And suddenly that look on his face seemed more wary than immune or removed. I liked to watch the way his body moved, and I liked that he didn't know it. Most times I found him with his hands stuffed in his pockets, and if outside, his head down against the wind. I looked for him in the overcrowded hallway-packed with teenagers moving slowly to class like cattle being herded to greener pastures-in the cafeteria, or walking ahead of me. But after that day in the cafeteria, I couldn't help looking at him differently, and my eyes always seemed to find him. I knew he must be smart despite his seemingly careless attitude. I always sat in the front so I could see the blackboard-I guessed I was probably nearsighted, not that we could afford an eye exam, much less glasses. I'd only had a few classes with Kyland over the three and a half years we'd been in high school, and he'd always sat in the back of the room, rarely uttering a word. It was a large school, housing students from three towns. That was trouble I didn't want any part of.īut apparently not all the girls in our school had too much of a problem with trouble, because if he was in the company of anyone, it was always someone female.
I was well acquainted with men who couldn't give a rat's ass. But that was the first time I really saw him, the first time I felt a throb of understanding in my chest for the boy who always seemed to wear an expression of nonchalance, as if he didn't care much for anyone or anything. I'd bet everyone who was female had let their eyes linger on him, with his strikingly handsome face, and his tall, solid build.
But I also knew the achy emptiness of a Monday morning after a long, hungry weekend. Our eyes met, his flaring briefly and then narrowing, as again, I looked away, my cheeks heating as if I'd just intruded on a deeply personal moment. But then I'd looked back as he walked in my direction toward the doors, stuffing the small portion of leftover food in his mouth. I'd looked away, attempting to preserve his dignity, a gut reaction on my part. The first time I really noticed Kyland Barrett, he was swiping someone's discarded breakfast off a cafeteria table.
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