Within Time

CH 3

It’s been about a week since my countdown has started. I haven’t told anyone – not even my friends. And just to be cautious, all I’ve been wearing are long sleeve shirts or sweatshirts.

Now that it’s started, I couldn’t be more confused. I thought that maybe when I got the date, the time, all of my questions, all of my theories, would be answered. But why do we each get a time? Did his clock just start last week too? Or has he been waiting with a much longer number? I think my biggest question is how does this clock know? How could this be possible?

            01 month, 25 days, 3 hours, 2 minutes, 53 seconds.

**

          “You’re early today,” I heard a deep voice come from the back of the room when I walked into Creative Writing. The lights were off but it only took a second for me to guess who it was.

            “So are you,” I said placing my stuff on the table and sitting down with my back to him.

            “I like to be early,” his voice got closer and he eventually sat down beside me. I made sure not to show any emotion. Especially since on the inside my stomach was flipping and my heart was racing faster than it ever has before.

            I could feel his gaze on me and I wanted to say something but I knew that was what he wanted. I remembered why I had come early and took out my notebook. I wanted to fix up my assignment from yesterday and I find it works better for me to be somewhere that’s quiet to get my best work done.

            “Did you not finish the assignment yesterday? You bad girl,” I basically heard him smirk but again, I ignored him.

            “The silent treatment eh? So you’re one of those girls…”

            “One of those girls? What’s that supposed to mean?” I scolded myself for talking but the words flew right out of my mouth before I could even think about it.

            “Gotcha,” he grinned and I rolled my eyes and turned back to my paper. Of course, he was trying to get me to talk. What I didn’t get was why?

            “Oh come on! I just wanna talk to you!” I placed my pen down and stared ahead of me at the clock. In 10 minutes people should start coming in. 10 long, painful minutes.

            “Why?” I asked not moving my gaze from the clock.

            “Why? Because you seem interesting.” He leaned forward to get a look at my face and for some reason I felt myself get a bit pink.

            Stop! You don’t care what he thinks! Stop blushing!

            “Well you would be incorrect,” I said coldly and went back to scanning my work.

            “Yeah?” Jake says and before I know it he’s grabbed my arm and pulled my sleeve up revealing my countdown.

            “What are you doing?!” I pulled away from him and stood up outraged. Who does he think he is?!

            “You know what’s interesting?”

            “What?!” I scolded and he smiled.

            “That just after our eyes met that first time in the cafeteria, I felt my insides turn.”

            I felt my breath hitch but I pushed the lump in my throat back.

            “So?” I looked at the clock again – 5 minutes.

He didn’t speak for a second. “When did your countdown start?”

I looked at him dumbfounded. “Why does that matter?”

“The day we met?” He asked and I stared straight at the door. Why does he want to know this? Why does he care? It’s not like we’re supposed to be together because according to my countdown I still have about a month left.

“It did, didn’t it?” Again, I didn’t answer. Jake nodded and rolled up his sleeve revealing his countdown and I couldn’t help but look.

His read 1 month, 24 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes, 18 seconds. Curious, I looked down at mine.

And it was the exact same time. 

**

“Don’t you find that a bit strange?!” Jake yelled to me as I left the room. Yes it obviously is a bit strange but it’s nothing. It means nothing.

            If it means nothing than why are you running away?

            I stopped realizing my subconscious was right. If I really thought it didn’t mean anything than why was I running? I leaned against the lockers and watched as students began filling the halls.

            Do you want it to mean something?

            I took a breath to calm myself down a bit more then followed the crowd back into Creative Writing. When I walked in, I realized Jake had moved his seat to the back of the room. Lucy, one of the top cheerleaders, was already chatting him up with her boobs hanging out basically in Jakes face. I shook my head and looked at the table to see a folded piece of paper where I was just sitting not 5 minutes ago.

            I looked back at Jake to see he was already staring at me. Then I heard Lucy scoff and saw her strut across the room to another table. Embarrassed, I sat down and opened the piece of paper.

                        I want it to mean something just as much as you do.