The Secrets We Share

ELEVEN

Dawn

Really though? 

He had to come now? Part of me wondered if this was all one big joke, one big game. 

I immediately looked back down at my shoes, at the hard floor, anywhere but him.

But my eyes were traitors and they slowly travelled back up until they were resting on his face.

I would never get tired of staring at him. I mean, that jawline was something else altogether...

He locked eyes with me and I swallowed. 

"Um, hi Noah. We were about to-"

I glared at Aria, who looked even more nervous than she had been a few minutes ago.

"Um, we'll just be at roll call." Smiling at me cautiously, Aria, Jason and Kat left me to my doom.

Except I didn't see the smile because I was still staring at Noah, goddamn it. 

Also, why the heck did we have to have a staring contest in the middle of the hallway?

Life was weird sometimes.

I opened my mouth to say, 'Could we find another day to do this?'

Instead, two snobby looking girls knocked into me and I went flying into the lockers.

Life sucked sometimes. 

"Hey Noah," one of them called as they swished past.

The other snobby girl giggled and nudged her snobby friend and the two laughed as if sharing some stupid secret.

Snobs.

I wasn't surprised at their silly behavior.

I was surprised, however, about the fact that Noah ignored them.

His gaze was fixed on me. 

Then he reached out, touched my wrist lightly, and lifted my face gently out of someone's stinky locker, which was still wide open, complete with a pair of running shoes, dirty clothes, food scraps and gum that stuck to the corners. 

My poor eyes. And nose. 

His eyes were narrowed with worry- like he actually cared. And they were an amazing shade of brown- people always thought brown was such an ordinary, plain colour, but these people were wrong.

And no, I was not okay.

But I could manage a small thank-you smile.

Which I did.

The answering smile, no matter how quick it was, made every bright thing in the hallway diminish until all I could focus on was the way his serious yet incredibly good-looking profile changed into a charming yet still incredibly good-looking profile.

I was pretty sure my brain was talking gibberish because I had told my mouth to shut up.

"Can we talk for a few minutes? If that's okay with you?"

I blinked, like the idiot I was. 

"Um... sure." 

Did my mouth just speak without messing up?

Beckoning with one hand, he literally parted the crowd and walked casually through. 

I followed him like a lost puppy who wanted food.

We turned the corner and I looked straight ahead, focusing on the back of his head. He was so tall.

A soon as we reached an empty classroom, he waited for me to enter and then shut the door, flicking on the lights.