Jake

I swing my legs back and forth, Anna walking all proper and straight; frankly the way I would expect her to walk. Of course, Pixie is there, and I've gotten used to having the dog around. After all, Anna insists that if Pixie doesn't go, she doesn't go either. I don't know why the dog always hangs around; she tells me it's a service dog, although I don't really believe her, since she won't tell me what for.

I walk down the rough, black alleyway, practicing how loosely my steps are, how my arms sway at my sides. Really, I am shaking inside: Anna is so close I could touch her. I sneak glances at her, my nonchalant smile still on my face, just in case. I can tell from here, her eyes are a shade of silver you only find when you look to the sky and know for sure there's gonna be lightning. It's a perfect mix of the two colors; silver and gray: the very edge of a cloud. Her eyes even glint like silver does, but at the same time they maintain a certain dullness I can't either explain or place.

It's a beautiful day, the kind where you can feel your skin breath with the wind that's on the hot air. The sun shines on Anna's hair, and it brings out golden highlights in the dark brown that I never knew were there. She shades her miraculous eyes with her hand.

Suddenly, her head snaps up to the sky, her eyes fixed above her, only a moment before a flurry of small black birds fly overhead, their wings soft on the air.

My mouth drops open, and I close it just in time. Grinning, she glances over at me. "Pretty."

"How'd you do that?" I ask, faking indifference until I take just a step to close and brush her shoulder. She points at a small white barn a little off to the left.

"I could see them coming; shadows." She smiles then concentrates on walking, treasuring her steps.

"That's cool," I say. "Are you always this observant?" The words feels heavy on my tongue, I force them out.

She shrugs, and gives me a side-long look.

"Only around you."