Reveal Himself*

There was no point in pretending. Chloe knew I was here. Taking a moment to correct my uniform jacket and adjust my tie, I stepped out from around the corner. Chloe had finished pulling up her panties, letting her skirt drop back into place. Her gaze fell on me as she quickly sized me up.

“I usually charge for watching.”

I wasn’t expecting that. My expression remained stoic as I took a second to read her Noise. Nothing much had changed besides a tinge of embarrassment. Couldn’t tell that from more mundane methods. Her expression and body language suggested casual confidence. The smile though. It seemed a product of the euphoria coursing through her Noise.

“Never asked for a show,” I answered. “You brought it to me.”

“Could have left when we came up here.”

“Why? I was here first.”

“You aren't even supposed to be up here.”

I spread my hands out before me. “And here we are.”

Her head tilted slightly as she broke into a grin. “Enjoy the show at least?” I remained silent. Watching her and Adam together hadn’t interested me in the slightest. What happened at the end however…

“More interested in the end.”

Her grin widened. “Most guys are.”

I ignored the obvious innuendo. “I was curious—”

I was stopped by her raised hand. She said nothing more, pulling her phone from her bag and checking it. She looked from the phone to me, then back at the phone. “Less than twenty minutes until lunch ends.” She chewed on her lip, thinking. Silently finding her answer, she looked back to me. Once more, her eyes ran up and down over me. That seemed to confirm whatever thought she was thinking. “If you can be quick, I don’t mind going again.”

I processed her statement with a blink. Ah. She thought I wanted a turn. “I don’t want—”

She winced. A burst of embarrassment and shame washed over her Noise before being snuffed out by her euphoria. “Shit. Adam didn’t use a condom. Right.” She huffed, sounding dejected. “Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll give you a discount if you are still interested.” The way she said discount made it sound like someone suggesting having their teeth pulled. Her smile was cute. Genuine too with the way it touched her eyes. Her head tilted again as her eyes met mine. “Have we done this before? Sorry, I don’t quite remember you, but there is something familiar…”

I gave her a smile. I put in some effort to mimic the emotion I didn’t feel. Shifting my body, I rubbed at the back of my neck. I hoped it was all a passable show of awkward discomfort. “I think there is a misunderstanding.”

“Oh?”

“Not, uh… interested.”

She blinked a few times. A huge wave of embarrassment filled her Noise, temporarily beating back the euphoria. “Oh. Oh! Sorry. I didn’t mean—Wow. Okay. I usually don’t fuck up like that.” She gave me a bright smile. “Sorry. Uh…”

“Jake.”

“Jake,” she repeated. “Jake… Jake… I know that name.” Before I could say anything, she shrugged as if tossing the thought aside. “Anyways, Jake. If you have no need for my services, I, am getting lunch.” In the process of moving towards the door, she approached me. The top of her head came up to my chest, but she was an imposing presence far beyond her physical size. This close, I could smell the faint scent of sweetness and flowers that drifted with the wind. Her hand brushed against my chest, pulling my gaze down to hers. This close, I could see the dark hazel of her eyes as they held my attention.

“If you ever have need of my… Gifts… feel free to reach out.” She gave me a wink before sliding past me. I turned to watch her go. She was playing up that mesmerizing way she moved, hips and skirt swaying.

It was moments like these I was glad for my mental fortitude. The emotions it held back would have turned me into mush. Chloe was good. She knew exactly how to entice men and plied her trade well. The fact that I barely noticed her Noise in the moment was interesting. It had enveloped me, caressing softly at the edges of my defenses. That wasn’t a part of her Gift—at least not that I could tell.

Chloe was proving to be a rare breed of person. A genuinely nice person was hard to find, especially in a place like this. Not that I went out of my way to find them. Best to remain invisible than to invite unwanted attention.

The door shut. Even though I could no longer see her, I felt her Noise linger. She must have been standing on the other side. Her Noise was shifting. The warmth drained, replaced by bitter cold. The playful friendliness and curiosity that had been there before was now anger, guilt, and shame. The only thing that kept it all from crushing her was the burning euphoria that still lingered. The remnant of her Gift that kept the cold from freezing her solid.

She didn’t linger long as I felt her Noise begin to fade before blending into the whispers of the roaring crowd below. A lone note vanishing in a chaotic symphony.

I moved to the fence, hands clasped behind my back. Beside me was the bench the two had used. Unidentified liquid was the only evidence something had happened there. Turning my gaze away, my stoic expression eyed those below.

A part of me wanted to forget everything that happened. None of it concerned me after all. Nothing good would come from getting involved with Chloe. She had dealings with the major players in the school. Adam might have been the top, but he didn't stand there alone. No. She walked in a realm no man should tread and had the eyes of the largest of titans.

But...

For the first time in years, I felt something. Overwhelming and fleeting as it was, I knew she had been the cause. Perhaps there was a way she could help me. While this fortress of mine protected me, it was also my prison. It separated me from the world. From myself. If there was a chance her Gift could help me figure out more about it, perhaps the risk was worth it.

Besides, I recognized the underlying emotion in her Noise. It was one that persisted the longest outside my own walls.

Loneliness.