Days bled into weeks and weeks turned into months. Soon it was the beginning of the second quarter. Everyone was getting ready for the holidays, that were coming up. I am not really a big fan of the holiday season but I know that it is a time to spend with your family.
My parents always seem to be spending time with my brother and his kids, over the holidays. I mean, they invite me to their get togethers but I feel so out of place. My Dad always says something about my "shunning love nonsense." I love him, with my whole being, but I can't help but feel so shut out by him. My Mom tries to help me out but to no avail. I normally end up on the couch eating store bought cookies and watching Hallmark movies. The holiday season is normally when I start shutting a lot of people out. Not on purpose, of course, it is just hard not to when you are being constantly reminded of what you will never have.
Today is a Monday and we all know everyone hates Monday's. I am bundled up in my heavy, winter gear because the forecast today said, "below forty degrees." It was not wrong. I had to put my gloves on, grudgingly. When I wear them it is very difficult for me to carry my books and I am not the most coordinated human being.
I walk into the school and am instantly struck from the side. Books slipping out of my hands, I crash to the floor. My head makes contact with the ground and my hat does not help the impact one bit. I lay there for a second, trying to process what just happened before I force my aching body to move. I make it to the sitting position when I suddenly feel very dizzy. The dizziness soon vanishes and I am surprised to see my books all packed nicely into my backpack, which was being picked up by a pair of hands. I look up to see the blue-eyed being. He slung my backpack over his shoulder and held out his hand. I took it and carefully stood up. The dizziness came back and I was about to topple over again when Roman caught me by the waist. He pulled me closer to him and smirked,
"We've got to stop meeting this way, Presley." When he said my name, I was suddenly weak in the knees, which just made him pull me even closer to him, allowing me to take in his smell. A quite intriguing smell at that. It was watermelon but had a strong undertone. I have never met a guy who smells like watermelon. All the guys I have met reek of axe, as if they had just bathed in it. This was subtle and insidious. I look up into his indigo eyes and instantly regret it. Time had stopped abruptly when I noticed he was looking straight back into my thoughts. Looking away was unthinkable, I was enticed. There were little specks of a lighter blue in his eyes, as if there was something underneath trying to break through. Something he was trying to cover up but it was about to flow out. Time starts again when he speaks in a low tone,
"Lets go to the nurses office." Roman clears his throat and starts forward, still clinging onto my waist. We made it to the office and he knocks on the door lightly before opening it. "Hi, Mrs. Lauria. You see my friend and I crossed paths today and somehow ended up on the ground." He went on not even paying attention to if she was listening or not. I giggled a little bit at his summery of the incident. We walked further into the room before I heard a small, sweet voice answer,
"Here, sit her down." Roman gently sat me down on one of the two tables in this tiny room. He looked so strong but yet he held me as if I was a wilting flower.
"What is your name, sweetie?"
"Presley Gastin," I reply. Mrs. Lauria smiles and writes something down. When she finishes she looks up at me with her forest green eyes. Suddenly I am brought back to sophomore year in high school, where it all began. The green eyes haunting me, reminding me that it is impossible for love to find me. I then feel dizzy again and Mrs. Lauria notices. She grabs a small flashlight and commands,
"Follow the light with your eyes." I am able to but it is hard.
"Sweetheart, I think you have a small concussion." My eyes widen a little bit. I have never had a concussion in my life. I know athletes got them all the time but I did not think I would ever get one.
