Not What It Seems

Prologue: Jesse

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

I shifted and my desk did too. It took all I had to look at the board instead of gazing off to my side. You know, I never really liked my eyes. I never really liked the color green. Actually it was my least favorite color. For my reasons of course.

And, before, I never took such attention to detail. I will admit, I was artistic. I loved drawing, painting, the whole shebang. But I never noticed the intricate designs on the leaves. The fuzz on a cotton swab. The designs in wood. The pigments and tissue in the iris of someone’s eye. Or maybe my vision is just poor. Besides the point.

I give in and my eyes drift to the side. I didn’t expect what I saw, though.

Her head lay gently on top of her crossed arms on her desk. Her eyes were closed, so I could only assume that she was asleep. Or at least resting. I caught myself staring.

“Mr. Steele. Please pay attention.”

My eyes snap back to the front of the room, to Ms.Conway.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.”

I hear a quiet snicker, and head snaps to the source of the noise. Andi’s head was now up, and resting on her left wrist. “What were you staring at this time, Steele?”

“Nothing important.”

“Well, I hope you’re lying. It must have been important in order to have been yelled at by Ms. Troll over there.” Her eyes look from her desk, to me, to Ms. Conway, then back to me. “You don’t owe anything to me. Certainly not an answer,” she winks.

I smirk, “I could owe you a da-”

“Mr. Steele. This is the last time I will have you interrupt my class. Next time I’m moving your seat.”

Damn. I was so close this time.

~~~

   

    Lily stood next to Quincey outside of Ms. Conway’s classroom. They both looked very intimidating, but the three of us knew they were quite the contrary. Lily’s face lit up as soon as I had exited the room.

“Hey, Jess. How was math,”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I pout. “Besides, I got way too bored. Math is my worst subject.”

“Bored? Or were you daydreaming about someone in particular?” Quincey mocks.

I shush him, and nearly just in time too. Andi came out of the classroom after everyone else. She nods to me before walking away.

“I might not be able to get this date after all.”

“Hey, worst comes to worse, you go to the winter dance with Quincey as your date.” Lily teases.

“Woah,” Quincey says, quick to defend. “I love you, dude, but you’re not my type.”

“You guys coming to my practice after school?” Lily asks.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I chuckle.

“Oh, shut it!” Lily says, throwing a single punch to my shoulder. “Crap, I gotta go. I have gym. See you guys at lunch.”

Quincey and I both wave to Lily as she sashays away. Meanwhile, Quincey and I head to our study hall.

We got in there before the teacher, Mr. Day, so we take the liberty to talk.

“What exactly do you see in... what was her code word, again?”

“Woody.” I confirm.

“Right. What exactly do you see in Woody anyway?”

“She has pretty flowing brown hair and eyes as beautiful as Earth itself. She’s sarcastic, and knows just the perfect joke for the perfect time. When she talks,  you can hear the confidence strung on her voice like strings on a violin.  A-and when she chuckles it sounds like a perfect cord on a guitar.”

“Wow,” Quincey chuckles. “You’re one sappy fuck.”

“Yup. And your one gay motherfucker.”

Quincey gives me a glare hot enough to burn me alive. He sticks his hand out, “Truce.”

“Truce.” I repeat, shaking his hand.

Mr. Day walks in and tells us to be quiet.

I pick up my pen and pull a piece of paper out of my notebook. Sappy, Eh?

Roses are blue.

Violets are red.

I love you.

My love is dead.

I chuckle and hold up paper to show Quincey. He simply rolls his eyes.

My heart sings a song of sorrow,

For you cannot be mine.

But maybe, dear love, there is always tomorrow,

All in time, our fates will intertwine.

I sigh. I can’t get her soft, beautiful… I’m doing it again.

Quincey shook me. “Dude. Study Halls over. Snap the hell out of it.”

I blink. How long was I daydreaming?

As if reading my thoughts, Quincey says, “The whole time. Nice poems by the way.”

“Thanks?” I chuckle.

    I don’t think I’ve ever… loved someone before. Love is such a fragile and temperamental thing that must be tended to constantly, like a flame. Sure, I’ve had girlfriends before. But they all used me. They all stole something from me I can never get back. My time. I was scared to fall in love again. I was scared to date again. You never know what someone truly thinks, I suppose. I think I’ve fully read a situation, I know for sure I like them, and they liked me back. But if I really liked them, how could I have gotten over them so fast? “Like” and “Love” are two completely different things. Liking someone is being somewhat attracted to that person and their personality. Love is when that person talks, you feel your heart flutter. As if their voice would ring around in your ears forever. When they look at you, you can’t breathe. You get lost in their eyes, as if you’re floating and space and you never want to leave. You want to be with them all of the time. Talk to them. Comfort them. Wipe away their woes and their tears. Be a shoulder to cry on. Be there in the most desperate times. When you love someone, you don’t want to see them go. But that also means you don’t want them to get hurt. When you love someone, you would do anything for them.

    At least, that’s what I’m assuming.