The Boy In the Back of the Class

Him.

He sat in he back of the room, carefully perched in his seat, like a bird upon a branch. He would never smile, never acknowledge anyone. He was just there, surveying all. And I would watch him the way he'd watch everyone else. I don't even remember what the class was anymore, I think science? It didn't matter, I spent all of it staring at him. He never noticed me. If he did, he didn't care about me. Or maybe he just wasn't gay. Then, one day, he looked back. His eyes, which had been sweeping the room, flicked to mine, and held my gaze. He tilted his head to the side slightly, studying me. I blushed, and looked away. For the rest of the class, I could feel his eyes, burning a hole in my back. 

~~~

Every day after that, he used to stare at me. I could hardly hold his gaze, it was too intense. That was when he used to look at me. I can feel his empty seat, like a part of me died with his leaving. ... he was gone. One day, he just... disappeared. No one knows if he moved, if he died, where he even was. It was like he'd just ceased to exist. Not that that stopped me from looking for him. I'd turn in my seat, ceartain I'd felt him whisper my name, even though we never spoke. No one seemed to remember him, to know about him. Is was like... he never existed at all. I wonder why everyone pretends they didn't see him? Why they refuse to believe he was there? Maybe they chose to forget him, maybe he didn't have any friends. Funny, now that I think of it, I'd never seen him outside the classroom... It's like... he didn't exist outside of it.