The Look

Sounds of night were all around them. A group of children from ages thirteen and up were playing games. One girl, sixteen years old and head over heels for a man who barely knew she existed, was being eyed by a boy she was mad about three years before. As his gaze grew hot on her back, she remembered when she had first gotten in contact with him and the euphoria which had taken her over. They had held hands for everyone to see, but no one thought of it. The second time, much later, he had invited her to a game and her insides were positively effervescent. The third time, he had draped his arm around her with his hand on her shoulder blade. That day she felt things she never thought possible. Now that he was gazing at her, she felt and saw the longing she never had before. No matter how that gaze made her feel nervous, like, say, she had a stain or a rip in the back of her dress, she knew it was okay. Even though it may have taken an eternity for her once forgone dream to come back, hope was never really lost between the two of them. So as she walked away towards home, she eyed him back, and he was still gazing, but soon he looked away. Even as they were both three years older than they were before, some things between playmates never changed.