Page 32 of Hunters and Prey

"You're not ugly. Do you actually believe those jealous fools? They haven't seen you without your glasses and when you brush your hair up in a cool style, instead of leaving it all ruffled up."

"You know it's hard for me to get up in the morning," he reminded. "Styling my hair takes time."

"You do it for me," I argued.

"I like showing you this side of me," he whispered. "I like impressing you,"

"Impressing me?" I questioned. He slowly nodded, his face now beet red.

"I don't really care what the others think...but your opinion of me matters. You don't judge people by looks or if they get good or bad grades. You’re down-to-earth and real. Everyone at school is fake. They do anything for popularity, spread lies to make themselves look better or bring other people down. Anything to make them look better, smarter, and cooler. I don't fit into any of those categories and I don't want to. I see no need to dress all nice, fix my hair, and wear contacts to please people who'd then give me all the attention in the world because I'm good-looking," he explained.

"My opinion matters," I whispered to myself, giving him a small smile. "That means a lot to me," I whispered, a warm breeze wrapping around the two of us.

Aaron met my smile with his own, noticing how the leaves that were lying aimlessly on the ground were following the wind that was swirling around us.

"We should get back," he encouraged.

"Ya," I replied, feeling a bit of disappointment that our conversation couldn't go further. I wanted him to continue, to tell me who he'd kissed before, but at the same time, I didn't want to know.

Obviously, it wasn't me. That means he likes someone else.

Peering at my feet, I stared at the pink rollerblades, wondering if I should just tell him how I felt and move on. It was scary to think about, especially if it all went wrong.

If I tell him how I feel, what if he doesn't want to be friends with me anymore? Or it becomes awkward between us? If I lose him as a friend, I'd regret telling him in the first place.

"Alice." I lifted my head to see Aaron was giving me a worried look. He reached out to brush my cheek with his hand. "Hmm. I'm not supposed to do this."

"Do wha-" I began but didn't finish; Aaron's lips pressed firmly against mine. My eyes grew wide, locking onto his green ones.

I must have imagined it, but I thought his eyes began to shift in color, turning into a sky blue, followed by a golden orange. I slowly closed my eyes, unsure if my mind was playing tricks on me, but I pressed my lips against his, responding to the tender kiss.

The wind picked up, wrapping around us at a stronger pace as the trees around the clearing made rustling noises.

Aaron broke the kiss and I kept my eyes closed for a few extra seconds, unsure if his eyes would be back to their green appearance. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw they were back to normal and his face was flushed.

"There," he muttered. "Let's go."

I slowly nodded, watching him begin to walk away.

"Woof!" Daisy raced back into the forest, a sign she was heading back home with or without us. I stared at Aaron's back, while I lifted my hand to press my two fingers on my lips.

He actually kissed me.

"Aaron," I whispered. He stopped in his place, looking over his shoulder to meet my eyes.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I..." I took a deep breath and lowered my hand. "I...really..."

He stared at me in confusion. "You really?"

Ugh. Why is this so hard to say. Alright, Alice. You're going to do this. You have to say it. You like Aaron! You like Aaron! You like Aaron!"

"I like y-EEP!" I shrieked when the wind picked up, rushing between us. The force was strong enough to push me backward, my rollerblades only adding to my distance as I rolled farther away from Aaron.

"What the hell?" I questioned, looking around and realizing something was wrong. "Aaron?!"

The wind not only had picked up, but it was also circling around me like I was in the middle of a tornado. I tried to rollerblade right through the thick wall of wind that circled around me, but it merely pushed me back to the middle.

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