Stealing glances!
1099 Words
Chapter Four
Stealing Glances
Peyton’s POV
I walked straight out of biology class and nearly collided with Lexi—the infamous Head Girl—right there in the hallway. She wasn’t alone.
Next to her walked a shy-looking girl with wild curls, glasses, and that lost-but-trying-to-be-cool look new students always wore.
“Oh—Lexi, how are you doing?” I called, stopping as they made their way toward the stairwell.
She turned at the sound of my voice and smiled.
“Hi Peyton,” Lexi replied. “I’m good. How about you?”
“I’m fine,” I said, but my gaze shifted. The girl next to her was watching me like I was a painting she wasn’t sure how to read.
I stared back. My eyes took in the full mess of her curls. Big, bold.
She looked away.
Too shy to hold a gaze, huh?
“Who’s your friend?” I asked, my tone dipping a little lower as my curiosity caught up with me.
Lexi turned to her. “This is Amira. She just transferred in today.”
I studied her again. She shifted her weight awkwardly, barely managing to lift her eyes to meet mine.
“She’s our new classmate,” Lexi added with a casual wave of her hand.
Amira offered a smile, or at least tried to—it came out lopsided and nervous. I smiled back, softer this time, encouraging her without words.
She blushed. Looked away again.
I fought back a laugh.
What’s got her blushing like that?
“Hi, Amira,” I said gently, still watching her.
“Hi, Peyton,” she murmured, barely above a whisper. Her voice cracked slightly.
Definitely peculiar. But kind of cute.
Lexi tugged her along. “Let’s go, girl.”
“Catch you later,” she added, already dragging Amira toward the stairs.
“Alright,” I called after them, chuckling to myself as I turned away.
Baseball practice was right around the corner. My energy spiked just thinking about it.
Then I saw him.
“Mason!”
He was walking in from the opposite hallway, flanked by his friends, laughing loudly.
My Mason.
My stomach flipped. My steps quickened.
By the time I reached him, I was in his arms.
Warm. Safe. Familiar.
I didn’t care who was watching. They could stare all they wanted—this was us.
I closed my eyes and melted into his embrace, his cologne soaking into my senses. That scent? I could pick it out in a crowd.
Some girls say that’s silly.
It’s not.
It’s love.
I looked up at him. His eyes, deep brown. His expression already reading mine. Our lips met like they always did—soft, practiced, easy.
Kissing Mason always felt like coming home.
We pulled apart eventually. His friends had disappeared, giving us space.
Good.
He slung his arm around me, leading me down the hallway. He was tall, broad, always walking like he was heading into battle. The football team adored him. So did most of the school.
So did I.
“Where’ve you been all day?” I asked, though I already knew.
He was in the Arts, like Lexi. I was in the Science block. We barely crossed paths during the day. But that didn’t matter—we always found each other.
“Had English with Professor Looney. Then music,” he said, grinning. “Now I’m here. With you, baby.”
I rolled my eyes, pushing him playfully. “Don’t you have class?”
He smirked. Nodded. “Later.”
We both knew he was skipping.
I didn’t call him out. I just smiled, because this moment? It was mine.
But practice was waiting, and my team needed me.
I gave him one last hug and turned away.
---
Amira’s POV
I stared through the entire next class like a zombie.
Professor Lilian—Lexi said that was her name—was at the front of the room, saying something about credit notes or debit notes or something equally meaningless.
I heard none of it.
Because halfway through the lesson, Mason—the oversized human from earlier—waltzed into the room, muttered an apology, and sank into a seat at the back like he was doing us a favor.
Ugh. Boys.
They were nothing but noise and ego. A distraction I didn’t need.
I stabbed my fork into my spaghetti during lunch, Swirled the pasta around until it coiled into a neat little spiral, then stuffed it into my mouth.
Lexi sat across from me, biting into her apple with that same carefree energy that followed her everywhere.
“So, tell me something,” I said, finally breaking the silence. “Who is Peyton?”
Lexi paused.
Then she smiled. Lowered the apple. Locked eyes with me.
“She’s the baseball captain,” Lexi said slowly, like she was choosing her words carefully. “A real tough one.”
“Baseball?” I repeated, letting the word sit on my lips.
I wasn’t sure why I liked the sound of it. I just did.
I’d always been a baseball fan. Watched it, followed it. Never played. But something about the game excited me in ways I couldn’t explain.
Maybe it was the rhythm. Or the passion. Or... the captains.
Yes the captains— Peyton's smile flashed in my head.
“Yes,” Lexi said. “Why? You seem extra curious.”
“I’m not curious,” I shot back quickly. “I just… took to her.”
Her eyebrows raised. One of them arched so high it could’ve touched the ceiling.
“I mean… the same way I took to you,” I added, way too fast. “You know, like… first day, friendly faces. That kind of thing.”
“Right,” she said, returning to her food.
I tried not to fidget.
“When does the baseball team train?” I asked, more casually this time.
Lexi looked up again, suspicious.
“I overheard someone saying training starts this evening.”
My heart did a small, unexpected somersault.
“Oh.”
I chewed faster. Ate like I had a race to catch.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I sat through class after class, but my brain was somewhere else entirely.
Something inside me was shifting.
A strange, fluttery something I couldn’t quite name yet.
Was it curiosity?
Obsession?
Something else?
I didn’t know.
But whatever it was, it was growing—and it had hazel eyes, a high ponytail, and a smile that wouldn’t leave my head.
- Writer
