Hollow Hearts

Love is Lost

I loved her the minute I laid eyes on her, the pale skin and brown eyes that gleamed an almost red-orange in the sunlight. Her jet black hair shined like the morning sun, or the setting moon. Her voice was high and smooth, just enough to fall for. And from that day on, we hit it off just fine.
Her name, which I will not say because of privacy reasons, was a strange one, but lovely all the more. It made her more beautiful then ever. I first saw her when I was on my way to the library at our school, to which she was headed herself. That day she wore all black: black flowing skirt, black shirt, black shoes, black everything. Not the gothic type, but just enough to indicate that this was her shade.
I dropped my books at my feet when I saw her, a bright red cloud of shame appeared on my face when she walked by. I dropped to one knee to pick up my stuff and felt a presence stop by me. I didn't mean to look up as fast as I did, as I was low enough to catch a small glimpse of her thigh, and looked away as fast as possible.
A chuckle escaped her lips as she bent over to help my struggling to hold onto my books. Her hair smelled like roses when it whipped in my face. I stayed statue-like right there, not aware that she was talking to me.
"Hey, hello, you ok there?" A look of amusement splayed on her face. "You're books, dude." I just stared at her, marveling the fact that she spoke to me. I still couldn't move. Thankfully she snapped her fingers in my face.
"Oh, uh, yeah, my books," I managed to say, "so sorry."
"It's fine, poetry, eh?" She remarked, pointing at my collection of Poe and other great poets of the American literacy.
"Shit, yeah, poetry. My favorite." I replied quickly, still trying to bring myself back to Earth.
"Mine too," she said, "though I do prefer the great works of Eminem and Slim Shady, Poe writes some great stuff."
I wasn't quite ready to come back to reality, but that was ok. I just continued on my way to the library, with her at my heels. I never liked people at all, never cared much for talking either, and I sure as hell wasn't going to give that up to some girl that just happened to make my world shine brighter than it had ever been.
"Hey, wait up!" I heard her yell behind me. I just kept walking, I was really shy.
"Please wait up."
I stopped and turned around.
"What?" I asked, I was sure this girl didn't want to talk to me, just needed someone to talk with. But with so many kids at school, why did she choose me? What made me so special? I was just a lowlife who'd rather spend his last days alone in a library instead of with his own family.
"I wanna talk to you, you seem pretty cool." She said, her almost red eyes staring into mine.
"Ah, thanks but I want to be alone right now, maybe some other time." I replied.
"Na, now will do." I saw that I was going to get nowhere trying to reason with this girl, so I let her tag along. "So, I didn't catch your name?" She asked innocently.
"And I didn't get yours," I mumbled quickly, "Jesse." I extended my hand to my left where she walked gracefully, all her steps corresponding with my own in harmony with herself.
"Ash," She giggled and shook my hand. "And if you don't mind my saying: you're pretty cute when you blush." That statement was quite a blunt one and a quick way to make me walk even faster. I blushed a deeper shade of red and looked away from her.
"Hey, wait up again!" She yelled toward me. I made a sharp left turn into a busy hallway and slipped into the crowd of bustling and shoving teenagers; most with bad acne, some showing too much skin, some wearing black and blue and had their hair long on one side and shorter on the other. Emo's, jocks, barbies, nerds, it didn't matter, we were all the same. So I quickly blended in although I was an entirely different caliber of student: I was and still am into the paranormal.
Yeah, I believe in ghosts.
I weaved in and out of circles, spun around to avoid being pushed to the ground by massive clumps of weirdness, and even sucked under the swinging arm of a football player throwing pigskin to another player. Finally, I reached my destination: classroom 32. This particular classroom was blocked off from students for ten years now because one student took three lives and shot himself here. There were plans to close it off for good, but gradually over time it became a bit of a storage unit. But lately with as many kids that come here now, most of the things in the storage have been or being used now. I use this place usually to study for my classes, but this time I didn't come here to study. I came here because I needed to calm down. No one else comes here but me.
The silence was captivating, thrilling even and calming. Like a wave of water washing over the beach, my nerves quickly loosened. My lungs stopped gasping for air, my blood even stopped running harshly through my veins.
Sadly all good things must come to an end. Ash busted through the door.
"Hey, why didn't you wait?" She asked. She looked slightly angry, her face red and eyes glistening with fire. I chose not to answer and instead tilt my head to the left and look down. "Jesse, answer me please." She said.
I opened my mouth very slowly, trying my damnedest to find the words that wouldn't come. I didn't know how to say that I felt a little uncomfortable with how fast things have taken place, how was I to react to somebody that I didn't know to their opinion of how cute I was? How am I to take that?
I spoke: "I don't know."
"What?" She leaned in closer.
"I said: I don't know."
She sighed and walked towards me while shaking her head. She took a seat on the floor in front of my feet and looked up into my eyes. "You know," she started, "I know when people lie. It's an insight."