The Tale of Mysterious and Simple Color of Fortune.

Laila-

A/N

So I was going to do another chappy(chapter) of Ivo(x) but that story is very short so I'm figuring out how to extend it. I already know the ending and I hope it is interesting... To me, it is interesting. 

Fact: My motivation came from my sister...

AAAANYWAYS, hold on there and please enjoy the next chapter about Laila.

Please note that all of my stories (3) in this book are all short stories. However, I may make a series of one or two particular stories...Or, I may extend it or make a sequel. 

Like others, my motivation is supposed to be comments, views, and votes but I rarely get any of those. It is very hard to have no one (or barely anyone) at your side cheering you on. But I am patient and I have lots of hope. :)

End of Author's Note.

<<<^^^>>>

She had eyes for the man.

           The man leaning on the tree. The man at the entrance of Deep Woods. The man with the parakeet-green eyes. The man intently watching her. 

           And she watched back. Her mind stopped, and so did her body - the lungs and heart. She could not control her actions, let alone think..

           Her periwinkle-blue eyes stared back at the parakeet-green eyes. She could not help stop the fact on how curious she was, wondering what went on in those eyes. She could not help but wonder, who had eyes as light and carefree like the forest? Who had eyes so deep with meaning? And yet, she could sense a hint of sadness and guilt. She wanted to know his past, even though it had nothing to do with her business. But being as stubborn and curious as she was, she could not help but wonder....about...well, so many things.

           She smiled, her genuine signature smile. The one that made her eyes smile, not just her mouth. The one that men and sometimes women would swoon for. They would stop in awe and just admire her beauty. 

She did not think she was pretty. In fact, she felt guilty. She did not deserve the beautiful eyes. They did nothing to deserve her life. Nothing to deserve her reality...that sucked. They deserved to be in someone else. Anybody but her. 

But she had what she had...and she was grateful.

           But when she smiled, she couldn't help but be slightly shocked and confused. Why didn't he..? 

That's it. This is where my lungs stop and my heart stop beating the same constant beating that help me survive. This is where he would take me into his arms, making me safe and protected, where I would sink. This is also where you snap out of your thoughts! A voice reminded her.

 The effect...? 

 No, no, no. He just stood there! Instead, he stood there, staring back, not at all affected. But he did have a smirk. She took that as an improvement. She denied the fact that it was amusement. Amusement that made Laila feel her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. The embarrassment that made her want to crawl into a hole and never go outside again, even though she knew she had to, if she were to do those very things..

            She lowered her gaze, something she never had to do after her trick. Her only trick. And now...she was stuck. She did not feel the pride or the shock of delight or the appreciation. No, she felt embarrassment. For the first time. 

She had never really thought about Plan B. She always thought of Plan A. To swoon them. No backup. No thinking. No Plan B. Just stuck. Simply, stuck.

Just walk away, slowly. Yes...walk away slowly. What else? 

So she turned back and walked away smoothly....not. 

Okay, stick to the facts. 

She was walking away..... slowly... guilty... and...ashamed? But she was walking. Until...she stopped. Because of a voice.

Who was the voice? Her master? The shopkeeper? A man that once got swooned? No, no, no. The voice was none other but the man with the parakeet green eyes. None other but the man leaning on the tree. None other but the man with the mysterious eyes.

          "Wait." he exclaimed, desperation and curiosity laced with his command. 

Laila turned around, reluctantly. Or was it delight? It's definitely delight, Laila. You are fond of him. You love him. Shut up. I don't love him. We just met...actually not really. We never met. So was it reluctance, then? Oh, wait, what are you  thinking Laila! Of course it's not reluctant. Nor delight...though.  Stupid thoughts. Stupid voice. Stupid me--

"Stupid, what else, is on your mind?"

The young woman lifted my head, hesitantly, and guess who was there? Yes, you guessed it. None other but the green eyed-man. Her eyes widened. Why was he here? And, he called me stupid! But then she recalled her thoughts. But..they were her thoughts! How did he know?  Was he a mind reader? What abo-

         "Helloo?" the man said with a snap of the fingers.

She was pretty sure she looked like a fish, gaping her mouth. In addition, she was pretty sure her cheeks were red from embarrassment. Okay...I look like a clown. What else? Words, Laila. Word-- wait, no. Breath, Laila. Breath. Okay, now words..

          "How...how did...d-di...?" In the end she made a weird strangled sound.

          "You mumbled them..." he said, amused, clearly enjoying her cowardliness.

         "A-Apologies..." Laila inputted, lowering her gaze, "For..um, my mannerisms." She added, before the man could question. She saw the perfect arch of his eyebrow that rose higher than the other. Well, she didn't see because her gaze was on the ground, but she was smart and always put somebody's actions in her shoes to see how she would feel. 

This is when you walk away, again.  So there she went, shuffled on her toes, walking as slowly, sneakily, as she could. And she was right. She saw the man raise his head to talk again but was only met by emptiness, as well as his confusion that lingered. She knew this because she hid behind the tree, to take one last peek of the handsome man before he was gone forever.

[1013 words; Published on 8/3/16]

{1036 words; edited on 4/2/17}