Dark & Light

~Chapter Three~

Paige's POV

***

Sometimes you just experience those crazy moments in life...you know. When your heart beats fast, things are awkward between you and someone else, but you want to be around that person more and simply find out more about him, at the same time.
Crazy was the word for these feelings I was strangely experiencing right about now.
All the more crazy when you remember that me, Paige, just doesn't get like that...ever.
Its simply not me. I'm not like that. I don't get nervous or weird about a good-looking stranger or person I barely knew. No matter how attractive, I just don't feel like that usually. I had learned long ago getting attracted to someone was just never a good idea.  And yet, there I had been this morning, sitting in the library, staring at him. No cute second-grader was gonna be my student. None of the middle schoolers or elementary school students from across the street from the high school as I expected. No. An actual student from the high school, a mysterious and quiet elder teenage boy, was the person I would tutor. Throw in the fact that it was Mr. Phone Obsessed from my cafe job a week or so ago, except not so obsessed this time around (maybe?).
Things had just taken a very weird turn, as is needless to say.
When I volunteered for our math tutoring program for students in the neighborhood in under-developed schools, I never expected the student I'd help would be older than me.
What I didn't understand about this boy, though, was his sudden defensiveness when I asked him about helping with his problems. Or the scary thing is rather I did perfectly understand what he meant. I knew how defensive a person could become...experiencing, well, things...
Anyway. I could see something in his eyes that betrayed something in his heart. (Eyes really are the keys to the heart and soul like the poets and deep thinkers say...) I felt drawn to him in some odd, delightful way just as a result of it.
I could see there was so much more to him than a boy who had troubled looks, or who looked rebellious and was so. The problem was finding out what he was hiding or keeping carefully unrevealed. Probably hiding, knowing people through my (limited? unlimited? you decide) experiences in life. People always had something they needed to keep hid, under a rug, behind a curtain, or kept behind closed human lips that could speak the truth out loud but wouldn't and couldn't.

~~~

All though Christy was a crusty old cafe owner, with frizzly greying auburn hair always worn in a messy bun at the crown of her head, she had a big heart that could be reached, despite all her bad days of crabbing and commanding. I was, overall, lucky to work for a very unstingy, unselfish, though verbal, woman like her. She really paid me well and understood when I was too sick to get out of bed in the morning some days.
So when I arrived at work next Monday afternoon, ten minutes late because of my hectic school schedule and weekend sickness, she gave me a hug and didn't even complain about my absence.
She asked how I felt after the weekend of bad sickness that had developed after tutoring Saturday.
"I'm okay," I said weakly, still feeling unwell but determined not to miss work yet another day.
She gave me a sad smile, and a gentle one, unlike Christy's, really. Despite the obvious differences, she almost did look like her right now...
I bit my lip as I suddenly realized where my thoughts were going. No. She does not. No one resembles her in the least bit, or ever should. Suddenly I could feel myself gritting my teeth, trying to keep back the emotions inside of me that wanted to lash out...
"Paige, are you alright?" I could hear Christy say, worried.
I woke up from my deep, angry thoughts, and stared at her concerned face looking back at me. "Yes, sorry Christy. Was just thinking about something."
Her forehead, just creased in worry, now smoothed. "Okay. Let's get to work, alright?"
I nodded, glad she wasn't making a big deal out of what had just happened. Christy knew when I was concentrating on my thoughts, like really concentrating, it took a lot for me to mentally "wake up" and hear the sounds physically around me. But she was always curious, so I was surprised she didn't inquire further. Probably just being nice, I thought as I took my place behind the front counter, ready to attend and make and serve for and to people. I was glad work, five hours of it, was in front of me. It'd help me to keep distracted, especially since now was the busiest hour of the work day here at the café.

***

I was sitting down at my desk Tuesday night to complete a descriptive composition assignment for homework from my English Composition class. People could choose to write about themselves, so I had began describing myself, but once I read the draft, I decided writing about myself for this assignment wouldn't help me get an A. Suddenly I knew who I could describe. Erasing the file on my laptop, I opened a new word document and excitedly started typing away. The words came out quickly and far more easily than ever.
Deep blue eyes. Raven black long hair.  Milky light skin that contrasted with his dark hair and eyes. A pierced stud on only one ear. Quiet, but also seemingly outspoken at times. With a soul as hidden as the sun behind thunder clouds. Brooding, with a hint of desperation, he comes across if not haughty, then at least reserved, but with a longing to share something of himself at the same time.
Strangely attractive, in a weird sort of way.
I read my draft and felt pleased. My teacher would love this in live class tomorrow-she had asked that we use some dramatic literary style in this assignment-and Chris Walker was perfect material to work with for it. Since it was an online class, as most of my others are, with students and teachers from all over the country and world, I could use such a description, and even his name, without worries about students discovering who exactly Chris was.
What if I could discover myself who Chris is? He seems like he almost wants to be discovered-but is too afraid to reveal himself to anyone, and so always stays so hidden.
I could feel myself smile, just a little at the thought. What if I tried to do just this? Find out who Chris was, write about him for my assignments in English Composition class, and find out...if he was like me? Somehow?
I closed my laptop, got up from off my bed, and grabbed my pajamas to head off for the shower in my apartment 'common area.'
(I live in a supervised communal housing complex for minors who are still in high school without their parents.)
As I stood in line, I considered how I could do just what I planned. What if he'd open up to someone? What if he would to me?

***

Heyo peeps!
What did you think of this update? Paige's resolve to figure out who Chris might really be? Did you notice anything else in this chapter worthy of commenting? ;) Make sure you comment with all of your thoughts below, and if you found today's update interesting enough, give this chapter a vote too :)
Thanks so much for reading!! Keep your eyes open for an update Monday! ;D

Xx,
Veronica