The Boy who Broke the Rules

8

You should stay away from me.

As he said those words, they were at odds with the look in his eyes. Because when he looked at me, I had a feeling he was telling me the opposite.

He wanted me to come closer.

It was so... confusing.

It's just your imagination.

The way he walked toward me, with that unmistakable swagger and purpose, with his eyes changing from intense to teasing in a heartbeat, made me shiver in anticipation.

And why was he always the one to walk away? I would love to have the chance to walk away from him first someday.

Yeah, right. Maybe next week, right after Peeta bakes me bread.

I paused as I suddenly felt a prickle on the nape of my neck. Even after dark, I always walked home from school and had never felt unsafe in this neighbourhood. It was a small town, for crap's sakes. If there was a pedo in the area, everyone knew about it and stayed away.

Adrenaline pumping, I widened my stance, planting my feet securely on the ground. My hand reached for the pepper spray I kept in my pocket at all times, positioning my finger on the tab. When I spun around, I was so ready to kick ass, but no one was there. I almost felt disappointed.

You're paranoid and nuts, Parks.

I blew out a breath, my limbs sagging as the adrenaline left me. Just as I was turning around, I spotted a tall figure on the opposite side of the road.

My breath caught as I stared at the lone figure standing ten feet away, and I decided that I was going to make a run for it, but he looked really familiar. I narrowed my eyes.

It was him. There wasn't enough light to see his face, but I knew.

Wait, was he following me?

Delighted but feeling self conscious, I tucked my long brown hair behind my ear.

Why would he follow you? my subconscious popped up.

I frowned. What if he just happened to walk in the same direction as me? This was a small town. Everyone lived close to each other.

He had his hoodie up so that half of his face was covered, head bowed low and hands shoved deep in his pockets as he walked on the sidewalk, ignoring me.

I stared at him for a minute, but he never acknowledged me.

Disappointed, I started walking again. He stayed behind me, not saying a word, not even making a noise with his footsteps. I, on the other hand, was very aware of him. I also dragged my feet, the sound of my flip-flops loud as it slapped the pavement.

We were alone on the road, the pale light from the lampposts illuminating our way. I could see the particles of dust in the beam of light, lazily flying in the air. The humidity from today was gone as the night air took over, bringing with it a refreshing breeze and a little bite in the air. I inhaled deeply, smelling the sharp scent of grass and delicate perfume of the flowers.

I looked up in the sky, smiling as I spotted the big fat round shape of the moon and the stars littering the ebony sky. Although I was a city girl, the country had a special spot in my heart because it showed the real beauty of nature and the unstoppable course of it, whereas the city stomped and cut off its growth, replacing it with manmade structures.

And as I was thinking this, I couldn't stop myself from throwing a glance behind me.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of Noah in the dark.

They said no man was an island, but as he stood there with his head bowed low, he looked so alone, so lonely, that I felt this tight squeeze in my chest.

I wanted to hug him.

We walked for a few more minutes. I, of course, occasionally glanced at him, while he just continued on with his face thrown in shadows. I thought I caught a glimpse of him smiling, but I wasn't sure. It could just be a trick of the light.

I really wanted to ask him about the fight earlier. What was it about? Did he always get into fights? Why was he so sad? Could I make him happy? What could I do to make him smile?

These questions were, of course, trapped in my mouth, because the truth was, we didn't know each other. I just met him yesterday.

Then why did I feel this longing toward him already?

When I spotted my house, I felt a little sad. Even though we never talked and we didn't even walk beside each other, I wanted to keep walking with him.

Unhurriedly, I moved in front of our gate. I stood there and pretended to search for the keys he graciously retrieved for me earlier. I wanted to have a look at him for the last time tonight before I go inside.

But he didn't walk past me. Instead, he stopped in front of the house beside mine.

I blinked. We're neighbours?

How did I not know?

Maybe because he just moved back?

I was openly staring at him now with my mouth a little open in surprise.

I expected him to go inside without looking at me, but he stood in front of it instead. His hands were still in his pockets as he lifted his head and just looked, as if he was memorizing it. Or replaying a memory in his mind.

He stood there in the night, a tall and lean boy, with loneliness like a cloak surrounding him. Something was forming in my chest that I didn't have a name for.

"Goodnight," I whispered, trying not to choke on the sadness I was feeling.

He looked at me but didn't say anything.

I went inside.

***

A/N: I wrote this story years ago, but it needs a lot of editing and I'm also adding new scenes and a lot of details to it, and I'm just so in love with Parker and Noah :) I'm so whipped.