carrying the torch

Will wasn't really looking for Gabby, especially at school.

However, they'd had a few phone calls over the summer. She sounded a little down. Although, he'd called her mainly about being on the lookout for runaway Bree (who was with Connor, no less).

He really did feel quite old to be back in school. As it was, he stayed away from home and took as many extra hours as he could at the library, shelving. After all, his step-mom was busy with her son and his wife (Tiffany was pregnant) who was on bed-rest.

His dad worked too much, but then he knew his dad liked it that way. Perhaps, Will was much more like his dad than he realize.

Will had done nothing this summer but work. He hated to write about it, for his first writing assignment in English.

It didn't take him long to look around the room, to see if anyone was having as much trouble as he was.

He heaved a sigh, that's when he saw her dark eyes staring at him. She was new and probably a freshman. Still, she almost made him smile. Almost. Naturally, she looked as if she might laugh at him, but she looked down at her paper and started writing more. He did the same.

Maybe it wasn't a moment, after all.

It was always hard to read a girl. Well, actually, anyone, in his case.

After class, he went on to his locker in the hallway. He noticed Ivy holding some guy's hand. It took him by surprise. Will winced. Wasn't she suppose to be with Simon? But she seemed very engaging with this fellow, who did look like trouble.

Will definitely needed to tell Simon about this, but somebody bumped into him from behind. It was that girl from English. He looked down at her.

"lo siento mucho," she said.

"What?" Will couldn't decide to smile or wince.

She was even-lipped, but her books had bumped into his butt, and suddenly, he felt as if  he wasn't as numb to the world, as he used to be.