"I'm in love with someone."

She felt her heart beat faster in her chest as the usual anxiety swept through her. Daring not to glance up at him over her book, she mumbled, "Yeah?" Mentally she kicked herself for hearing her own voice shake. She prayed that he missed that; that he wouldn't pick up on her hidden jealousy.

"Yeah." He repeated back to her. "Her name's Victoria." It took all her concentration to keep from screaming at him that she didn't care.

Silence fell between the two of them; a quiet that resounded louder than a torture victim crying out in pain. After several moments, she heard the soft but frequent tapping of his fingers against his keyboard. She tried once again to convince herself she didn't care that he had just confessed this information to her. Trying to get back into the rhythm of her book, she found her eyes were traveling over the words but nothing was being translated into her psyche. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth in impatience. Get ahold of yourself, Erika. Stop getting all fretful over this. He means nothing. Flipping back several pages, she attempted to remind herself of the plotline of the story. She vaguely recalled something about a man's car nearly falling off the bridge over a huge river. Reading over that, she reached the part that spoke of the main character panicking and letting go of the wheel; something that would have killed him any other time saved him from going over into the rushing water below. Yet she got no further than that because it was around that part initially that her friend had made his comment.

Knowing she couldn't concentrate on her book, she slowly slid her eyes over the top of the cover and watched her friend sitting at his computer. He seemed as if nothing could phase him. Deeply involved in a game online, she watched as he controlled his character and let the time around them both slip by without a care in the world. Her eyes slowly traced over him. She felt comfortable with him; safe. She had known for a while that she liked him, but was never willing to admit it to herself; let alone to any one else. But his comment ran through her mind like poisonous venom. She didn't know the Victoria who had stolen his heart, but she didn't like her all the same.

As she absentmindedly stared ahead, she was caught up in her thoughts and didn't notice that he had pulled himself away from his game. Raising his arms high above his shoulders, he stretched out his back. Yawning, he swiveled ninety degrees and cast his soft eyes upon her. A smile illuminated his face as he spoke. "What happened to your homework?" He asked, chuckling softly. She jumped as he startled her and that was rewarded with another laugh. Shaking his head slightly, his smile still vibrant on his lips, he turned back to his computer. "Just don't wanna do it, huh?"

She smiled softly back at him, although she know he couldn't see her because he was turned away. "No, not really." She half-lied. The truth was, she wanted to read the book, but more so wanted to spend her time with him. He smiled again and she swore she was able to see the sparkle in his eyes as it reflected off the computer screen. She felt her heart grow warm as she focused on him. She didn't want to think about his heart being stolen away from a nobody girl named Victoria. Love me. She pleaded to him, not having the courage to voice those words aloud.