Echo

Chapter Three

Frozen

I was completely and utterly frozen at the shock that someone had sat down on my table, with me.

On our own.

The tomato and basil spaghetti I had queued up for in the line of loud, boisterous teenagers, for twenty, yes twenty, minutes, hung limply out of the left hand side of my dropped mouth.

I could almost hear the static in the air change as the whole cafeteria stared in shock, their own mouths falling to the floor, their beautifully plucked eyebrows raised in question.

Someone is sitting with her?

Is he mental?

What the actual-?

The comments bounced around the room, stifles of giggles turned into full blown laughter as the spaghetti finally fell with a resounding splash onto the grubby maroon tables.

Great.

“I-I’m sorry,” The stuttering voice brought my head whipping up. “Can I sit here?”

My mind wasn’t corresponding with what he just asked as I gaped at him, his blonde air hanging lifelessly over his eyes as he fiddled with his pale hands, his eyes downcast watching them.

“Umm-I-umm-you-” I mumbled, my mouth opening and closing like a fish in water. “Sure.” I quickly put my thumb up indicating it was okay, a small blush rising on my cheeks as his light grey eyes widened slightly.

“T-thanks.” He smiled, a slight dimple forming on his right cheek. Slowly he slithered into the seat opposite me, the table shaking slightly from his movement as he picked up his fork and started poking at his own spaghetti.

I just stared at him, taking in how the slight break in the clouds allowed the sun to leave behind a golden halo around his head, the tiny fibres of hair glistening brightly.

Innocent.

Why would he sit there?

He likes you The voice in my mind hissed in hatred.

My head snapped up, my eyes immediately straying towards the cafeteria doors where I caught site of him. The tiny smirk on his lips indicated I wasn’t going mad, he did just say that…to my mind.

See you soon, sunshine.

His laugh echoed as I watched his retreating back disappear behind the cafeteria doors.

I shuddered.

He knew how to get under my skin, it was like he found every pet hate, every annoying little nit pick, every single detail that I wanted to banish from my life. He knew everything.

Even my hate for him.

“H-hello?” Tim’s shaking voice broke through my barriers, his watchful gaze lingering on my face with a confused expression. Why was he confused?

Because you were staring at Mr Will-him, my idiotic subconscious decided to notify me.

“Nothing, I was just-” I paused, a light warmth lingering on the surface of my face; I couldn’t exactly tell him I was watching our teacher. He’d think I’d have an infatuation with him. “I was daydreaming.” I finished, looking down at my hands as I twisted the striped straw in my milkshake.

Blueberry milkshake.

Blue.

His eyes.

Stop.