Blair Silver

Part 5: Special Agent Blair Silver

I tell Jillian about Blair Silver driving me to the bus stop the next morning on the bus (I didn't tell her over text because a) the restaurant thingy that went so late- seriously, how long can it take to serve one course?- and b) I wanted to tell her in person).

Jillian asks me if I dreamt it. I tell her I didn't, but she still looks a teensy bit dubious. Which is fair. I mean, so am I. I still can't totally believe that Blair Silver actually went out of his way to drive me to a bus stop that he somehow remembered seeing me at without actually knowing the reason why I was so panicked. And he didn't seem to want anything in return, either- I mean, I said I'd pay him back, and if he had something in mind, then he would have mentioned it, right? Though, he doesn't seem to be a huge talker. So I don't know.

It's a couple of weeks before I see him up close and personal again. This is technically a good thing, because every time I've seen him up close and personal, I've been rushing to make it to the bus because I forgot something I needed in my locker.

I'm proud to report that I do not forget about any more seriously urgent school assignments again. Instead, I come across Blair Silver again when I check my grades and realize I'm missing a mark on something that I definitely handed in.

The teacher, Ms. Devons, told us that we should all check to make sure that we have a mark on everything we handed in, since the website our grades are on recently had a minor crash, so I'm not too worried (Rachel was worried when she heard about that. If her parents saw an incomplete mark, it's likely she wouldn't get the chance to explain). Most likely Ms. Devons has my grade recorded somewhere else and will just have to re-input it.

Unfortunately, her classroom is locked during lunchtime, and even though I knock, I'm pretty sure she isn't there. So I tell myself I'll find her at the end of the day, just after dismissal, to mention it to her.

So as soon as dismissal comes around, I carefully make my way through the endless barrage of rowdy students towards Ms. Devons' classroom. I wait until the stream of teenagers exiting the room tapers off, then poke my head inside. She's sitting at her desk, typing something into her laptop. I knock on the door a couple times. "Ms. Devons?"

She looks up and smiles. "Theo. Come in."

I do, making my way through the chairs and tables to her desk (I only stumble once, and I catch myself). "Hi, Ms. Devons. I was just wondering... uh, I checked my marks, and I'm missing one, for the last essay we had..."

"Right." She wiggles her mouse, clicks something, and scrolls. "Yes, and you handed that in. Alright, I'll update it. Just one moment."

I nod, rocking back on my heels as I wait. She looks up a moment later, giving me a smile.

"There. It should be there now. Let me know if you find any more problems, okay?"

I nod. "I will. Thank you, Ms. Devons."

I navigate back towards the door, but just as I make it to the doorway, someone else walks through it. Naturally, I trip in surprise and fall straight towards them. Instead of taking them down and falling on top of them, however, I find myself stopped by a familiar pair of arms. I look up, and I stop breathing for a moment. Blair Silver.

He looks a little amused, with one corner of his mouth just slightly turned up, and one eyebrow (on the same side of his face) cocked at me. I blush, embarrassed.

"Sorry. You surprised me."

He's still holding me by the waist as he smoothly pulls me back to my feet. One hand lingers by my hip momentarily before falling away. I feel a little disappointed at the loss of contact, but I tell myself it's fine. He leans against the wall, crossing his arms casually. I stare at him for a few moments longer, his almost smile verging more and more on a real smile with every passing second. I'm fascinated as I realize he's got dimples when he smiles (or almost smiles to a certain sufficient extent). Eventually, his eyes flick over his shoulder towards the doorway, and I suddenly feel awkward.