touch.

Brunette, small and amazing. That's me Josa. Josa Scher Guisa—just kidding I'm not amazing. I'm a 23 year old female, forced to move in the middle of Bravetown just because my parents separated. My mom applied for full custody on me, she got it with one rule—move away at least three states away from our previous house. So here we are. "Josa! Hello!" I'm guessing this is the millionth time Dell has called me few times with finger snapping today—I day-dream a lot. "Oh? Oh sorry Dell what were you saying?" I throw her an easy smile as I tuck my hair behind my ears. She shakes her head in disbelief yet smiling with squinted eyes. "I was asking about your mom." After taking a sip of her iced tea with eyes roll, she continues. "What's her name? What does she do?" "Oh! Mother. My mother. Right." She shakes a head with a smile. "Anara Guisa. She's a banker." "What's on your mind Guisa girl? You look a little flushed away. What's wrong?" Her perfectly filled eyebrows furrow as her hazel eyes shines with worry. This is what I absolutely love about her. She's very attentive to details—even the teeny-tiniest—even we just met about a week ago. "Nothing, really. This is just me at a new place. I like watching people." As my mouth spits the last few words, my eyes made its way to this one guy—he's sitting alone under another tree, few trees away. His dark grey hair catches my eye—despite the fact that it is quite hidden under his sweater's hood. Following my gaze, Dell smiles. "That's Demitri. Everyone thought he's a freak. He always sits alone in a corner, doing his own thing. Plus his hair color, they often make fun of him, also some scars on his face." "Well I thought his hair color is cool." I shrug nonchalantly, continuing my stare on him before returning it back on Dell. "I think so, too. I kinda think he's abused at home? I don't know. Nobody wants to talk to him." I'm still eyeing him as she talks. What she says kinda make sense, he somehow gave me the abused vibe. I don't know how and why, but I can feel it. "Okay babe I gotta run. Mr Schelling wouldn't like me late to his dinner!" She says with a slight sigh, brushing herself. Her dad has always been a little strict on family time, I'm used to her saying 'I gotta run, I gotta go'. "I'll see you next week boo. Miss me." She winks. I hit her playfully on the back and she laughs. I'm pretty sure I was staring blankly. But later I figure my eyes land, again, on the guy, Demitri. Snapping to reality, I realize he isn't alone no more. Two guys—which I'm guessing jocks—are besides him. All seems fine until the guys start to grab him by his collar. With his feet hanging off the ground, this surely doesn't look like a normal 'chat'. "What are you doing?" I call out. My voice raises slightly as I walk gradually faster, closing the distance between us. With my pulse raising higher and higher, I can't help but to try push the guys away with all my might. "Leave him alone!" They snort at me before focusing on Demitri again. My hit doesn't seem to give any effects on them at all. Now this is the cons of being small. My second attempt, I get pushed onto the ground. "Leave him alone!" I yell at the top of my lungs, again attempting to shoo them. And again it doesn't effect their business. Punching him on the jaw, they add more suffer by choking him together. This is it. My last attempt. I run them like a real football player, and they both fall tumbling down onto each other—Demitri falls hard, too. "What the f**k is wrong with you girl?? You tryinna get banged?" One guy says, brushing himself as he stands up. He sounds pretty upset, but not long after that he walks slowly towards me. His lips slowly twitching into a lechery smile. The other guy with the man-bun whistles, trailing behind him. "Yeah girl? I'll f**k you real good." When he starts to grind, I kick him right in the nuts. "f**k yourselves." I wasn't intending to hurt them, but grinding is a bit too much. With the fact that I'm a virgin. "Ah babygirl . . ." He stands up again, clutching his stomach in pain. That cocky look doesn't leave even for a second. "Come on baby, share them girls with me." He raises his eyebrows as he eyes my breasts—and I'm eyeing Demitri. He's being punched again by the other guy. I'm furious. "Ain't gonna be your hoe, boy." With that, I end the conversation with a hard kick on his stomach. Did I mention I'm small, and fierce? Screaming in agony, he says, "f**k you little Brunette bitch." I smile, "Well at least you're not wrong about the Brunette part." The other guy stops punching Demitri as soon as he saw me kicking his buddy—he ran off. Few seconds later they're both gone from my sight. I look at Demitri. He's surely in big pain. "Demitri? Demitri isn't it?" I call as I help to collect his books that are cluttered everywhere. Holding them out to him, his eyes meet mine. It was a quick glance, but I can already trace—pure pain and sorry. And then his eyelids flickers to look away, taking that shiny bright blue eyes away from mine. He pulls the hoodie further front and sighs softly. I take the chance of few seconds to stare at his features. Bright blue eyes flickers that long lashes of his as he look down on the ground at his pale fingers that are playing with the dead grass. Then he licks his soft pale plump lips that are bitten uneasily under his structured nose. With a slightly visible scar on his right cheekbone, one across the corner of his bottom lip and perfectly imperfect eyebrows that has a scar on the left side, he took my breath away I have to admit. He doesn't take the books from my hand, so I decided to place it on the ground next to him. The books are almost touching with the ground when he slides his hand under it. "Thank you," Soft, yet audible. "It's fine." I suddenly remember the wet wipes pouch my mom had given me earlier this morning. "Wait, I think I got-um. ." I realize his hot gaze on me as I dig my hand into my backpack. "Here. You're bleeding." He slowly takes it from me, not making any physical contact. "Oh, and it's already sterilized, so don't worry." "Thank you." Another soft thanks. "Are you waiting for your mom? " He looks up at me for a few seconds before looking back down. He wipes his finger with the wet wipe softly as he shakes his head. "Nah, I-I walk." "Do you need a ride home? I can send you." His eyes shoot me with a slight horror showing on his face. "No, I-I'll walk." "Um. . alright then." "Would you like a company?" "if that's what you want." Shamelessly, I land my ass on the ground in front of him. "How-" He pause—quite a long pause, but I didn't mind. I remember mom told me there are people having trouble with interacting. "Yes?" "How, How do-" Another long pause. As he pause, his fingers play with the grass uneasily. "Take your time, I'm right here." I add, smiling. He looks up shortly. "How do- How do you-" After a few minutes, He finally spills the whole question. "How, How do you know, know my name?" "My friend told me, Delayna Schelling. Do you know her?" He shakes his head, smiling small. "I have no idea who that is. Sorry." He let out a very short soft chuckle as he wipes his eyes hastily. "Aha, That's fine. She is a senior actually, but she retakes her classes for better GPAs. I think she's going for A levels? I don't know." "I've never-" That few long seconds pause. "I've never seen you around, here before." "Yeah I moved here last week. Well, I always sit under that tree over there every day after classes." "Oh. . ." He seems shocked to hear the fact that I've been around him for awhile—he even blushes. "I see you every day reading this book," I hold up his novel. "Beastly. Is it good?" He blushes even harder as he nods quick. "Really? What is it about?" "True love without looking physically attractive." "Can I open it?" He shrug with a hand gesture, his lips turn up slightly. "Be my guest." After reading a few pages, I catch him eyeing me with the same shy small smile. "Do you like it?" "Yeah it's very interesting. And I can tell the plots are going be painfully beautiful in the end." "You-" He licks his lips. "You can borrow, if- if you want." "Really? Is it okay?" I ask excitedly. He nods. "Are you sure you don't need a ride?" "Yeah." Standing up, I realize he's way taller than me. "Can- Can I-" kiss me? yeah go ahead. "Can I walk you to- to your car?" sigh. "Yeah sure." Such gentleman. It gets even better when he opens the door for me. "Thanks Demitri." I close the door and he taps on my window. "Hey. Um- uh- What's your name?" "Oh. It's Josa ." Nodding slowly, he looks away. "Thanks again, so much" I smile as he adds, "Josa." "It's alright. You boy," I point at him, playfully squinting my eyes, "take care." He raise his hand above his eyebrow like a proud soldier, "Yes ma'am." I throw him another big smile as I wave before driving away. I check for him at the rear view mirror. He's still standing there, holding tight to his backpack's straps. This boy.