Silence Beyond Words

Diligent Eyes

Alex stands there, his eyes glued to her blue ones, waiting submissively for her response. Norma's glancing at him as if she's never seen a person from the opposite sex before.

She bites her lower lip apprehensively, looking away from his gorgeous, caramel eyes. They were burning her. She could feel the heat radiating off him and impelling her skull.

"Yes? No?" she looks back at him and catches him smiling at her. "Maybe?"

Norma realizes that she's still yet to give him an answer. He asked if he could be her partner. But why? Didn't he had other choices? Better choices?

A light smile wants to blossom on her face, and she feels unstoppable and extremely comfortable to smirk right back. Of course she wants him to be her partner. Why wouldn't she want that?

But her confidence lasts only a couple of seconds, for she starts allowing the devil on her right shoulder to whisper all types of nonsense into her ear, blocking out anything the angel on the left had to say.

'He feels sorry for you, dear,' he states defiantly. 'Do you really think someone like him would come and talk to you out of the goodness of his heart? Don't be a fool.'

'He's a good guy,' the angel reciprocates with kindness. 'He has good intentions and a good heart. Allow him in, Louise. Let him in.'

Her head is spinning, and she thinks of the resemblance between a giant and Alex just now. That's what he looks like standing in front of her. She looks over her eyelashes and glasses, her eyes boring into his with a mysterious command.

And she contemplates him once again, appreciating all that he is from up-close and almost too personal. She can smell his cologne, and her nostrils take pleasure at the welcoming scent.

"I won't be that bad, I promise," he adds with a tiny smirk. And what a fantastic smile that was. It transformed his face most amazingly.

He sounds so sweet. Too sweet for her own good. Norma has seen bad before. Evil kids ready to humiliate you in the dirtiest way. Alex doesn't give her that vibe; as much as she's trying to sense it, she solely can't.

As much as she wants to be bold and express the giddiness her heart is feeling right now, at least through body language, she can't. She has to guard herself; she can't let anyone in. As much as she wants to, she naturally can't. Maybe the devil on her right shoulder is right after all.

"Two more minutes!" Mrs. Blackwell chants and Alex turns his attention back to the teacher for a brief moment.

Norma feels stupid for not being able to act like any other normal girl would. Why did she have to be this way? 'Talk to him, you idiot! He's going to think you're a weirdo!' her inner Norma stated with distress.

Normally, she would have expected one of the many girls in class to approach her before any guy would. No boy has ever started a conversation with her, and it gives her some type of reassurance.

"Come on," he begs, and Norma is taken by surprise. "I don't bite."

His facial expression is soft and endearing. She could have sworn he was a tough guy, stoic even. The average guy all the girls fantasize over, the boy that always plays hard to get. Yet, here he is begging the new, insignificant girl for acceptance.

Norma finally smiles, a slight barely-there smile, but one that brightened his features. She nods her head in agreement, accepting his offer and letting go of the breath she had no idea she had been holding.

"Awesome," he says with a sense of freedom, pulling out the chair next to Norma's station, assembling it right next to her. She watches his every move and bites her lip again. Is this really happening?