His Sunflower

7.Seek Him and Then Hide

There was an eerie rush around school the next week, every student was in a hurry for things that their expression could not explain. Loud chatters roared by the lockers, cafeteria, and even in the library. No sight of any teacher anywhere in the area. Even on the grounds and in the gym, there were people unloading stuff. Thank God! She could mix up with the crowd and would not have to face Archer.

   Elara was immensely confused by this chaos, she looked around and spotted Jim talking to a few people she had met at the party. He looked at her and she waved at him asking him to spare her a few seconds.

" Hey Nova, no formals today, eh?" He slid his hand on her shoulder as they walked towards the IT lab. They had been told that there would be a meeting regarding the timings before the first period. 

" Trying to keep it cas,  Jim. By the way, are you, in any case, friends with Archer?" She asked him as her curiosity was getting the best of her after the kiss they shared.

" Yeah, we were on the football team together before I knew that it wasn't my thing. But we still have geography together. Why do you ask?" He replied and asked again pulling the strap of the shoulder bag for a better grip and adjusted his glasses.

" Just curious." She said and shrugged her shoulders casually and bit her lip, which she often did while thinking. She pushed her hair back which was coming and obstructing her vision.

" Wanna hang out after school, we will have some time before the camp thing, say what Nov?" He asked her bumping his shoulder with hers, which on the impact made her lose her balance and swing to the sideways when she crashes with a hard wall, or what she thought was...

" Sunflower, Are you okay?" A very familiar voice she had been trying to avoid. She opened her eyes slowly, only to be engulfed in the icy blue storms. She held him by the shoulders on reflex and his hands supported her waist by snaking his arms around it. The proximity was killing them both, just one touch of the lips.

She was herself shocked by her thoughts, why had she started to crave him so much? He had started speaking something that she was too distracted to hear. The way his hair kept bouncing, his sharp jawline, she could feel herself slipping and falling.

What? 

She could not fall for anyone, she never had, she didn't want to.

Cold, her parents always thought she was. Her relatives and her friends too. Only he could feel the warmth in her, a softer side behind the facade she holds, behind that poker face there was a girl, a normal happy girl who is just misunderstood and has never understood love.

" - Hurt in any way?" His voice register and she stood up straight. She looked at him confused.

" I asked if I hurt you in any way? Why won't you talk to me? If it's about the kiss, I told you that I'm not sorry that I kissed you."He spoke and she looked down. She didn't want to open up. 

This felt so different, made her feel warm, and cared for. No one had ever cared for her like that and she had been so wrong ignoring him.

" No, It's- I don't know. I feel s-"

" Ah, Miss Curtis, I wanted to see you and Jim, come on right in." Mr. Swenter said as he passed by them.

Elara let out a heavy sigh and looked at Archer who looked hurt? 

" Can we talk before the fourth period?" She said and sighed again and tucked a strand back. He said nothing just nodded and waltzed away in the crowd.

The whole time Mr. Swenter was explaining the timing and the first task of the year to them, Elara couldn't concentrate on his words. All she understood was that they had to make a calculating program, which was easy for her. The bell rang and it was time for everyone to leave for the first class of the day. Elara tried but she could not, she could not stop herself from thinking about Archer. So she decided to skip the first period that she hadn't even bothered to check.