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Watching her interactions with Luca earlier was telling. It’s like she has accepted what life has thrown at her and she has given up. I’m going to have to look into her when I get home. We all want to know what is going on with this school and the stigma that follows her.
The class goes on so slowly. I throw her a note at one point, and she immediately pockets it and doesn’t even read it, though she does look around after. She is constantly looking around at everyone.
“POP QUIZ!” Mr. White says.
We all groan.
“This is to test to see where your knowledge is, or what you believe is your knowledge.”
My hand skims hers as she passes the quizzes back, and there is a heat to the touch. She pulls her hand away so quickly.
Did she feel that too? What was that?
Curious. Very curious.
I fly through the quiz and turn it over.
So fifth grade.
A timer rings out and we are told to pass the quizzes up. Again, I feel the same heat when our fingers touch. Except for this time, I feel it travel up my arm. This warmth feels like coming home. It’s where you were when you were little and built a blanket fort and it made you indestructible. I feel I could do anything with this girl by my side just after that little touch.
I need to get this girl alone. I need to know what’s going on with her. She has sparked an interest in all of us, but with how I just felt, I really need to know now.
Mr. White drones on the whole entire time, but I just don’t pay attention. I just stare at the fascinating enigma sitting in front of me.
The bell rings signaling class is over. I start putting my books and stuff back into my bag. When I look up, Paisley has already disappeared. I don’t understand why she keeps running from me. Fromus.
Heading to lunch, I catch up to the guys. We grab lunch in the cafeteria and head outside. I catch them up about what happened with Paisley. The heat. The fire. The burning sensation at just a bare touch. I swear the guys look at me like I’m crazy. They just need to experience it too.
I pick at my lunch, uninterested in the food. I search the grounds for Paisley. After what happened last period, I have this urge to constantly protect her and have my eyes on her. Finally finding her near the tree she was at yesterday, I make sure she is always in my peripheral vision while I’m talking to my brothers. I see her look up, searching for something. Or I guess someone, as I follow her gaze and I land on Luca. She’s watching Luca intently, and I wonder what she is thinking while she is.
I glance over at Luca to see what he is talking about and he is talking about his conversation with Paisley. I grimace. Luca’s face looks so happy. Luca finally looks up at me, probably feeling the burn from my stare. I nod my head in Paisley’s direction and he turns his head toward her. Looking at her too, that’s when I see it. That look in her eyes, god they are perfection but you can see the anguish, the sadness, and underneath it a hint of betrayal?
“I’m going to go sit with her,”Luca signs to me.
“No, you aren’t,”I sign back.
“Yes, I am. Every time I look at her, it’s like looking into my own eyes,” Luca signs.
“If you go sit with her, what’s that going to accomplish?” Kade signs back to him.
“It accomplishes me having a meal with a girl I like!” Luca signs furiously.
“Dude, don’t. Let us gain her trust,”Mateo signs.
“No, I think we need to let her know we aren’t going anywhere. She always looks scared or helpless. I want her to know she can depend on me. How is she going to know that if I’m not around to handle everything that she throws at me?” Luca signs.
“You can still support her without going over there without an invitation. Look, going over there after we have been pushing her to tell us about the bruise could send her over the edge and make her never talk to us—or worse, hate us,” Atlas signs.
“Okay, fine. You do make some sense. I just don’t like seeing her over there by herself, but okay,”Luca signs.
He looks back to Paisley and she is staring right at him again. I seriously wonder what that is about.
* * *
PAISLEY
Walking into Mrs. Embers’s classroom, I look for the farthest seat from Luca. I know I won’t be able to avoid him later today, but for now at least, I can. When Luca sees me sitting, he tries to get up and come near me.
