saturday, december twentieth, twenty-fourteen

• • •

she couldn't bring herself to
climb up those rickety
steps and step into
that room filled
with people more talented
and sociable than her.

• • •

but of course,
that wasn't her primary concern.
no, the problem came with
the ruffled, messy brown hair
that never stuck in one place
and that stupid scowl
on his smooth lips
and the fact
that last week,
she had woken up to
his gentle shaking,
nudging her awake
from her slumber
on his shoulder.

• • •

she stood on the first step,
biting her lip
and rubbing her leg
with her other foot.
a polite voice from behind her
asked her to move
and she hurriedly apologized
before pressing tightly
against the wall,
to let the other student through.

• • •

she checked her phone,
which was bigger than her hand,
ironically enough,
for a small girl like herself
the bright screen
and her mother's face as her
wallpaper, lit up the dim lighting
and shined the numbers
one thirteen.

• • •

she was so late.
but she was so apprehensive.
a minute more couldn't hurt.

• • •

but when she heard
more footsteps approaching
and the sight of the
all too familiar chocolate hair
approaching from her
peripheral vision,
she panicked and took
three hurried steps up the
staircase.

• • •

she slipped on the third;
that unruly step
that was just an inch smaller
than the otherwise identical others,
the one that creaked no matter
the person who stepped on it.

• • •

she felt as light as a feather,
a drop in her stomach,
and then the feeling of arms
wrap urgently around her waist,
catching her before she
could hit her otherwise
inevitable doom.

• • •

her heart racing,
she swallowed thickly
and glanced up,
feeling the drop
in her stomach deepen.

• • •

his crystal blue eyes met hers,
just as wide
and just as thoughtful.
she blew out a breath
and a nervous chuckle.
"thanks."

• • •

he gave that half-smile
that she could never tell
if it was truly there or not.
"um yeah."

• • •

she realized she was still
pressed very tightly against him,
his arms like cages
but felt like a kingdom.
she pulled away
as if stung by a bee,
nearly tripping
once more on the
step that created the whole
situation in the first place.

• • •

without another word,
she scurried up the steps,
where she took a seat
on the right side,
and buried herself in her notes,
unable to concentrate,
because she kept listening
for the sound of his
thunderous footsteps.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

I'm not sure if the formatting is weird for this chapter, let me know if it is. And as always, comment, vote, promote!

-Isabelle