{"id":1009,"date":"2023-05-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/?p=1009"},"modified":"2023-05-25T18:45:14","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T18:45:14","slug":"our-colliding-orbits-chapter-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/?p=1009","title":{"rendered":"Our Colliding Orbits: Chapter 6"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

olivia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

the boy spoke to me <\/p>\n\n\n\n

for the first time yesterday<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

his name is caleb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

his voice was soft<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but maybe that\u2019s because<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he\u2019s used to speaking <\/p>\n\n\n\n

in a low tone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to not draw attention<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he didn\u2019t try and continue <\/p>\n\n\n\n

our short interaction <\/p>\n\n\n\n

didn\u2019t say anything else<\/p>\n\n\n\n

just nodded at me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

but <\/p>\n\n\n\n

it\u2019s a start<\/p>\n\n\n\n

certainly more<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 than i expected<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i think <\/p>\n\n\n\n

he forgave me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i think <\/p>\n\n\n\n

he\u2019s going to give me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a chance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

as i walk to school<\/p>\n\n\n\n

my mind swirls <\/p>\n\n\n\n

like a tornado <\/p>\n\n\n\n

broken bits and pieces <\/p>\n\n\n\n

of my thoughts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

spinning throughout it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i arrive <\/p>\n\n\n\n

my eyes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

find him at once<\/p>\n\n\n\n

they\u2019re drawn to him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

like a magnet to metal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

today<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he doesn\u2019t look <\/p>\n\n\n\n

like he\u2019s given up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he looks like <\/p>\n\n\n\n

he\u2019s found a clue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to the treasure <\/p>\n\n\n\n

he\u2019s been searching for<\/p>\n\n\n\n

for all of his life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

dare i say<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that there\u2019s <\/p>\n\n\n\n

a hint of a smile<\/p>\n\n\n\n

on his face<\/p>\n\n\n\n

as he approaches me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he seems unfamiliar <\/p>\n\n\n\n

with the idea<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that he can feel happiness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

like anyone else<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

maybe he\u2019s been told <\/p>\n\n\n\n

that he doesn\u2019t deserve it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

maybe <\/p>\n\n\n\n

i should stop<\/p>\n\n\n\n

assuming things<\/p>\n\n\n\n

about this stranger<\/p>\n\n\n\n

before i know him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i tell myself<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he comes up to me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201chey\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

he says<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

for a minute <\/p>\n\n\n\n

i forget how to speak<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201chi\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i manage <\/p>\n\n\n\n

shocked that this boy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

would voluntarily <\/p>\n\n\n\n

come up to me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

after what i said<\/p>\n\n\n\n

after i broke his trust<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

something that he barely <\/p>\n\n\n\n

had scraps of <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to begin with<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i realize i\u2019m staring<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and tell myself to stop<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i can\u2019t scare him away <\/p>\n\n\n\n

not now<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i want to reach out <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and touch him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

see if he\u2019s real<\/p>\n\n\n\n

comfort him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

talk to him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

but i can\u2019t <\/p>\n\n\n\n

not yet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he fidgets <\/p>\n\n\n\n

playing with his hands<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he\u2019s nervous<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he doesn\u2019t know <\/p>\n\n\n\n

what to say<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cso..\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i say<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he startles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cso, um..\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

he says <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201ci just wanted to..\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he shuffles his feet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

looking at the ground <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cto thank you\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

he mumbles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cfor defending me\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he looks at me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

his numb eyes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

full of yearning<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

as i look at them closer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i notice <\/p>\n\n\n\n

he has flecks of gold<\/p>\n\n\n\n

within them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

hidden behind<\/p>\n\n\n\n

his dark lashes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i\u2019m taken aback<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by his words<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but i won\u2019t show it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

what happened last night<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to change this boy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

into such a different person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

trying to act composed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i tell him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cit\u2019s no problem <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

no one else <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

would have done it\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he nods in agreement<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cno one ever has<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

until you\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

the corners <\/p>\n\n\n\n

of his lips raise<\/p>\n\n\n\n

when he says you<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

blink and you would miss it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but i swear he looked at me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with happiness in his eyes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

for just a fragment of a second<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i swear his moon eyes lit up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

shining with light <\/p>\n\n\n\n

of the sun perhaps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but it almost looks like <\/p>\n\n\n\n

it\u2019s his own light<\/p>\n\n\n\n

created to cover up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

his demons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

and i know<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he will be beautiful <\/p>\n\n\n\n

when he smiles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201ci\u2019m sorry\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i say tentatively<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he shrugs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cwhat can you do\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i can do<\/p>\n\n\n\n

whatever you need<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 even if you\u2019ll refuse <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to admit that you need it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i want to tell him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but i can\u2019t<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cwell\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i tell him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201ci hope it gets better\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he looks at me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

before he turns to walk away<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201ci have a feeling it will\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

he almost forms a smile<\/p>\n\n\n\n

he contains it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but i can see it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cbye, caleb\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i whisper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

once he\u2019s gone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

i never thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 i\u2019d get this far with him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

within a day<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but life is full of surprises<\/p>\n\n\n\n

you never know<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0what will happen next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

olivia the boy spoke to me  for the first time yesterday his name is caleb his voice was soft but maybe that\u2019s because…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":1011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1009"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1010,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1009\/revisions\/1010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}