Shades of Yellow

Teenagers and Tension

The tight grip Ted had on you was unfaltering, even as you sat on the bus, and you could feel the heat rising between your palms. The bus ride had been uneventful save for a few obviously drunk people stumbling past your seat, a worry not in your mind with Ted sitting on the outside of the seat.

He didn't seem to spare you a glance, steeling his face forward as if he were facing something terrifying and wearing a shroud of superficial bravery. Even though you took notice, you tried to pay no mind to his nervousness and rather study the features of his fingers that were holding your hand. You shifted your hand to intertwine your fingers with his. He followed suit but it elicited a hard swallow from him. Ted finally turned to face you as the bus came to a stop.

"Come on." He stood and pulled you to your feet with your hand, leading you down the steep stairs making sure you didn't fall. Ted's face shifted from one of nervous determination to hope. As he led you back to your dorm, still remaining oddly, his head started to swivel looking around.

You shiver and make eye contact with him, seeing his hope melt to worry once more. "What's wrong?" His grip tightened and he brought his other one up to place a finger in front of his mouth, a signal to be quiet.

A streetlight further down your line of sight was flickering, slowly giving in to the fading filament, but he was not focused so closely on any one thing such as the flickering ahead of you. The wind began to whip up, the few colors left in the sky being silenced by the invading black of the night sky. The few trees that lined the edge of the campus were creeping figures, the anxiety kicking in to make everything appear as though it was moving. There seemed to be no sound other than the sound of leaves rustling and an occasional bird singing a song for the evening hours. The brick wall that was to your left stretched into the distance, far beyond the uneasy light of street lamps and the occasional car turning in the distance. Something was not right.

Ted suddenly releases your hand, only to wrap an arm around your shoulder and practically drag you behind one of the few bustling trees and between the brick wall. His back was to the wall, your head being held to his chest be one hand, the other wrapping around your shoulder. You pressed your hands to his chest, feeling cradled in a dangerous spot. Not only were your cheeks burning hot from the sudden contact, but you could hear his heart beating fast in his chest, his breathing slow and methodical as his chest rose and fell slowly against your hair.

The sound of multiple sets of footsteps caused you to grip the fabric of his shirt, realizing what was going on. Out of the corner of your eye, there passed a small group of people, from what you could tell they were delinquents but something was fair enough game to have Ted on high alert. Your anxiety rose as they passed by, Ted still keeping a solid grip on you. When the footsteps faded away, he released your head and gave you room, but you kept your hands buried in the fabric of his shirt.

Out of pure instinct, you buried your face into him in an attempt to calm your nerves, but only becoming embarrassed when you took a deep breath in, the air that filled your lungs was rich in the smell of his cologne and something else you couldn't put your finger on. You looked up and made eye contact with Ted, who was staring down at you, his breath slowly shifting, pink tinting his pale cheeks.

Despite the cold air, the heat between you both grew as you made eye contact with him. The deep amber glow of his eyes sparked your interest, your immediate response being to reach up and touch the sloping angle of his cheekbone.

He appeared shook by your sudden touch and held his breath while you dragged your fingers down the length of his chin. In response, Ted leans closer and moves both his hands to your lower back, them shaking with worry. After your gentle touch moves down from his face, he catches your hand in his and pulls it back to his face.

Your heart caught in your throat as he brought it to his cheek then to his lips, leaving a small kiss. A spark was fired, something fueling you to get closer, but he quickly remedied the situation, pulling you from behind the tree.

"They're gone." His voice was hoarse with the new found tension. You could tell he was on edge again.

"Yeah... Let's head back." You did not even understand why he was so worried about a group of teens, the point that he would pin himself between you and a wall, but you dared not to question it, rather wanting to enjoy what had just gone down.

He replaced his hand in yours and began the walk back to your dorm.