Rain [Short Stories]

Ink

He stared intently at the black smudge coating his left palm and his fingertips. It looked like tar, almost like a liquid sat anchored to his skin. He rubbed his thumb over the inked skin, hoping it'd rub off in the fruitless attempt.
Everyone had a black mark like this somewhere on their bodies; where their soulmate would touch him or her for he first time. Rumor was that when you did find your partner, the smudge would light up in hues of purples, blues, pinks, and greens.
Robert stared at the mark a little longer. His anxiety creeping up on him, crawling up his spine, seeping into his shoulders like a bad chill. He stood quickly, clenching his marked fist as he quickly scooped up his backpack. He'd be late for the first day of Freshman year. Wonderful.

~•~

By the time sixth period rolled around, Rob was tired, and annoyed. It'd been a rough day and it was only the first of many. "This is going to be a shit show," he thought to himself as he shuffled unwillingly into his sixth period classroom; health of all things.

He gazed around, his eyes settling on a girl with choppy reddish hair, and an expression that said she did not want to be there. He, haltingly, walked over and pulled the chair out next to her. She quickly sat up, and moved her things over in almost a hurried, anxious state. Scooting her chair over to the side more possibly to...avoid him? Give him more room? She was small enough. He stared at the table as his bag slid off his shoulder and to the floor. He looked at her, finding the slightest smirk on her face that screamed, "Honey, you don't know what you're getting into. Pick another seat before you regret this." He made no such move.

His eyes caught the same smudge of black around her right forearm. Hand-print shaped. He was curious about that. Still, she didn't say anything, just tapped a pen against the desk as a paper was shoved in front of her.

Rob tuned the teacher out as he carefully examined her in short glances. God, her eyes were so beautiful. Like dirt set against gold-flecked amber. There was some yellow in them if you looked hard enough. She had freckles, a lot of them. Some were darker than others, some hardly visible. Her hair was wavy, and a little staticky to be honest. Reddish, and brownish at the same time. Was it dyed or natural?
She looked over, catching his eyes. She looked like she was about to say something but he looked away quickly, cutting her off.

"Uh..." She started, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"Got any pets...?" She wouldn't look up at him. She stared at his paper, and tapped her finger on the table.
"I...I have an Albino Leopard Gecko, and a cat" She added, the words struggling from her mouth like they couldn't get enough air. He blinked,
"Oh! Uh, yeah...Pugs." He let a small smile creep onto his lips, fading as he watched her write this down. Was he supposed to do that? Shit!

"Any, uh, other stuff...?" She mumbled, flipping her pen between her fingers.
"Depression..." He chuckled, going off on this tangent about death and anxiety. By the end of it, she just looked worried, and forced a nervous chuckle out.

"Okay..."
He felt like an idiot sitting there next to some confusing girl who didn't give off much of what went on in her head, whereas he basically just told her his life story. The words he was begging with himself not to say were creeping up his throat. Finally, they seeped out of his teeth and drooled out onto the table.

"Do have a boyfriend...?"
She chuckled, a motion that made her tiny body shake with glee. This was stopped short,
"No...Bad break-up over the summer though." She smiled painfully at him, glancing at the clock. He wanted her to confide in him, to bleat out every ache that troubled her but he simply nodded and swallowed down his dialogue. Why? She probably wasn't even his...

"What's your name?" She asked, her eyes finally meeting his. He sat back,
"Robert." He looked back at her,
"Yours?"
"Cesalie." He grinned. Gorgeous name too. She was smiling to herself, fidgeting with the pen and the Totoro bag on the floor undoubtedly full of books. She shuffled over a little more, sighing softly.

"Cool." She hummed, and drew little robots in the margins of her paper. He watched, being sure to make it look nonchalant. Subconsciously he scribbled on his own paper, not doing much.
His growing interest in the black mark around her wrist was itching at him. He should touch it. Just to make absolute sure he wasn't supposed to be hers and vice-versa.
He reached out to touch, his finger tips almost there.
He wanted her all to himself.