one ↣ we locked eyes
part 1 - red
chapter one - we locked eyes
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I wasn't one for romance.
I'd broken too many hearts, and I'd had my fair share of heartbreak.
So you couldn't expect me, Jocelyn Woods, to be at her best friend's birthday party searching for a soulmate. Not when I was standing off to the side and refusing to interact with human beings. I didn't know anyone in this country club, not with their insanely smart brains or rich and fancy clothes. I went there for Faith, and only Faith.
Funny how things work out the way you don't expect them to.
Faith made her way over to me. "Are you having fun?" she asked as she drank her soda.
I faked a smile, for her sake. "Yup. This party is amazing, Faith. You deserve it."
That, at least, wasn't a lie. There were fairy lights and a big, glowing, gold moon hanging from the white balcony roof. White tables covered in dark tablecloths held lanterns with miniature night skies that seemed to dance inside their prison. I'm obsessed with the night, and this party just brought it to life.
People were mingling, talking, and laughing, but Faith was the center focus. Every time she walked into the crowd, everyone was talking to her and asking her questions. Faith would just giggle shyly, toss her brown hair a bit, and answer them all. Faith, who is such a sweetheart that she's everyone's friend.
Me? I'm everyone's friend, but in a different way. I'm not the sweetheart who will listen to all your troubles - I'm only like that with my close friends. Nope, to the rest of the world, I'm the crazy, eccentric, sarcastic, and slightly ditzy blonde who is shut in at some times and an open book at others.
Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a walking contradiction.
I was jolted back into reality when Faith poked my arm. "I'm gonna go talk to Raylel. Still on for the sleepover tonight?"
I smiled. "Yeah, we're still on."
She grinned back. "Great! Well, I'll see you later. And, please, try to talk to people!" Then she disappeared in the crowd.
Talking? To people? Sure, like that's gonna happen. Still, I gazed the room, hoping to find someone willing to talk to the anxiety-ridden girl standing by the edge of the balcony.
That's when I saw living, breathing sunshine making his way through the room.
Everyone was saying hi to him, and he was joking with everyone. He gave Faith a big hug and a "happy birthday", and then he turned to see the next person grabbing at him.
And then we locked eyes, and I swear, I saw the future.
I don't know if I've ever seen a brown so deep or a smile so devilish or hair so dark that I could lose myself in it. I almost fell off the balcony, and I cursed myself for doing so. But his sunshine still blinded me, although it was a weird color of sunshine, and suddenly everything was blue, and I was covered in it all.
Suddenly he started slowly walking toward me, ignoring everyone else like we were the only two people at this party, on this huge balcony. And I was so drawn to him that I couldn't help but take a few slow steps toward him as well.
Soon, he was close enough that I could see every little detail of his face. It felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest, and I didn't even know why.
There was quiet between us, and then there wasn't.
"Hi," he said quietly, and his voice was a sparkling array of light.
"Hi," I whispered back.
And that's how it all began.
"It really is pretty up here, isn't it?" he remarked. But he kept staring at me, not the view.
I replied with an "Uh huh," trying to get my brain to function properly again.
"I don't think I've seen you around here before. What's your name?"
"Jocelyn. Jocelyn Woods."
He smiled. "That's a gorgeous name."
I smiled back, a bit shier than his. "Thank you. What's yours?"
"Ryden."
"That's unique."
"Yeah, I'm aware," he replied, still grinning. "How do you know Faith?"
"I've been her best friend since elementary school. Obviously, we go to different schools now, but we're still in touch."
"What do you mean by 'obviously'?" he asked, curiosity residing in his voice.
I bit my lip and looked around the room. "Um..."
How could I explain to him that I went to a charter school for the gifted and talented, and that my parents couldn't budget the fancy private school that Faith went to? We were well off, but they'd made it clear that Pilington Academy was a waste of money, in their opinion.
I finally settled on something to say. "I'm just... different from the rest of you guys, I guess."
He grinned again. "That much is obvious, or I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Now -"
But just then, we were interrupted by the newest dance hit that had come on, one that I had overplayed and was in love with. "Oh, my God! I love this song!" I squealed.
"So do I!" Ryden gushed, and before I could protest, he dragged me out onto the dance floor.
His dance moves were silly and he even had me copy some of them. I was in giggles by the end of the song, and he was laughing with me.
At that point, the cake was served. Ryden got in line with me, and I was surprised to see him get two huge slices.
"Whoa. I love cake, but not that much," I teased him.
He rolled his eyes. "Food, my dear, is my kryptonite. Especially cake."
We laughed and went to go find our names. I was surprised to see that we were sitting next to each other at the head table, with Faith. Surely, if she and Ryden were that close, she'd tell me.
Ryden turned to talk to someone, so I stole a glance at Faith and shot her a questioning look, motioning to the name cards at our places. She shot me a grin, and I sighed, pantomiming a facepalm back. She just winked and then walked over to her spot, next to me.
"You seriously moved his name card?" I whispered aside to her.
"Um, duh. You two are so obviously hitting it off! To be honest.... I kinda ship it."
I groaned and shook my head, but a smile appeared on my face - a secret thank you to Faith. She hugged me and we sat down, right as Ryden finished his conversation and sat as well.
The music kept playing as guests dug into the cake, a three layer vanilla beauty with buttercream frosting and dark blue frosting roses embellishing it.
"Wow, this is amazing, Faith! Who made it?" I asked Faith, on my right.
"Probably the bakery on 34th street. Right, Faith?" Ryden chimed in from my left.
Faith smiled. "Yup, that's the one. Jocelyn, I'll take you there sometime. Their red velvet cake is like heaven."
Ryden moaned and put a hand to his heart in a dramatic gesture. "I'll know that I've found the right girl when she makes me feel as good inside as that cake does."
I giggled at the statement. Faith leaned over me and sent an exaggerated wink to Ryden, who gave her a fake dirty look back.
After the cake was finally finished, I stood up. "Well, it's been great, but I think I'm going to escape back to the edge of the balcony," I informed them, already striding over to the view.
"I'm going with you."
I spun around and looked at Ryden, one eyebrow raised.
He rolled his eyes and made his way to me. "The last time I saw you on that edge, you almost fell off. I need to keep watch."
Only because you look like poetry written across a watercolor sky. It's not my fault.
"Alright, fine. I guess we have a lot to talk about," I gave in.
Ryden smiled and bounced over to the edge while I trailed behind, trying not to let light through any cracks in my expression.
He lay down on the white cement near the edge, and I lay beside him without even having to be asked. We both stared up at the sky, and I immediately lost myself in it.
I observed the night sky like a curious young child astounded by a butterfly. I began to draw out patterns in the stars with my mind, and I got that feeling, the one I always get - the too-tiny feeling. The feeling that you're part of something bigger than just you, a whole complicated system of planets and solar systems and nebulas and galaxies. Compared to all of that, we are just ants. Our lives are insignificant and unimportant. Life has so much more meaning than just us.
Which is a great thing to remember when you're caught up in yourself and your life - your universe that you are the center of.
"What are you thinking about?" Ryden asked me.
"The sky. I'm obsessed with the night sky. I swear, I must be Artemis or something, because I'm so attracted to the moon and the stars," I said.
He smiled, a gentle one that a mother would give to her newborn baby. "You seem like a night person."
"That.... is actually the best complement I've ever been given."
"Speaking of, let's talk some more about you. Right now, all I know is that you're a crazy, clumsy white chick who likes that dance pop song. Oh, and that you're Faith's best friend, apparently."
I laughed. "That's pretty much everyone's first impression of me. Minus the pop song."
He laughed, too. "Well, what other music do you like?"
I shrugged a bit. "It has to make me feel something, in my heart. The song has to resonate with me, or I can't stand hearing it. It doesn't really matter what genre, as long as I connect to it. What about you?"
"Music that has deeper meanings - nothing that's on the surface. Which, actually, seems a lot like your taste, as well."
"Yup, that's part of it."
"What about.... hobbies? What do you do besides go to school?"
"I like the arts. Don't tell me to run, because I'll put all my energy into murdering you for making me run instead of actually doing the running. Sports disgust me. I'd rather touch someone's heart. I want to inspire people in a way that doesn't include making my body sore to the point where it's not worth it."
"I don't know... I think I'd like making your body sore..." I could practically hear the smirk in his voice, so I sat up on an elbow and glared at him, ignoring the blush across my cheeks.
"Not to the point where it's not worth it, though. It would definitely be worth it," he continued, smiling at my blush spreading.
My glare narrowed. (Not that I wasn't enjoying the playful talk. I just didn't want the stupid gorgeous idiot to know that I was enjoying it.)
"Okay, fine. Settle down," he laughed as I lay back down.
"So. Examples?" he continued.
"I sing, I take photos, I sketch, I paint. I also act, but that just started back up. I play various instruments, but mostly piano, and I also write - songs, poetry, and stories. Oh, and I read. Not that I'm actually good at any of those things, but they make me happy. What do you do?"
"Band. Oh, and restraining myself from punching a hole in the wall because of how stressful band is. And I listen to music. And I blow off my schoolwork. That's pretty much all."
I giggled, a girlish sound that almost never rises from my throat. It surprised me, almost as much as the next question.
"So... if you don't go to Pilington, where do you go?"
My voice lowered to a whisper. "GT Charter...."
"Are you kidding me?!!" Ryden's sudden vocal volume got me to sit up, for the second time in a row. "That's one of the hardest schools in the whole state to get into, and you got in there?!! Then why the heck are you so ashamed about it?!"
"Shut. Up." I growled, because half the party was staring at us, and I could feel my heart pumping almost out of my chest and the heat radiating off my face.
Ryden looked at me, concern in his eyes. He lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. But I still want to know....why?"
I glanced around, and people were losing interest in our whole scenario quickly.
Might as well, I thought. The party still has two more hours to go.
So I grabbed his hand and stood up, pulling him up with me. I quickly let go - his touch was like electricity, like sticking your finger into an open outlet.
"Follow me," I ordered.
Then we made our way through the crowd and out the balcony door.
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"Whoa," Ryden gasped. "What is this place?"
"Where I come to be alone. Except... now I'm not."
In the middle of the forest behind the country club, there's a clearing - perfectly circular, with one huge, long, flat rock. It's honestly gorgeous, and it has a perfect view of the sky. I go there to write songs, my books, astrology observations, and etc.
"Isn't it just amazing?" I said, wonder lacing my voice as I lay down on the rock.
Ryden lay next to me. "It's definitely something," he agreed, but I could feel his eyes on me and not on the sky.
We lay there in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company. Then Ryden spoke.
"You never answered my question.... about your school?" He was trying to hold back his curiosity, for my sake, but it was like trying to hold back a raging river with a tiny pile of sticks.
I didn't want to tell him what was going on, but he looked at me like I was the beginning of an old novel - he looked at me like I was the most intriguing thing he had ever seen. It's hard to say no to that.
I sighed, a gentle one that revealed a bit of sadness. "It's not that I don't like it... It's that I got a reputation. A state-wide reputation, one that will forever be associated with that school. So yes, I hate it. But it doesn't cost my parents anything, so I'm stuck there."
Ryden's eyes lit up with recognition. "The GT fake?"
I winced. "Um....yeah. But none of it is true," I spoke. I got myself ready for him to yell that I was lying and run away - pretty much everyone's reaction when I tell them this.
Instead, he grabbed my hand and rubbed his fingers over my knuckles. I held my breath, butterflies rising up in my throat.
"I believe you," he whispered in my ear, and I shivered.
I knew that the moment was way too intimate for a guy and a girl who had known each other for maybe 2 hours, but I couldn't tear myself away.
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"Where did you two go? Ryden, don't tell me you took advantage of my best friend!" Faith exclaimed when we returned to the balcony.
It probably looked like that. My hair was full of leaves, and we both had slightly silly smiles on our faces.
"Of course not!" Ryden replied, but he gave me a sly wink. I giggled.
"There's one piece of cake left!" I noticed.
I was on it in a flash, but Ryden grabbed the plate. A playful tug-of-war began.
I pulled the plate and giggled. "My cake," I insisted.
He pulled it back. "Nope. It's mine."
I pulled it towards me, but at the same time he pulled it back, resulting in me flying forward and the cake flying through the air.
Ryden abandoned the cake and caught me instead, steadying me with a "Whoa."
I smiled up at him and laughed.
The cake, in turn, smashed onto the floor.
"I'm so sorry!" I yelped, jumping up.
He still held onto my shoulder. "Don't worry, Jocelyn. Cake will always be there," he laughed.
He was always laughing - and it was always a laugh that made you feel something in your bones. It was a contagious one that lit a fire of joy deep down in your stomach.
So I laughed with him.
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The party was dying down. Only Ryden, Faith, Sarah, Raylel, and I were left.
I went to the restroom and came back to everyone laughing at something. I smiled and said, "Did you miss me?"
Ryden smirked. "Not at all, hon. Sorry."
I fake pouted and everyone laughed. Then Sarah took a call from her parents, making Ryden look at the time and sigh. "I have to go. My curfew is eleven."
He hugged Faith and Raylel. Then he hugged me and pulled back to meet my eyes.
"I'm really glad I met you," he smiled, and the warm sunshine feeling was poured back in my bones.
I beamed back. "I'm really glad I met you, too."
Then he looked to Faith. "Faith, the next time Jocelyn is over, invite me over, too!"
Faith and I walked with him to the parking lot. He got in his car, waved at me, and drove off.
I waved back, and I kept waving - even after his car was gone, even after Faith had left to go back inside.
That day was the beginning of our magic.
No, that's wrong. It wasn't just the beginning of our magic. That's not good enough, that's not everything that it was.
It was the birth of our colors.
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