Chasing Shadows | ✓

Part Two: Chapter Two

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her angel eyes
saw the good
in many devils

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"DO YOU WANT TO JOIN US FOR LUNCH?"

Travis glanced over at me with an inquisitive brow, "Really?"

I gathered my books in my arms and shrugged, "Of course. I'll introduce you to Noah too - I'm sure you two will get along."

Travis and I walked side by side, our shoulders nearly touching with each step. The smell of his cologne wafted under my nose, surprisingly  comforting like a blanket of warm summer evenings.

"Noah?" he hummed, the sound vibrating in my ears, "Is he your friend?"

A smile graced my face, "Mhm. We met. . . Gosh, I don't even know how many years it's been, but I've known him practically my whole life. He's my best friend."

I didn't miss the slight crease in his forehead, but it disappeared as fast as it came, like the string of a balloon getting lost in the wind. Instead, his lips spread into a soft grin and he nodded.

"Well, I can't wait to meet him then."

"You picked a good day to start though - I heard they have pizza today," I commented casually, the smell wafting under my nose the closer we got. Sneaking a glance over my shoulder, I lowered my voice to a playful whisper, "You know, I'm actually one of those people who loves pineapple on pizza, but I'm always afraid I'll get jumped if non-pineapple lovers hear me."

All of a sudden, Travis seemed to stumble in his steps at my words. I stuck out my hand, grasping his shoulder to steady him.

"Woah, are you okay?" I asked, peering at him with concern. The expression on his face seemed hard to read - it was a mixture of sadness, surprise and happiness. His lips were half turned down, and half pursed into a thin line, making him appear sterner than he was.

"Sorry," his cheeks flushed a dark red shade, "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."

"Well, best case scenario you can just sue the school if you fall over," I shot him a wolfish grin, "Become a millionaire and drop out."

"Sounds like you've thought a lot about doing that," he mused, barely stifling his chuckle.

There was something about the way he smiled; the way butterflies seemed to escape from the pit of my stomach, and the way the sun had somehow toppled down from the sky and made a home right there in my heart.

A secret grin curled on the edges of my lips as I pushed the cafeteria doors open, "Maybe. Now come on, I'll show you to where we usually sit."

The room was buzzing with noise; so much so it was hard to concentrate on my own voice and what I was saying. I winced at the sheer volume of laughter and screams that were resonating throughout. Ducking and weaving my way through the messily set up hall, I glanced back to see Travis shuffling behind me - eyes glued on mine. My lips twitched, but I whipped forward to hide the blossoming smile.

My eyes latched onto Noah who was hunched over the table, phone in hand. I rolled my eyes when I saw the rapid movement of his fingers, knowing he was playing Temple Run again.

"Noah!" I called, lifting my hand in a small wave.

Like magic, his face lit up with sheer happiness at the sound of my voice, and his phone was shoved into his back pocket. His eyes were so different in moments like these, more soft than I knew eyes could be. He pushed back his seat to stand up.