Chapter 34

"I'll catch up with you," I heard Eve say to Lila as I stretched my arms over my head.

"Okay," Lila said with a caring tone. "You know where I'll be."

"Yeah," Eve replied before the two shared a friendly hug. Lila then took her lunch bag as I got to my feet. She looked at me, her eyes dropping to my feet and back up to my face before she scoffed and walked away.

Classy.

As Lila took her leave, I took her seat next to Eve.

"Hey," she greeted me with a slight smile, her hands politely clasped together on the table. "I'm really sorry about earlier. It wasn't right of me to push you away like that. You were just trying to help and…you didn't deserve that."

"It's fine—," I replied, "really." She coyly turned her gaze downward as she smiled a bit wider. "Given the things that I've done to bother everyone else I think it's only right I get what was coming to me eventually."

"I don't feel that way," she replied as she looked up at me again, piquing my interest. "You said you're making a positive change for yourself and I believe you."

"Thanks," I said. The two of us sat there for a moment in silence. "So... do you want to talk about it or--"

"No," she interrupted me. "I mean, I do want to talk, just... about anything else, though."

Something moving caught my eye. I looked over to see Sofia waving at me as she exited the room. I waved back to her and she smiled. Eve watched the entire exchange.

"You're getting pretty popular," Eve joked.

"Positive changes?" I innocently replied, causing her to chuckle.

"I see that," she replied with a slight smile. She then tucked her hair behind her ear. "So, what do you like to do?"

I casually shrugged. "Normal stuff. Hang out with friends, chat online, play video games."

"Oh yeah? What's your favorite video game?"

I hummed thoughtfully as I considered my answer. "Probably Super Mario World."

She gasped in excitement. "Oh, wow, I love that game. I used to play it with my little brother. I could never beat it, though. He was way better than me."

She then unhooked her lunch bag from her backpack and got to her feet.

"Come on, let's walk and talk," she said, waving for me to follow her.

"Sounds good," I replied as I, too, got up and left class along with her.

The hallways were nearly empty. Just a few last kids walked by us and headed into the stairwell. The two of us took our time following them. Eve held her bag by the strap with both hands in front of her.

"So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" she curiously asked.

"Nope," I replied with a proud smile.

"Only child, huh? Guess the way you used to act makes more sense now."

"I guess it does," I said, grinning as I kept my attention forward. I was curious enough to ask her, "What do you like?"

"I love movies. Have you been to the movies lately?"

I held the door open for her, our voices starting to echo as we walked into the empty stairwell.

"I really don't go to the movie theaters that often. I think the last time I went was to see Space Jam."

"Oh, I love that movie!" she giddily exclaimed. "Remember the song by R. Kelly? I believe I can fly,"

"I believe I can touch the sky." I chuckled and shook my head, “You have a nice singing voice.”

"Thanks," she replied with a warm smile. I then sat on the stair rail and slid down to the mid-point where it leveled out again. She gasped in surprise. "Wow, what a daredevil you are."

"I gotta get my kicks somehow, right?" I asked with a smirk as she caught up to me.

"Yeah," she replied just before the two of us stopped at the bottom of the stairwell. "You seem like a fun guy. I can honestly say I really like talking to you."

"Same here."

She gave me a lovely smile that was infinitely better than seeing her in so much pain earlier. I was glad to help lift her somber mood.

But something about that moment I shared with her made something click in my mind. I was so overwhelmingly infatuated with her, having always been attracted to her. It was like she understood me on so many levels. I was certain that it was a perfect time to spill my secret to her, and that she was more than trustworthy enough to keep it secret.

And so, in that moment, I made a judgment call and blinked my eyes. Little did she realize what the mere blink of my eyes actually did.

"Eve," I quietly said.

"Yeah?"

"I want to, uh... I want to admit something to you."

She immediately seemed shocked and upset. She awkwardly rubbed her arm and lowered her gaze to my feet.

"Oh," she uttered. "Well, ...Anthony I literally just got out of a relationship..."

I quickly stilled her worries. "No, no, it's... it's not what you're thinking." She looked up at me as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "You couldn't possibly guess this in a million years."

"Oh yeah?" she asked with a playful smirk. "Well, now you've got my attention. What is it?"

"Um... Wow, how do I even put this?" She tilted her head curiously. "Okay, I'll just go ahead and say it. Uhh... I can... I can freeze... time."