Meeting Christopher

The Second Character.

CHRISTOPHER

My life has been one of those that you rarely hear about. A good one, no.. a great one. Those around me seem to live in constant pain, while I, lucky as I am, have no problems. It feels as if the world is off balance when I'm around.

It's as if my existence in life is uncommon, unnatural. It's as if there is something wrong with me. And I know it sounds odd and borderline insane, but I spent my last few months searching for something to throw me off. Something to mess up my perfect streak, something to cause me problems.

Admitting that is harder than it seems, but it's the truth. I tried everything from moving to forcing myself into other peoples lives. And when all my attempts failed, I quit. I gave up and went back to living my life as well as I could. I didn't quite understand why I wanted something horrible to appear in my life, but it was a real disappointment.

That's when I got this job. A way to help pay for my college and get a few extra bucks in my pocket. I didn't think anything of it, I didn't plan on finding anything here. But then she appeared. She nearly fell into my arms, shoving her way into my life. A sophomore in the neighboring boarding school to my college. It was ridiculous, but I knew she was something more than a little girl.

I was introduced to her right away. She looked me in the eyes for a moment, and that was enough to send me falling. Just one look, and I understood. The pain she endured was clear, but no one at the Coffee Hut seemed to notice. I couldn't stand it, it began to cause me pain.

I had finally found what I was looking for, and I was afraid. I was afraid to accept it, and yet.. the others surrounding me acted as if it was nothing. As if it was normal behavior that no one should be concerned about.

Maybe it was because they had grown immune to her devastating eyes. I couldn't look away. I wanted to reach out and hold her, right then, right there. And I didn't even know her. I still don't know her. She keeps to herself, and does the job flawlessly.

Partially, I know that's the only reason they keep her around. They'd be foolish to allow her skills to go to waste. It's just hard to watch as she sulks around the cafe without being aware of others, and I've never seen her smile.

Her brown hair is always dangling around her face, and her eyes are always a piercing shade of Amethyst. Her pale skin glows, especially in the moonlight. She drives me crazy, and I'm not even sure she has acknowledged my existence.

I'm left guessing, day to day, and it becomes hard to handle. Especially on days like today, when the Cafe is empty and it's pouring rain outside. Her mood seems to fall lower at the sign of a dark day. It adds to her depression.

As she sits now, in the booth by the window, I cant help but watch. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, maybe just a change in her expression. Some hint of what she could be thinking about. A clue to her past, a key to unlock all the secrets she keeps bottled up inside.

Something...

I don't know if I'll ever know more about her, but it's something I hope for each day. It's silly, she's sixteen and I'm twenty. She might even find it strange, frightening to know I was so curious about her. That's the last thing I want.

"Christopher, do you mind closing up shop with Isabella tonight?" My thoughts are interrupted by Jason Hager, the manager of the Coffee Hut. I turn to face him, meeting his warm eyes. I open my lips to respond, but he continues. "I've got everything done, you've just got to lock up, alright?" He asks and I nod.

"No problem, Jason." I say and he smiles. "Thanks man.. Er.. make sure Isabella gets back to her dorm for me okay?" He asks, looking over at her suspiciously. "Um, alright." I say, following his eyes. "Poor kid." He sighs, seeming lost in his own thought.

I fall back into my trance, studying the way she twirls a single strand of her hair around her finger. Soon, I was alone behind the counter. Jason had slipped out. I waited, wondering when she would notice he had gone. It didn't seem like she was going to move from her seat, so I began to clean up.

It startled me, a few moments later, to find her in my shadows, silently helping me tidy up. She looked up at the sound of my gasp and her eyes looked apologetic. "I didn't mean to frighten you." Her voice was soft, beautiful, and she began to back away, giving me space.

"No, no. It's alright, I just didn't hear you." I tried to assure her. I watched her carefully, studying her eyes. They sparkled with the dim fluorescent lights above us. She didn't speak again, and slowly pulled herself from my eyes.

The night continued in silence, and I continued to watch her. I hoped she didn't notice, and every time she'd look my way, I would look away. It felt childish, but I didn't know what else to say to her. When it came time to lock up, I got nervous. I was supposed to make sure she got to her dorm, but how? I was too scared to ask to escort her, and following her would probably scare her. I was running out of time, and I had no options. If I let her go on her own, I'd live with it on my mind until I saw her again...

As she grabbed her coat, I cleared my throat. "Isabella?" I asked, tentatively, and she turned to me. She only looked at me. "May I walk you to your dorm?" I slowly and softly spoke, praying she wouldn't hear any of the words. She looked down at once, and then, she took me by surprise. She nodded.

Author's Note

Again, don't feel the need to hold back.

Reviews

[Camille K.]

at the sound of my gasp. try maybe instead: at the sound of my sharp intake of breath. gasp just doesn't sound right to me.
just my thoughts.
:-)

[Martina]

Love this! Don't have anything else to say but just keep up the good work!

[Farrah Grahm]

okay, this is starting to pull me in. There was a little more showing in this one. And I love the eyes giving off a shade of amethyst, but it also points to something supernatural.
It's certainly getting better, I like how he's drawn to her, by her pitiful outward appearance, I actually think this may be a better start then the one you have. Just a suggestion, but if you tweak it a little, starting here and slowly incorporating more information about Isabella's past might be interesting. Still, just a suggestion, but it might help to draw in the reader, who will feel obliged to continue reading just because of the ambiguity of it, just to find out more about Isabella. That's just a style issue though, completely up to you.