Chase your fate

chapter 11

Devyn walked into her art class, still a little flustered from the note, sitting her things at the table that she shared with Ashleigh and Liam.  These were the closest that she had to what could be called friends.  Liam was a shy guy, always seeming to be lost in thought, but one of the few guys that actually made eye contact with her when she spoke to him.  Ashleigh was a spunky girl, usually good at cheering Devyn up, and one of the more talented artists in the class.

Waiting for the bell to ring, Liam looked over at the sketchbook that she had opened and the note that she was reading again.  "What ya got there?" he asked.  Her face went a little red as she let out an exasperated sigh. "I... I don't really know.. It was in my locker this morning."  Ashleigh peeked over at it "OH.. surprises?" she giggled. "What is it?".  Devyn set it out on the table for them to see.  "Well..  It... It's a poem.. but I have no idea who it's from.. or how it got in my locker."  As they read the words, Ashleigh's face lit up with glee as she let out a little squeal. "Oooh... someone has a secret admirer." "Oh shut it Ash... Hey!  Do either of you recognize the handwriting?"  They all studied the note, but none of them had a clue.  Liam spoke up "No... but it definately looks like a guys writing.".  The girls both laughed at that, and Devyn looked over at him "Well... I guess that's a good thing.. I'd hate to be over here fantasizing about my dream man only to find out he's a she." 

With that, the bell rang starting the class, and they all took out their sketchbooks to work on this week's project.  Liam had started drawing a man, mostly nude, with his genitals hidden in strategically placed shadowing.  Ashleigh had been working on a picture of a young girl, sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, and was currently stenciling in lyrics from her favorite You Me at Six song.  Devyn pulled out her pad, looking at the set of eyes that she had been working on.  She loved drawing eyes, but always felt like it was the thing she did worst.  She did a little shading, a little coloring, a little erasing, letting herself get lost in the process.  She added a little length to the lashes, making the eyes look a little softer, adding a little brown into the iris, then shaping the eyebrows. 

She sat the sketch on the table, looking at it, feeling like she had actually done a good job.  Liam peeked over at her work, grinning.  "Wow Devyn... they look so real, I actually feel like he's looking at me, trying to read my mind.".  She smiled over at him "Oh yeah?  And what would he hear if he could hear your thoughts.".  Liam laughed a little, shaking his head "Oh no... my mind is a scary place filled with secrets that I'm not ready to share yet.".  She looks at him curiously.  Secrets? Not ready to share yet? No... It couldn't have been Liam... Could it? "Oh really... Hmmmm... how... mysterious..."  He shook his head "You wouldn't understand.".  "Oh, I don't know... try me.. you might be surprised.".  He looked at her, thinking for a minute, starting to speak a couple times, then letting out a grin "Really Devyn.. it's nothing very interesting.".  She looks at him sideways, as if trying to read his mind.  She looked over at his papers, trying to get a glimpse at his handwriting.

Ashleigh plopped down in the seat next to them, looking between their drawings, making a quick joke to Liam that his shading is covering up all the good parts, then looking at the eyes that Devyn had drawn.  "Oh my god Devyn... those are so good.  Who is it?".  Devyn hadn't really thought about it till then, she had just started drawing eyes, mostly just for practice, but she looked at them now knowing that they looked familiar but not quite able to place it.  Who did she know with soft brown eyes, trimmed brows and long lashes?  OH.... now she remembered...

The next time she went to her locker was just before lunch period.  As she opened the door, another note fell to her feet.  She couldn't help but to grin a little as she bent to pick it up.  She decided to stick it directly into her sketchpad.  'There... I'll just read you while I eat.  That way, if he's watching me now, he won't get to see me read it.  Ha.".  She threw everything but her purse and sketchpad into the locker and made her way to the cafeteria, grabbing her lunch tray and making her way to the corner where she typically ate by herself.  She looked at the note with anticipation as she ate.  She wanted to rip it open and read it, but she also kinda liked the thought of letting herself wonder about it.  She scanned the room, looking to see if anyone was watching her.  Trying to get a bead on someone, wishing that she knew who was dropping these notes in her locker.  She didn't notice anyone staring, no one paying any attention to her at all, just like everyday.  She saw the table of jocks with that jackass Alex and his friends, the table of popular kids, the stoner table, the loser table, Chase and his girls, with the exception of Lenora.

She wiped her mouth with her napkin as she finished of the last of her salad, then pulled the note from her sketchbook.  It had the same handwriting as before, and she couldn't fight the grin or the slight blush as she read the words....

"Devyn,

I'm sorry for being such an awkward potato.  I honestly hope that I'm not annoying you, or freaking you out.  I just .... have wanted to talk to you for a long time now, but the problem is, I write so much better than I talk, and I just, don't want to look like an idiot in your eyes.  Then again, hiding behind notes is probably not helping that cause?  I'm working up my courage to try though.  Part of me is hoping that you'll just catch me putting these in your locker, then, I'll just be busted and I won't have a choice."  

Chase sat at the table with Kiira, Ethan, and Natalie, trying to focus on not getting caught watching Devyn read his note.  He grinned like an idiot when she smiled, seeing her slightly blush.  He was still trying to figure out if she was annoyed or intrigued.  He looked away quickly when she scanned the room, only to find Kiira staring at him.  He straightened up quickly, knowing that she could read him like a book.  "What?".  She giggled a little as she leaned on Ethan's shoulder "Oh... nothing.. it's just... you look like the cat that ate the canary.. What have you been up too?".  He gave a nervous laugh, trying to keep from blushing, silently cursing the color her felt rising up his neck. "Who? Me?... n..nothing... I'm innocent."  he said holding his hands up at his sides.  She sat up a little straighter, leaning closer, looking into his eyes. "Chaaaase....." she laughed "Whatcha been dooooin?".  He shook his head, laughing. "Oh no... if I tell you.. you'll just make fun of me... then you'll destroy it.. or use it for revenge for my blackmail picture.".  Ethan laughed at that. "Oh yeah.. you forgot to send me that!"  "What!" Kiira smacked Ethan's shoulder "No.. nope to the nopity nope nope.. NO.  Listen here you... we're not talking about me, we're talking about you.  Spill it. NOW.".

He shook his head blushing a bit deeper "Kiira... I did do something... and .... I almost regret it.. and I should have talked to you about it first, but... i just ... I was embarrassed." "Aww, Chase, you know you can tell me anything... what is it?" she leaned in a little closer.  Chase looked around the table, then bowed his head, taking a deep breath, he looked back up into her eyes "Ok.. but.. well.. it's just..." he looked at Natalie and Ethan then back to Kiira, letting out his breath "I.... I slept with Ethan last night..." he tried really hard to keep a straight face until Ethan and Natalie started laughing, only to get worse when Ethan added "And I have no regrets!".  Her face twisted up a bit, trying to look angry while fighting the urge to laugh.  She punched Ethan in the leg "you jack ass" she laughed out "quit being a butt and tell me.".

He knew how relentless she could be, and that he would either have to tell her or make up something.  "Ok... but ... I swear to god.. if any of you speak a word of this...  I'll cover you in cat nip and let Dixon violate you.".  The group, seeing he was serious, quieted down a little, and swore themselves to secrecy.  "Ok... so, you all know.. that I'm an idiot.. well..." he took a breath and almost whispered "I've.... I've been dropping .... notes.. and.. poems.. in Devyn's locker.".  Natalie rolled her eyes, Ethan smiled a little, but Kiira's face lit up "OH... Chase... that's awesome.  What did she say?".  He looked at her, seeing that she misunderstood.  "Umm... uh... n...nothing... I... I didn't sign them.. She doesn't know that they're from me.".  Kiira's smile turned to a look of confusion, then, playfull aggravation.  "Dammit..." she laughed "Chase... just.. talk to her... She's not gonna bite you."  she smiled mischievously "then again... you know what they say about quite shy girls... maybe she WILL bite you.".  "oh my god Kiira. NOT helping."

They gathered their things, making their way out of the lunchroom.  He had been trying to focus on getting his blush under control, and not really paying attention to where he was going until he felt a shoulder collide with his a little harder than an accidental bumping into would have been.  He looked up without thought, tensing a bit when he saw that it was Alex looking back at him.  "You started something that we need to finish......"