The Journey: Part 1

         Lexie looked at each passing car anxiously as she sped down the highway.  One of those cars held her Easton, and she was sure that if she saw him, she'd have to go back to Garrisburg.  Her large, black sunglasses shielded her face quite well.  It was almost a blessing that her car had finally fizzled out the week before, forcing her to rent a car.  Easton would have recognized her old Honda Civic in a heartbeat.  Thoughts kept running through her head, quicker than running water in a faucet.  I shouldn't have left so close to when he'd get back. Of course he'll head straight to my apartment after work, ring the bell and realize quickly that I'm not there.  He'll think I'm out, but he'll come back later; that's when he'll know something is up. Maybe I should go back...
           And yet Lexie didn't hesitate; she just kept on driving.  This is something I have to do on my own.  She saw Easton's face in each autumn-hued tree. Five years ago she wouldn't have known that the tree with the huge brown leaves was an oak tree, or the slightly smaller one down the road with red leaves was a maple.  She wouldn't have seen Easton's face in each tree, memories in all the leaves. Easton had a love for all things nature, and over the years, he had shared that love with Lexie.  He had spent hours upon hours teaching her each of the different types of trees, creating a soft spot in her heart for the beauty of the autumn months.  But that was then, and this was now. She continued down the road, trying to keep her eyes on the dull, black concrete instead of the heartbreakingly beautiful trees that she kept passing.

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           “Who's that guy?” Lisa said from the passenger seat. Lexie looked out the window to see a boy she'd never seen before getting out of a huge, beat up, old Bronco.
           “Hmm... he doesn't look familiar,” Joann shrugged, skimming through a stack of CD's she'd found in the backseat. “Lex, can I borrow this?”
           “Huh?” Lexie was still focused on the boy, who was slinging  knapsack over his shoulder, “Oh, yeah; sure... It's strange, right? A new kid in November?” she thought aloud, turning to face Lisa again.
           “Well, I guess so... but it's not unheard of. A new kid in Garrisburg, however, that's practically unheard of,” Lisa responded.
           “Yeah, I think the last one was that Carl kid... you know, in seventh grade? He had that horrible acne and hideous, round glasses,” Joann said, leaning up to the front seat.
           “Ooh, yeah... he was weird. What ever happened to him?” Lisa asked.
           “He's right there...” Lexie said slowly, pointing to a scrawny boy in a short sleeved, plaid button up. “He sits behind you in pre-calc.”
           “Oh right.”
           A new kid in Garrisburg... Lexie got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind her. She watched as the boy crossed the parking lot and walked up the stairs to the main door.  Joann was hoisting herself out of the backseat, the downfall of a two-door car, and Lisa was going off about something that Joann had said, but Lexie wasn't listening.  She was studying the brunette hair and tan arms of the new kid.  He was wearing a gray t-shirt, worn black boots poking out under his dark, old jeans.  He looked both rugged and shy at the same time.  I wonder where he came from...

****

           “Is this seat taken?”
           Lexie had been leaning forward to talk with Lisa and Joann as they waited for class to start, and let out a sigh of annoyance at the interruption. She looked up to see the new kid, bright blue eyes poking out under the brown hair she'd been studying earlier.
           “No, it's not,” she said, offering him the chair next to her as she continued to study his appearance. She noticed now that his shoulders were wider than she’d imagined, and there was a subtlety to the muscles stretching his shirt sleeves.  His skin was a milky brown, as if he’d been outside a lot that summer.  He cleared his throat as he sat down.  Lexie, startled, looked back at her friends quickly.

“Thanks,” he smiled, taking the seat as Lexie’s cheeks started to flush. “I'm Easton, by the way.”

           Lexie turned back around, both embarrassed for checking him out and annoyed that he would interrupt his conversation yet again. What am I supposed to say? I hope he didn't see me looking at him… oh gosh, he totally saw me.  She stared at his outstretched hand, and then back at his face. “Lexie,” she said, taking his hand.
           “Nice to meet you, Lexie,” Easton smiled again, and Lexie noticed that he had perfect teeth.  She looked away quickly, jumping back into conversation with Lisa and Joann as best she could.

Easton took a notebook out of his bag and placed it on the table, then grabbed a pen and slouched slightly in his chair.  He fiddled with the pen a bit while Lexie and her friends continued talking. Every few seconds he would steal a glance, noticing Lexie's hair streaming halfway down her back; it was a deep brown, with strands of red glinting here and there when the light hit it right.  Then he noticed the freckles dotting her shoulders next to the thick straps on her white tank top.

           The teacher, who had been sitting at a desk in the front of the classroom, stood up and started to write on the board. The bell rang a few seconds later and Lexie and her friends stopped chatting and settled in to their chairs.  As Mrs. Rooney spoke, Lexie looked over at Easton, who was staring back at her.  It was the first time Lexie realized just how blue his eyes really were… blue enough to pierce her heart.

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