Caught Looking
853 Words
The next morning, Kelvin arrived at school earlier than usual.
Not because he wanted to.
He had simply gotten tired of listening to Celeste arguing with her stylist over shoes.
Again.
The school grounds were unusually quiet.
A few students wandered through the courtyard, but most hadn't arrived yet.
Kelvin slipped his hands into his pockets and headed toward his classroom.
The hallway was empty.
Peaceful.
Exactly how he liked it.
As he approached the classroom door, he noticed it was slightly open.
Strange.
He pushed it open and stepped inside.
Then stopped.
Someone was already there.
Rose.
She sat by the window, completely absorbed in a book.
The morning sunlight spilled across her desk, casting a soft glow around her.
For a moment, Kelvin simply stood there.
Watching.
She looked different when she thought no one was paying attention.
More relaxed.
Less guarded.
Almost...
Beautiful.
The thought caught him off guard.
Kelvin frowned immediately.
Where had that come from?
Rose suddenly turned a page.
The sound snapped him out of his thoughts.
He cleared his throat.
Rose looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a second, neither spoke.
Then Rose blinked.
"You're early."
Kelvin walked to his desk.
"So are you."
Rose closed her book.
"I like the quiet."
Kelvin paused.
"Same."
The answer surprised both of them.
A brief silence followed.
Not uncomfortable.
Just unfamiliar.
Neither of them seemed to know what to say next.
Kelvin placed his bag on his chair.
His eyes drifted toward the book in her hands.
"You always read before class?"
Rose glanced at the cover.
"Usually."
"What is it?"
"A mystery novel."
Kelvin sat down.
"Any good?"
Rose considered the question.
"It's okay."
"Only okay?"
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"Fine. It's really good."
Kelvin found himself staring.
There it was again.
That smile.
Small.
Brief.
But real.
For some reason, seeing it felt strangely satisfying.
As if he'd accomplished something.
Rose noticed him looking.
Her smile disappeared instantly.
Kelvin looked away.
Caught.
The silence returned.
This time it felt different.
Heavier.
More noticeable.
Why was this so awkward?
He'd talked to plenty of people before.
Yet holding a normal conversation with Rose felt unexpectedly difficult.
As if one wrong word would make her shut down completely.
The classroom door suddenly slammed open.
"ROSE!"
Jasmine practically burst into the room.
Rose winced.
Kelvin nearly jumped.
Jasmine froze.
Her eyes moved from Rose.
To Kelvin.
Back to Rose.
Then back to Kelvin.
A slow grin spread across her face.
"Oh."
Rose immediately sighed.
"No."
"I didn't say anything."
"You don't have to."
Jasmine dropped into the seat beside Rose.
"This is interesting."
"It's not."
"It definitely is."
Kelvin already had a headache.
Jasmine turned toward him.
"Good morning, Kelvin."
"Morning."
Her eyes widened dramatically.
"He speaks."
Rose rolled her eyes.
Kelvin looked away to hide the faint smile threatening to appear.
Unfortunately, Jasmine noticed.
"Oh my gosh."
"What?"
"You smiled."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You totally did."
Rose shook her head.
"You enjoy causing problems."
"I prefer creating entertainment."
Before Rose could respond, another voice appeared from the doorway.
"Good morning."
The room instantly quieted.
Rowan.
He stood in the doorway carrying a stack of books.
A familiar smile rested on his face.
His eyes immediately found Rose.
"Morning."
Rose's expression softened slightly.
Kelvin noticed.
And for some reason...
He didn't like it.
Rowan walked over.
"You're here early."
Rose nodded.
"So are you."
"I had library duty."
Jasmine groaned.
"You're too responsible."
"I've heard that before."
Rowan laughed.
The atmosphere around him felt easy.
Natural.
Comfortable.
Like someone who could get along with anyone.
Including Rose.
Especially Rose.
Kelvin leaned back in his chair.
Trying to ignore the strange feeling settling in his chest.
Why did it matter?
Rose could talk to whoever she wanted.
It wasn't his business.
He barely knew her.
So why was he paying attention?
Rowan glanced toward him.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Neither looked away.
The tension was subtle.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
Then Rowan smiled politely.
"You're Kelvin, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'm Rowan."
Kelvin nodded.
The conversation ended there.
Short.
Simple.
Yet somehow awkward.
Jasmine looked between them.
Then grinned.
"Oh, this is fun."
"Jasmine."
"What?"
Rose already knew that tone.
Whenever Jasmine used that tone, trouble followed.
Lots of trouble.
Thankfully, more students began arriving.
The classroom slowly filled.
Conversations started.
Chairs scraped across the floor.
The moment passed.
Or at least it should have.
But throughout the entire morning, Kelvin found himself distracted.
Every now and then, his eyes drifted toward Rose.
Every now and then, Rowan would stop by her desk.
Every now and then, Rose would smile.
Not often.
But enough.
Enough for Kelvin to notice.
Enough for him to wonder why she never smiled like that around him.
And that question stayed in his mind long after the first bell rang.
Long after classes began.
Long after he told himself he didn't care.
Because the truth was becoming harder to ignore.
Something about Rose had caught his attention.
And Kelvin Reid wasn't sure what to do about it
- Writer
