Matches | √

Chapter Twenty-Two

glow | give out steady light without flame

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3/30/17

I PAUSE AS soon as I walk into the classroom letting my eyes roam the room. My class project was now over so we've had the option of changing up our seating, and Brooklyn decided to do just that.

He moved up a few rows and joined some friends of his while I sat in the back by myself. A few cheerleaders would say their obligatory hellos but other than that I went back to being the girl who is overlooked. The girl who blends in and never stands out. Bland, boring, never exciting. My fresh tattoo tingles at the thought and wants to fight against the words that rattle in my head.

It never bothered me before. Honestly. I was okay being this girl because it was high school and I had my sights set on college and exploring a whole new world when I moved out of this town.

But now it did. It rubbed me the wrong way when eyes glassed over while I was speaking as if I wasn't worth their time. It made my blood boil and made me want to blurt about my secret relationship with Asher just to shove it in their faces and prove to them how wrong they were to turn their noses up at me.

It made me angry, and I wasn't an angry person. At least I didn't used to be.

I push away the dark tinged emotions and stalk to the back of the classroom. The bell has yet to ring so students are still wandering in and out of the room. I drop my backpack to the faded tile floor and begin to absentmindedly scroll through my phone pretending I care about my peers' lives as I double tap their pictures.

"Hey." A deep voice catches my attention and my head shoots up to see warm brown eyes. Eyes that I've missed more than I can even say.

I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. Shock courses through my veins and chills me at the same time. I'm almost afraid to speak, to make a move as if I do he will disappear and walk away from me all over again.

Brooklyn scans me obviously waiting for a response. His brows pull together as if he's worried about me as I sit here frozen with mouth agape and eyes wide.

"Can I sit here?" he asks slowly.

I nod once awkwardly and watch him slide onto the stool beside me. The stool that's been empty since he left almost three weeks ago.

"Hi," I timidly respond.

"How was your spring break?" he questions, his eyes still holding mine. Looking at me, not looking over me, and I feel a happiness soar through me at the idea that even after everything maybe he can still like me. Still be my friend.

"Okay," I shrug, acting as I'm fully relaxed and not still unsure of my words around him.

"Did you do that road trip with your mom you've been talking about for years?" Brooklyn questions with the tilt of his head letting a dark curl fall onto his forehead.

A rush of warmth coats my heart and spreads throughout my entire body. "Yeah," I breathe with a growing smile. "How did you remember that?" I ask curiously. I told him that when we were in middle school. Years ago when life was much simpler I painted a picture of what my senior year would be and the dream road trip with my mother by my side.

Never would I have thought my last few months of high school would end up like this.

"I don't know..." he trails with a small chuckle. "It was just something you would always talk about when we were younger, and you were so excited for it. I'm happy you got to do it," he tells me honestly and a feeling of comfort floods me in this moment. Brooklyn has this way about him. He accepts me, he doesn't judge me, he remembers me when most of the time I'm so easily forgotten.