes that could melt a praying soul on any given Sunday.

And that perfect smile she always wore, for anything. And I mean anything.

She wandered around, a twenty-dollar bill folded up neatly in her hand. She usually came to the store on weekends towards the end of the month. Probably to restock or something.

Strolling down a few aisles, she expressed uncertainty. With such a limited price range, she knew as well as I that the prices here were crazy high. A small bag of Fritos costs nearly three dollars while a bigger one costs almost five. Candy struck a weird deal of a three for ten and two for seven if you were thinking of king-size bars. I hated the scam this guy was pulling, but it was hard enough to make ends meet without a job.

I made my way to the back of the store where the microwaveable products were placed and kept my face hidden, but the second I looked up, I locked eyes with hers. Four metal racks away, and yet her gaze forced a small leap in my stomach. I broke free from that feeling and cursed myself.

I hated it. I hated how she could make me feel so...alive with a simple flutter of her long eyelashes.

**********

I remember the first time I ever laid my eyes on her. English Literature class, twelve minutes before the dismissal bell rang. I had already finished my work, and some were still going at it. Others had simply given up and shoved the work in their bags before gluing their attention to their phones.

In a classroom of nine, there stood fifteen vacant desks. Since you don't know much about me yet, it's important to know this much. There were four columns consisting of six desks in each. I sat in the farthest seat of the last column furthest from the door while the others sat closer to it- and away from me.

11:32 AM hit on the clock. My favorite part of every class was watching the last few minutes tick by. Especially considering lunch was after this, which was Dante's favorite subject as well.

Then, the front door to the classroom swung open, and in walked an office aid student (These were usually a senior or junior that had a free period on their schedule) and our newest sophomore. The girl looked shy, insecure, and most of all, out of place. People usually had a look when it came to attending Ashton Creek. She didn't have it. She didn't just look new. She looked lost.

"This is English Literature," The office aid informed her. "Again, a small class." She gestured toward the teacher, Mr. Dawkins, then motioned to the absent-minded audience of the classroom. "These are going to be your classmates."

Mr. Dawkins chuckled in his deep voice- almost every guy was jealous of it. "I assume it would be important to know the name of my new student."

"Vanessa," The dark-haired girl muttered. "I'm Vanessa Taylor."

"Well, Ms. Taylor, as your new instructor, welcome to English literature! I hope you find a liking to Ashton Creek High School. We don't get a lot of new people here."

Vanessa revealed an innocent smile, and I winced inwardly.
Such happiness. Such freedom.

That shit looked fake. Forced even. New kids were always giving off this annoying energetic feeling, and I was receiving that vibe from her completely.

"I get that a lot," she replied. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this place is on the verge of being a ghost town."

Soft laughs were shared between them.