The Third Eye (#1)

19. Constance

Because I care about you.

I replay his words over and over again timelessly inside my head like a broken record. I feel my mind going over the phrase letter by letter trying to process the possible alternate meanings behind this confession. But to no avail, my brain reaches the same conclusion each time, leaving me frozen in place while my tired eyes trail after his disappearing figure.

Care about me?

Why?

I haven't done anything but be an asshole to him. Why would he do something stupid like that?

It doesn't make any sense...

An unfamiliar feeling tickles my stomach, and I hesitantly place my hand over the peculiar churning sensation in my gut.

What is this?

This feeling...

As I trace my fingers over my stomach silently pleading the activity in my stomach to cease, I watch as the distance between the rest of the members of my class and I increases with each passing moment.

Shaking my head from my daze, I timidly step forward, "Oi whatever this feeling is, it's going to have to fuck off for now."

With this declaration, I quicken my pace to catch up with group, distracting myself with the newfound curiosity building up for the next pair to fight.

◈

"Alexander and Dante."

Huh.

Are you trying to kill him you earthbender prick?

I look to my right where Alex is standing, and watch as the color drains from his face, leaving him a ghostly white.

"Oi, you must be the unluckiest lad I've ever met." I nudge him causing him to gulp in response. I notice his frail frame start to shake nervously as we watch Dante coolly walk out from behind us towards the center of the barren field. His hands shoved in the pockets of his sweatpants as he takes long awkward strides leaving his opponent helplessly quaking in his spot.

Inhaling deeply, the blonde messy-haired nuisance takes a step towards his inevitable demise.

For fuck sake.

Involuntarily, my hand shoots out to grab his wrist. The unexpected softness of his skin sends goosebumps up my arm as I look up to meet the confused expression on his face.

"God would you stop making that dumb face at me." I scoff, causing him to roll his eyes before retracting his wrist from my loose grip.

"What do you want?" He demands impatiently, an usual sharpness in his tone.

Is he still irked about before?

Whatever, I don't care.

There's an untouchable air of silence between us as I struggle to remember why my body forced me to reach out to him in the first place. Looking at my feet shyly the words stumble awkwardly from my lips,

"I believe in you."

Forcing myself to look back up towards him, his blue eyes soften from their previous aggravated gaze. They almost look happy. His mouth twitches as if he's trying to suppress a smiling from forming and I feel heat unwillingly rush to my cheeks from this display.

I internally scream, What the fuck am I saying?

"Thank you." He finally says before looking away from me, and continuing his walk towards the center to join the patiently waiting Dante who appears to be absorbed in observing a butterfly flying around his head.