Kelley Xavier let out another laugh. The worry between her brows eased a bit, and her whole expression brightened. Howard Thorne stared at her for a moment, a sudden realization dawning on him: his deskmate was actually quite pretty. It was just that her clothes were so tattered. Plus, she was always quiet, with a cool, 'do not disturb' air about her. A slacker like him would never have given Kelley a second glance before.
So he'd never really known what Kelley looked like. Now that he was taking a proper look, he saw she had quite delicate features. She was just a bit too thin. 'If she cleaned up nicely,' he thought, 'she'd definitely be prettier than the school belle.'
Sensing Howard's unwavering stare, Kelley's face grew even redder, and she quickly averted her gaze. Howard rubbed his nose, trying to cover up his embarrassment. "Uh... I wasn't looking at you," he said stiffly. "I was just checking out the scenery over there."
