Doe Eyes

Chapter 1: Window

    The air was still as the moon crept out into the darkening sky. The noise of the afternoon slowly died down and the calm of the evening settled in. Smoke from grills slowly faded into the sky, and laughing children were sent to bed. The final lights vanished from windows as stars gently began to tiptoe into the deep blue sky.

    In a mossy, old house on Windover Drive, a young teen girl stirred in her bed. She listened intently for her parents. Hearing nothing but the calming cricket chirps of the night, she opened her sparkling green eyes.

    The girl sat up in her mahogany bed, tossing her silky white sheets to the side. She stood up and slipped on some white sneakers. Quickly running a brush through her long, brown hair, she tiptoed to her bedroom door.

   The girl slowly opened the creaky door. She threw on a jacket and crept down the long hall, sneaking past the kitchen. She slid open the glass patio door, stepping outside.

    The brunette ran down the dimly lit sidewalk, stopping at a broken streetlamp. She waited for a few minutes, but to no avail.

    She began to walk up to a large, 2-story brick house with carefully trimmed hedges all around. The girl, growing impatient, took out her phone.

    She began to write a text:

    Where r u?
   
    She waited for a response, but before she could receive one, a guy with messy black hair, plaid pajama pants, and a pristine, brown, leather jacket came rushing out of the fancy house.

    "Hey Rose, sorry I'm late!" he called,  running towards her.

    Rose wrapped her arms around him, hugging tight. "It's okay Cody, your outfit makes up for it." she said, laughing.

    Cody rolled his eyes, pulling his leather jacket tighter around his shoulders. "C'mon Rose, let's go inside. It's getting cold." he said, shivering.

    "Right, I almost forgot about our tutoring session." Rose replied, reaching for Cody's hand. They walked hand-in-hand up the perfectly paved steps and into the large foyer.

     "Wow, Cody, I forgot how huge your house is," Rose murmured in amusement. "It's not that big..." Cody said, leading Rose up the spiral stairs and into his study room. Books were stacked all over the room, their edges matching up perfectly. Cody pulled two chairs over to a large writing desk near a tall window.

       "Alright, what subject do you want to start with?"

~《{---------}》~

    "Thanks for all the help, Rose. I don't know what I'd do without you." Cody said, placing his papers near the edge of the desk.

     "Glad I could help! It's easy once you memorize all the steps." Rose replied. Fanning his face, Cody asked, "Rose, could you open that window next to you? It's getting a little hot in here." "Sure," Rose answered.

     Rose pushed the window up, allowing a cool breeze to filter through. "Thanks, that's much better." Cody said, his dark brown hair rustling in the wind.

    Rose opened her mouth to speak when a sudden, harsh wind battered the walls. Stacks of perfectly neat papers were thrown to the floor. Pink and yellow Post-It Notes fluttered around the room. Pencils scattered all over the writing desk, and paperclips littered the floor. Before Rose or Cody could comprehend what just happened, Cody's notes and homework flew out the window, gliding quietly into the woods behind his house.

    The pair stood in shock. After a second or two, Rose pulled herself together. She stuck her head out the window and scanned the area. "I think they flew into that wooded area over there," she said, breaking the silence. Cody still stared blankly out the window. Rose grabbed her jacket off the pristine leather armchair and yanked Cody s wrist, startling him.

    "W-wait, Rose, where are we going?" Cody yelped. Rose dragged him down the hallway.

    "We're gonna get those papers."

~~Bonus: Unrevised original chapter draft~~

   Rose slowly crept out of bed. As her feet touched the cold wood flooring,  she slipped them into a pair of dainty blue slippers and reached her hand out to grab a flashlight. Rose slid to the door, keeping as quiet as possible as she carefully turned the knob. It creaked slightly, but she sighed in relief as she heard the snores of her parents keeping steady and rhythmic. 

   Rose scanned the dark hallway, then quickly and silently tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and clicked the flashlight on, sliding open the patio door, careful not to make too much noise (her younger brother was a light sleeper). She ran through her backyard and into the street. She scanned the neighborhood for someone, but she didn't see anyone outside. Rose sat down on the sidewalk and thought. She would've waited, but her parents could see her from their window if they woke up.

   She decided on a plan and ran up to a house. She clicked the flashlight on and off at a downstairs window, resembling some sort of code. Nothing. This continued for what seemed like an eternity, until Rose was about to give up and go back to bed. Eventually, a boy came out, dressed in a junky t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. The only reviving factor was a handsome leather jacket that changed the look from "just woke up" to "don't care". 

   Rose ran up to the boy and hugged him. She released when he started to get tense. "Cody, where have you been?" He smirked. "Mrs. Windsbury hates our class, apparently. I've got four tests coming up soon and I only studied for one." Rose rolled her eyes. "Which one?" Cody blushed, embarrassed. "Math." Rose tried to hold in a laugh, but she couldn't help herself. She starting giggling, then roared with laughter. Cody rolled his eyes and blushed even more. "It's- it's not the easiest for me, okay...?" Rose put her arm around him in sympathy. "That's not why I'm laughing!" Cody cocked his head. "...I'm laughing because you didn't ask for help."

~ {                      ...                           } ~

   "Oh, I get it now!" Rose smiled. "Yes, you're doing great! Just make sure to move the decimal over two places when you finish or it won't work." She pointed and prodded at the paper in front of Cody. He smiled. "Thanks so much, Rose. You're way better at teaching math than Mrs. Windsbury. Maybe you should replace her." Rose laughed. "I'm glad to help with anything else you need. Just give me a call if you ever need help with studying." Cody smiled. "I definitely will! I'm sure I'll need it ...." He paused, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Hey, Rose? Can you open that window over there? The air conditioning hasn't been working properly lately, and it makes this room unbearable." Rose wiped sweat off her forehead. "Sure thing, I could use some cool air too..." Rose turned on another lamp and slid the window panel up. The two smiled. "Thanks, that feels way better." Cody sighed in relief as the sweat seemed to vanish from his forehead.

   "No problem!" Rose replied, smiling sweetly as a cool breeze brushed against her cheek. She began to walk back towards Cody's desk to grab her stuff when a sudden, harsh wind battered the walls. Some of Cody's pencils fell to the floor, and Post-It notes flew down the hallway. Cody froze in shock as several of his papers flew out the window. Rose scrambled to grab them, but it was too late. Cody and Rose watched in horror as the papers flew down the street, tumbling into the nearby woods. Both looked out the window, then at each other. Cody stayed frozen in shock as Rose grabbed her coat and flashlight from his bed. "Wait.. where are you going?" he asked. Rose turned around, grabbing Cody's  wrist and leading him out the door. "We're gonna get those papers."