Soul Bound: Genesis

Chapter Two

Today, Matt's first class was English. His classes occur every other day in blocks. It was only fifteen minutes in, so he had about seventy-five minutes left. Not so bad—when he's feeling up to doing class work to kill the time.

The teacher was in the midst of grading last week's quizzes when there was a knock at the door. Someone up front opened it to let in a girl. Matt looked up from his worksheets and he froze for a split second. That wavy, light-brown hair, fair, clear skin, and shining, olive eyes—her look was unmistakable. It was Becca Hayes, the girl in Velasquez's photo.

She greeted the teacher with that bedazzling smile of hers, and explained how she had a schedule change. It always puzzled Matt how Becca could make anything she says so intriguing. She could read from an old phonebook and it'd be more gripping than Thea's k-dramas, and those are pretty damn gripping.

Becca started walking down Matt's aisle and he looked down at his desk to avoid eye contact with her. He hoped she wouldn't sit near him. But, of course, the only seat available in the classroom was right in front of him. He noticed that some of her friends sat ahead, so he guessed she'd be more occupied with them. But, of course...

"Hey, Matt," she greeted in that sweet voice. It wasn't too attention-grabbing that it was loud and sharp, but it wasn't too quiet either. It was just right.

"Hey," he responded with a small wave of his fingers.

"You don't mind that I sit here, do you?" she asked.

He glanced around the classroom and said, "Unless you prefer the floor?"

She chuckled at his sarcasm, and anyone who could enjoy his sarcasm was more than decent.

As she took out a pencil and notebook, she whispered, "My mom told me about what happened yesterday. Are you alright?"

Matt didn't need to point out the obvious bruises and slight swelling around his right eye. Instead, he shrugged and answered, "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"I feel more concerned with you saying that," she remarked.

"I'm happy you're concerned," the teen boy said. Then he realized how strange that sounded and stammered, "Not that I enjoy making you worry, or anyone for that matter. I just meant, you know, that I'm thankful that you care. Not that you wouldn't, because you're a very empathetic person, but it's just, we don't talk often and... Th-Thank you. I mean to say thank you."

She giggled once again, a sound that sent Matt's heart fluttering more than it already was. "Are you sure you're okay? Danny didn't hit you that hard, did he?"

"N-No," he answered and smiled along with her. He berated himself for acting like an idiot not even five minutes into their conversation. But she was still smiling, which made his embarrassment kind of worth it.

When Becca turned around, Matt found he could breathe properly. The nervousness in his gut subsided and he didn't feel so warm anymore. It's been six years since he first met her and she still manages to send his heart stumbling. He almost wishes he never had because the way he gets feels so ridiculous to him. But then he thinks about her again and he can't imagine not feeling like this. Tentatively, he reached into his shirt and fiddled with the necklace he always wore. He wonders every now and then if Becca remembers that first day and thinks about it as much as he does. How could anyone forget an introduction like that?

It was the sixth grade and middle school hadn't been merciful on Matt either. Years of being homeschooled never prepared him for what was to come from public school. He had to go into the third grade right in the middle of the year, when friendships and unspoken norms were already established between the other kids. He hated those years in elementary (kids made comments about his eyes left and right, and one even tried to poke it out), and middle school was absolutely no better. In fact, it was worse. His "curse" really got to shine in those years.