A Twist in this Story pt. 4

Bryant

The lunch bell rang like a beacon. Bryant raced down the halls, knowing every twist and turn that he past brought him one step closer to her. Even if she wasn’t there, it wouldn't matter, because there was a chance that she could be. And that was enough for him.

He dodged every corner of the hallway, he raced past the cafeteria barely grasping the smell of burnt pizza and passed by the locker rooms as fast as he could. He never went passed the football corner. He would be reeled in so much faster than a fish caught on a string.

He turned a quick right then slowed to a walk as he stepped onto the field. Automatically, his heart had started to pump. It had been a surreal feeling ever since he was little. It was like the turf of the field electrified his senses, sparked a certain power in him. But this wasn't a game. This nervous energy wasn't for the better in this situation. It wasn’t like he was never nervous on a football field, but those nights were a lot different then the situation he was walking into at that given moment. When the lights were on and the crowd was cheering, he was always confident with what he did when he did it. And even if he did mess up, he knew there was a way he could bounce back. There’s always the next game, the next play, the next season in fact.

But as he caught glimpse of her, he knew that if he messed this one up, it was gonna be a hard and long bounce back.

Her eyes said it all once they met his. She did not want to give in.

Her hair was up today, pulled to the side and tangled into a ponytail knot. The long strands were twirled together and a bit messy, caught up in a sleepless night. Falling gently against her neck was the locket she always wore, shimmering in the gentle sunlight. Her shoulders were covered by a leather jacket, which was odd since it was still pretty hot outside for the beginning of the school year. Most people would judge and walk away. All Bryant wanted to do was find out more.

Her neck curved down to her tan shoulders and back, which leaned back against the tall tree she always was under. At least, he assumed she was always under. Because that was the place he would always find her.

If she really didn't like him... Why would she stay where she knew he could find her?

This thought gave him a surge of confidence as he walked closer into her peripheral vision.

He wasn't focused on where he was walking, because his observation skills were so limited by this one girl. She was so enclosed, but so out in the open, as if she didn’t want attention but didn’t understand how much she would undoubtedly receive. How much she would receive from him.

She looked up at him, her lips naturally parted, ending at a point like he had remembered. The lips that he had kissed with his own. “God damn…” He thought. “This better work.”

Her eyes lit up like blue orbs, widening as he made eye contact with her. His mind swirled deeper and deeper into desire.

Aspen always had this unreadable expression covering her face. It was so difficult to understand what she was thinking, how she was feeling. It was like her face spoke a different language, one he wasn’t used to. One he never knew existed until now.

~~

Aspen

Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Quarterback had entered the area. No one had been on the field; no one usually does during lunch unless the football kids wanted to play catch. It had seemed so empty. All of her focus had been on staying secluded in her own little world. Now it seemed the only two people in this world were her and… Bryant.

He walked into the stadium with a sense of pride. Shoulders high, stance firm but relaxed, as if anything he did came naturally. But the difference this time was there was no smirk on his face. No smile of any sort. No spill over of immense confidence. Just, a sense of determination.

He was getting somewhere, walking the way he did.

As she lifted her head to lock eyes with him, she knew she had fallen again into his gase. And there was no way she was getting out of it. So there she was, completely lost, feeling as if there was no escape. Then he was right in front of her.

“Figured you be here.” He said, exhaling as he ran his hand through his hair. He then put his hands on his hips, but not in the way a super hero did. More in the way people did to breathe better, to open their chest and inhaling before expressing something, then following that, exhaling deeply.

She nodded, then lowered her eyes to look down at his shoes. She couldn’t really think about what to say, how to say it. It felt so awkward, but it wasn’t a bad awkward.

The problem was that it seemed as if no matter what happened her heart wouldn’t stop pumping, and it was a good feeling, no doubt. Like the start of a roller coaster ride or a plane taking off, it kept her heart racing and eyes popping wide.

Then, after a silence she looked up. His mouth seemed shut tight. Maybe he didn’t want to mess something up, but the lack of communication was establishing a silence that had started to drive her mad, “You’re not going to ask where I was? I mean I’m not assuming that you were looking for me-”

“No, I was.” He said abruptly.

Then there was that exhale she was talking about before.

That silenced her again. She had begun to blush, her cheeks started to feel hot. She had given up on talking now. Too much thinking, too much effort. She stared up at him again, because honestly at that moment it seemed the only thing that she could do that fit the situation.

He kneeled, then sat down on the grass in front of her. “So where were you Aspen? Thought if you had actually been at school I would have found you by now.” He smiled, and when he smiled she had to look down, holding back a smile as wide as his. Wow… this was going to be difficult, she thought.

“Well… I was at home.” She said, still trying to hide her emotions. She wished there was a huge blanket somewhere around her so she could just throw it over her head, and disappear. That way he wouldn’t know anything. He wouldn't see anything.

He nodded, “Okay… want to give me a bit more detail? Because if you were sick…” he backed away slowly, using his hands to push himself away, a ghastly look on his face. A small laugh slipped out of Aspen’s mouth, and Bryant’s smile grew wider, and his cheeks grew red as well.

Dammit! Aspen thought. She felt like slapping herself silly. But she covered it well and dropped back into position.

Of course, she didn’t know how long she could hold it. It was like he was breaking down the walls she kept trying to put up. It was aggravating how frustrating this was. All she wanted to do… what was it she wanted to do? She was too distracted, to confused by the situation. What did she really want? What did she really need?

Bryant’s eyes were looking straight at her, awaiting her answer. Whoops, she thought.

“Yeah… I was sick. You should probably go so you don’t catch it to. It was bad… really bad.” That one hurt Aspen to say.

He looked back at her and shrugged, “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Three days isn’t that bad.”

“Oh you know exactly how long I was gone. That’s a bit creepy don’t you think?” Aspen was trying so hard for shy him away. So much that she was afraid she was hurting him. But she had to. He couldn't fall into the abyss people call Aspen. She had already gone too far, and she couldn't let it go farther.

Oh right, that was her mission. Stopping this.

Suddenly, he positioned himself to sit right next to her, and placed his hand on top of hers. “I don’t think so. I mean a guy notices if a girl is gone if… he likes her enough.”

Aspen caught her breath. Oh no. Oh god no. This just went from a simple conversation to a confession session. And Aspen never did good in confession sessions. She had to make a break for it… get his hand away from hers. She had to figure out a way to prevent this from getting farther than what it already was. Wasn’t that her plan? To make a break for it before it was too late to?

She nodded awkwardly, her eyes studying the grass below. Then she stood up, her hand almost hurting as she slipped it away from under his.

His face made Aspen's heart break.

She held her breath and let the words fall from her mouth, “Well… I’ll see you around then…”

He stood up and stood in front of her, “You’re seriously trying to book it again? It’s like you're pretending nothing ever even happened! I mean is anything really between us?"

"Nothing! Nothing is-" she tried to walk around him but it was almost useless. It was like he went into block mode on the football field automatically.

"Aspen why do you have to conceal your feelings for me?"

She wanted him to say her name again.

Wait... What did he say? Feelings? She didn't have feelings for him did she? Where they obvious? She felt like banging her head against a wall.

She turned around, not being able to make eye contact with him without breaking down.

He slipped his hands around her waist, "What about that kiss... Huh?"

She froze.

How was Bryant able to just bring out his emotions like that? Aspen thought. There was no way he was just able to tell people something so opinionistic without worrying about what the other person would say back. It was like he was so close, but in her mind he was halfway across the football field, standing humbly but determined, reaching out to her from a place she knew her arms could not reach. He was a spirit of his own, incompatible with hers. His perfections, the way his presence lights a room… She would just ruin something so perfect.

"Bryant..."

He turned her to face him, "Yes?"

Then, the echo of the five minute bell rang through the fields.

"Come on...seriously?" Bryant threw his arms up and argued with the sky. Aspen had to laugh at that one.

Aspen moved from his grasp, and he automatically grabbed her bag from her hands.

He smirked, “What? Can’t a guy hold a girl’s bag?” He slung it over his broad shoulder, “Plus I kinda rock it don’t I?”

She rolled her eyes, "How do you just- how can you just- change the subject so easily!!" She reached for her bag, but because of her little effort it was two inches away from actually grabbing it. But if she had grabbed it, you can bet that she would have flung it right against his face.

“Oh come on, you have to try harder than that.”

Aspen rolled her eyes, obviously unamused. Well, on the outside at least she was. She finally stirred up the determination to grab her bag from his shoulder and throw it onto hers. She accomplished it as smoothly as she could, which obviously wasn’t that smooth considering the fact that a buff attractive football player was flirting with her.

Usually she was great at handling that stuff. Then again when has this EVER happened to her?

He took a step forward, all the serious in the world summarized in his eyes. “Let me walk you home after school."

Beep! Beep! A red light flashed in Aspen’s head. No way is this happening. This could ruin everything. Even if Aspen did like Bryant, which she DIDN’T, this could go so wrong so quickly. Everything she has been trying to keep hidden could go public in a matter of minutes.

"I would rather you not. Thank you." She crossed the football field as quickly as she could, but in her somewhere she wanted to look behind her and make sure he was following her.

"I know where you walk home from after school!" He shouted as she walked away from him, steps faster than ever.

And for some reason, Aspen was not bothered by it one bit.

~~

Bryant

Bryant knew this wasn't going to be easy. And it wasn't hard to tell that Aspen wasn't the most interested in him. It was like he wanted to walk away and think things over, change his opinion, but he couldn't. He just kept pursuing like a cat chasing a light on the floor. As he walked to his next class he started to feel regret for saying all the things he had. About her feelings, holding hands, the kiss.... He just felt terrible. Like he was pushing things on her that never should have become lost in the past.

His brain averted back to Calculus. He walked in and closed the door behind him, then walked to his seat. This was one of the classes were he enjoyed sitting down and paying attention, because there was nothing to distract him, nothing like Derek or Mitch to bother him. He felt almost like he was at peace.

"Alright class," Mrs. Alaburn stood to the front of the class. She was one of the only teachers he liked. It wasn't that they were bad or anything, but she was the only one that didn't classify him as a football obsessed college scout stalking kid. She just saw him as a student to teach. And for Bryant, that was much better.

She cleared her throat, "Your test for Unit 6 is today. I hoped that you had all remembered, but I know you are students with potential so I'm not too worried. Any questions before we start?"

Yeah... What the hell?? When did this happen!? He started to sweat. All of this obsessing over Aspen had distracted him from his academics. For the first time he felt like he was mad at her. Mad at her for being so god damn irresistible.

"No time!" He thought, "Don't think about her. It won't change the situation," He sat at his desk and looked down to see his doom- I mean his test, already in front of him. He inhaled, then exhaled, and stared down at his test as the teacher continued to explain the same test process explained since day one. Well, what he could actually do of it at least. And he wasn't going to meet up with Aspen after school. It was a waste of time. He knew that now. His grades had to come first, and he had already tried to talk to her.

Maybe she just needed some time to realize her feelings for him. Or he needed time to become less attached.

"Okay no questions? Your time starts..." She held up a stopwatch with sixty minutes… "Now." And counting. Counting down. Counting down to the end of school, counting down to making his decision, and not just what letter to choose for each question, but his decision to push for Aspen, or do what she wanted and let her go. He put down his pencil and made his choice.