Dawn
I slid into my seat at the back of the classroom, trying to act casual, but my heart was already thudding like a drum. Five seats ahead of me… Earl. Just sitting there, quietly opening his notebook, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear, completely oblivious to how much he is wrecking me.
I tried to focus on my own notebook. Tried.
But every movement he made pulled my attention like gravity. The way he tilted his head when listening to the teacher. The soft hum he made under his breath when he figured something out. The way the sunlight caught in his curls and made them glow.
I scribbled something in my notebook, anything to distract myself. Equations turned into doodles. Hearts. Tiny "E"s. One small sketch of him leaning over his desk, looking unfairly adorable.
Then he shifted in his seat, leaning slightly forward, and my arm tensed as if it had its own heartbeat.
Across the aisle, a classmate nudged me. "You okay?"
I shook my head, muttering, "Yeah… fine." Totally fine. Definitely not melting into my own chair over a boy five seats away in front of me.
But it didn't help that every so often, his movements sent little "accidental" things my way. A pen slipping from his desk and rolling in my direction. A soft cough that made me glance up, just in time to meet his eyes for millisecond.
And that little nod he gave me during attendance, just a subtle tilt of the head toward me made my chest feel like it might explode.
He's not doing this on purpose... is he?
Every time he looked down at his notebook, my thoughts ran wild. I kept imagining him looking up at me just for a second, smiling that shy, soft smile, the one from last night, and I nearly lost it.
By the end of class, I was doodling "Earl + Dawn" in tiny letters along the margin of my notebook, secretly hoping he'd notice… secretly hoping he wouldn't.
When the 3rd period bell finally rang, I packed my things slowly, savoring the few seconds I could steal a glance at him. He looked up at the sound of the bell, caught my eye, and gave me the tiniest wave.
Just a wave.
And I nearly lost my composure entirely.
No. I couldn't keep doing this. If I didn't take a chance, everything would fade before it even began. I wanted more than this aching distance. I wanted to be there for him... really be there. I wanted him to trust me, to rely on me. To let me step closer.
So I stepped toward him instead.
"Wanna eat lunch with me later?" I asked, slipping into the chair beside his.
Earl glanced up, surprised but not displeased. "Hmm, sure. Are we going to eat with Derrick and the others?"
His voice was casual. But something... something in the way he said it made hope flicker warm and bright in my chest