timidly as I tried to look calm.
He raised his right hand to my eye and gently caressed my lashes closed, then whispered, “Change your perspective – you have sympathy when you should have disgust.”
He lowered his hand, and I opened my eyes slowly. “I don’t have either of those emotions…I just want to ignore it.”
A grin spread across his face, and all of the anger he had before seemed to fade. “That works, too.” His eyes slowly searched my face. “You have to be the most breathtakingly beautiful… mysterious girl I have ever met.” His eyes glanced at the space around me. For a second, I thought someone had come to look for me, but then his eyes fell into mine again. “I don’t know what’s more intriguing to me – this shield you have around you, or the undeniable power of your soul.”
I smirked at his comment. “The power of my soul – that’s a little deeper than what most guys would say,” I said, raising my eyebrows as I removed his hands from my hips.
“ I’m not most guys. I doubt anyone sees you the way I do,” he said, holding a serious gaze.
“ And how is that?” I said, trying to hold a distant approach to his words – trying to fight my swarming emotions – the ones that were telling me that if I could save him, I could protect something so much more precious…I just didn’t know what that was.
“ You’re everything,” he whispered.
He slowly began to lean into me. I felt my heart race and my ears start to burn. I didn’t want to kiss him…it felt like it would be betrayal - one that I could never recover from.
I looked into his eyes, but they were not looking at me; they were carefully studying my lips. I closed my eyes, wishing for a way out of this. I felt the heat of his lips near mine. My heart was beating so loud, I barely heard the sound of my name. I stepped back, finding myself against the lockers.
“ Charlie?!” Kara said.
It sounded like she screamed, but it was more like a harsh whisper. I stepped abruptly back from Britain and looked to my right to see her coming down the hall, holding my gown. I looked back up at Britain only to find him grinning and shaking his head. “It’s uncanny how she always knows when to show up,” he whispered.
“ That’s my sister,” I said as I let out a grateful sigh; if it were my mom, I’d be dead by now.
“ Really? She doesn’t look like you,” he said, standing up a little straighter and looking curiously down at me.
I could see a betrayal in his eyes – he knew then that I’d hidden more than I’d ever revealed to him. I was really good at avoiding conversations I didn’t want to have. I’m sure that’s what he meant when he referred to my shield. I also found it somewhat humorous what he said about my mom always showing up at the wrong moment. From my vague memories, I could recall that when Britain did manage to create a moment that I didn’t have the courage to refuse, my mom either came home or called at that instant…I felt the emotion of gratitude and relief consume me as I watched Kara come closer to us.
“ I’m coming,” I said to Kara.
She was just a few feet away from us now.
“ We’ll go together,” she said, looking at Britain.
He reached his hand out to her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Britain.”
“ I’m Kara… I wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you,” Kara said, shaking his hand.
Britain grinned slightly. “I could say the same. At least I’m not the only one she keeps in the dark.”
“ Well, Charlie has always been one to keep her thoughts locked away,” Kara said, giving me an intense look.
“ We were just talking about that shield she has around her,” Britain said, looking intently down at me.
I ignored the invitation to explain why I never mentioned a sister and stepped forward. “Is mom looking for me?” I asked Kara.
“ She’s talking to your friend Bianca’s parents. It might be a good idea for you to say your goodbyes; we
He raised his right hand to my eye and gently caressed my lashes closed, then whispered, “Change your perspective – you have sympathy when you should have disgust.”
He lowered his hand, and I opened my eyes slowly. “I don’t have either of those emotions…I just want to ignore it.”
A grin spread across his face, and all of the anger he had before seemed to fade. “That works, too.” His eyes slowly searched my face. “You have to be the most breathtakingly beautiful… mysterious girl I have ever met.” His eyes glanced at the space around me. For a second, I thought someone had come to look for me, but then his eyes fell into mine again. “I don’t know what’s more intriguing to me – this shield you have around you, or the undeniable power of your soul.”
I smirked at his comment. “The power of my soul – that’s a little deeper than what most guys would say,” I said, raising my eyebrows as I removed his hands from my hips.
“ I’m not most guys. I doubt anyone sees you the way I do,” he said, holding a serious gaze.
“ And how is that?” I said, trying to hold a distant approach to his words – trying to fight my swarming emotions – the ones that were telling me that if I could save him, I could protect something so much more precious…I just didn’t know what that was.
“ You’re everything,” he whispered.
He slowly began to lean into me. I felt my heart race and my ears start to burn. I didn’t want to kiss him…it felt like it would be betrayal - one that I could never recover from.
I looked into his eyes, but they were not looking at me; they were carefully studying my lips. I closed my eyes, wishing for a way out of this. I felt the heat of his lips near mine. My heart was beating so loud, I barely heard the sound of my name. I stepped back, finding myself against the lockers.
“ Charlie?!” Kara said.
It sounded like she screamed, but it was more like a harsh whisper. I stepped abruptly back from Britain and looked to my right to see her coming down the hall, holding my gown. I looked back up at Britain only to find him grinning and shaking his head. “It’s uncanny how she always knows when to show up,” he whispered.
“ That’s my sister,” I said as I let out a grateful sigh; if it were my mom, I’d be dead by now.
“ Really? She doesn’t look like you,” he said, standing up a little straighter and looking curiously down at me.
I could see a betrayal in his eyes – he knew then that I’d hidden more than I’d ever revealed to him. I was really good at avoiding conversations I didn’t want to have. I’m sure that’s what he meant when he referred to my shield. I also found it somewhat humorous what he said about my mom always showing up at the wrong moment. From my vague memories, I could recall that when Britain did manage to create a moment that I didn’t have the courage to refuse, my mom either came home or called at that instant…I felt the emotion of gratitude and relief consume me as I watched Kara come closer to us.
“ I’m coming,” I said to Kara.
She was just a few feet away from us now.
“ We’ll go together,” she said, looking at Britain.
He reached his hand out to her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Britain.”
“ I’m Kara… I wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you,” Kara said, shaking his hand.
Britain grinned slightly. “I could say the same. At least I’m not the only one she keeps in the dark.”
“ Well, Charlie has always been one to keep her thoughts locked away,” Kara said, giving me an intense look.
“ We were just talking about that shield she has around her,” Britain said, looking intently down at me.
I ignored the invitation to explain why I never mentioned a sister and stepped forward. “Is mom looking for me?” I asked Kara.
“ She’s talking to your friend Bianca’s parents. It might be a good idea for you to say your goodbyes; we
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