chapter 3

I relaxed my body when I was alone. I looked at my office there was a tan carpet and a blue couch on the left wall. Over it was a painting of a beach scene. In front of my desk sat two white chairs and the wall behind me was glass. I drew the shades because the morning light was too bright against the white walls of my office. I plopped down in my chair again and I closed my eyes. I let the memories slowly come from their cages I locked them in and let them play like a movie in my mind. I started with the very first one. The day I met Erik.

I woke up at 6am and I wanted to roll back over and go to sleep. Against my wishes the lights flipped on and it blinded me for a second. "Come on Raz, you don't want to be late on your first day!" the sing song tone of my mother rang threw my ears and I opened my eyes again. "I don't want to go to this school." I pleaded as I sat up. We had to move away from my old town and school because my father had passed and we were starting a new. My old school was a quarter the size of my new one. This meant more people and I hated to be around a bunch of people. "This should be a good thing. You won't have to deal with the new kid treatment because there are so many kids they will think you're just one they haven't seen yet." she said optimistically. With that I finally got up and got dressed. I threw on my hoodie and jeans. I brushed my hair and left it down then I put on my slides and waited for mom at the car. She looked me over and I can tell she wanted to comment on the fact I looked like I wasn't even trying. I wasn't though so it wouldn't have bothered me if she did say it. We rode in silence the radio soft in the background. We pulled up to the school and I sighed I wasn't ready for this. "Have a good day I love you Raz." my mother called after me before I walked up the steps of my new high school. I turned and waved with a forced smile and walked inside. The school was massive, the atrium was like one in a museum. Big well lit with neutral colors. Hallways at the corners of the hexagon shape the floor made led to different halls. Each hall had it's own subject. I saw the one that said CAFETERIA and I walked that way. A short broad man approached me. "You looked lost can I help you?" his eyes were sincere when he asked. I swallowed my nervousness and said "I'm just looking for where we wait before we go to classes." He smiled and pointed to the direction I was going. "Right in there, or you can go out on the patio if you'd like." After that I walked toward the door of the cafeteria and I turned to say thank you but he had already left. I pushed open the door and the cafeteria was much bigger than I anticipated. There were hundreds of kids sitting inside. Feeling overwhelmed I walked out to the patio. It was less crowded so I stayed there. I pulled out my headphones and put them in. Just then I felt a presence in front of me. I looked up and a girl about my height stood in front of me. She wore all black and had green hair. She smiled and motioned for me to take out a headphone. I did as she asked and she introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Sharon." her grey eyes sparked with friendliness. I returned her hello and introduced myself as well. "My name is Razlynn, but I go by Raz." She nodded in acknowledgment. we ended up having a few classes together so I considered her a acquaintance. Mom would be so happy to know I made nice with at least one person. Lunch time came and we were dismissed from class. we walked into the cafeteria we both grabbed a salad and we sat where she usually sat. there were a few round tables towards the main entrance then the rest of the cafeteria was filled with long tables all the way to the patio exit. We sat at the one closest to the door. She talked to a friend beside her introduced me and talked on some trivial topic. Me I withdrew without notice from anyone and scanned the room. There were so many different faces. I picked up on almost none of them until I looked right in front of me a table over. There he sat the most beautiful guy I'd ever seen. He had on a black and white jacket with the hood on his head. He was sitting next to two girls who spoke to loud. Annoyance danced across his face as I took in his features. His skin tone was copper a shade or 2 darker than my own but close. he had black hair cut close to his head and a beard of the same color. His nose framed his face will and I couldn't help but take him in. He was looking down at something. Probably his phone I thought. As if he knew I wanted to see what his eyes looked like he looked directly at me. It seemed like he could hear my thoughts. I was captivated as a pair of hazel eyes met mine. They were unreadable and I couldn't look away. My heart stood still and we stared at each other for what seemed like eternity but was probably only a minute or so. He looked away in time for the girl beside him to look over at him. He smiled a little and my heart that had stood still was now racing. I turned to Sharon. "Who is that guy over there?" I nudged my head in his direction. She followed my pointing and said "That's Erik, the girl beside him is his girlfriend Anna." GIRLFRIEND?!? I was a little disappointed. Then I shook it away you just got here this is his life why are you upset my inner voice said. I got to know the girlfriend because she was friends with my cousin that lived here and she knew of me already. After that day I didn't see him again. I opened my eyes as I felt the electric shock I got in my chest when we first met eye contact and it still felt new. I pulled in a deep breath and calmed my heart and continued to remember.

After Winter break we came back. everyone had different classes and my friend didn't have any of them, I was sad. The first class I came to was a computer class. I was early and watched the kids file in. I scanned the faces for a familiar one and came up unsuccessfully. At the moment my heart started to sink the door opened again before the bell rang. It was him. He was tall, I had never seen him standing before. He was alluring. The prim and proper teacher breaks my awe of him. "Please find a seat and we will begin." she said and went to her desk to start the projections on the screen. Everyone got their little groups together as there were three computers on each table. He without looking around at all sat in the very front. The teacher's desk was at the back so the front was the best to be away from the teacher. Quickly I walked up there where he was. Seeing me out of the corner of his eye he looked up at me. I had to compose myself to speak when his eyes met mine. "I don't know anyone where, but I kinda know you so we are going to be friends ok?" I was trying to be cool but he probably thought I was weird. His eyes gave way no emotion and he simply says, "Well ok then." I could hear a slight shock to his tone. Did I come off to strong? I though to myself. I unexplainably felt drawn to him. we grew closer and closer over time and eventually people thought we were dating because we became so close.

A sudden knock on my door jarred me. I cleared my throat and yelled for whoever to come in. A thin man with silver hair and piercing eyes walked in. "Good morning sir how can I help you?" I greeted my boss as he sat in one if the chairs that sat in front of me. "Just coming to check on the arrangements for the fund raiser this weekend." I pulled open a drawer in my desk and handed him a folder. He looked threw the arrangements and smiled. "You are outstanding Mrs. Granner." He praised while he stood up. I had started working here on an internship before I graduated high school. I quickly got the hang of this and in 4 short years I became head of my department. "It's what you pay me for sir." I said behind him as he was walking toward my door and then I was alone again. Erik crept back into my mind and I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my social media account and messaged him. I couldn't find what to say so i just said "hey."