Mr Manipulator

There are some girls that can't be touched.
And she was one of them.
Already he could feel her gaze blazing on his back (for he was very sensitive when it came to girls), swollen with the foolish desires of a lonely teenage girl, red-hot with fantasies of love. No, no, she wouldn't do. The girl would crack like an egg in his grip.
Still, to feed his smirking ego, he turned abruptly towards her, snatching up her gaze before she ducked her head. Neil shook with contained laughter as the girl buried herself in her studies.
Then his eyes caught sight of something else.
Quickly he assumed his default look. Expertly he shook his hair into style, and flicked the neccessary locks over a blemish he got on his forehead (it was a cut, from a fall after someone's boyfriend shoved him.) Neil did not hurry as he rolled his sleeves halfway up his arms and folded the ends of his shirt - he wanted it to be be obvious to the girls that he only pretended to abide by the rules.
Neil scanned his victim. Socks down low, skirt hoisted up, hair well-conditioned...
A vain one, concluded Neil as he watched her. Her gestures were small, characterized by finger-pointing and hair-twirling. A little smile tugged at one corner of his lips. Vulnerable people excited him.
Her friend looked up at him, giggled and tapped her arm. She twisted around. Fearlessly, he looked her straight in the eyes.
The girl smiled knowingly, lowered her eyes and faced her friends once more. Neil understood. He could spot an invitation anywhere.
So she was vain... and a thrill seeker. Looks like she wouldn't know what hit her. He placed his hands lightly in his pockets and walked over, making sure to tilt his head in appreciation of her rather good looks. The girl noticed his attention and, as he had predicted, floated warmly in it. Her friends looked up and parted for him, giggling irritatingly. With as much exaggeration as he could manage, he ran his sharp eyes over her, noting the diet-tortured wrists and shins. As he looked back up at her face, he spotted a fleck of concealer.
Yes. Yes. This one was perfect.
"Hello." He hid nothing, letting his voice go as low as it could.
"Hi," fluttered the girl.
"Hi," added one of her friends before the rest of them dissolved into giggles of excitement. Neil ignored them. He was not patient and never bothered to fake it.
"I'm Neil. Heard of me?"
"Mr Manipulator," said the girl in a strongly thirsty voice.
Neil hummed in hungry response. His eyes were on her face, but he took special care to glance down every one or two seconds. "Amy."
Shock burst like stars in her eyes. 
"How'd you know my name?"
"Well... Every guy does his research."
Research his foot. Her name was hanging on a keychain from her pocket. The girl bought it, though. Of course she would. She shifted her weight to one foot and smiled wickedly at him. As if she were his equal.
"What do you want, Neil?"
This prompted an automatic, knee-jerk answer. "Honey, there's only one thing that I could ever want."
She giggled. "You're such an evil man, Neil."
"That I am." Truth is he didn't think of himself as anything past a boy, but if the girl thought herself a fine woman then he would have to play along. "Number?"
"I'm not that easy," twittered the girl.
Neil gave a shrug. "Fine, then." He bet he could find out from Facebook. Maybe after he accepts her friend request. "Shall I walk ya' home?" He imitated her and grabbed his shoulder straps, smiling boyishly at her.
"Nah." She indicated the classmates behind her with a slack finger. Neil raised his eyebrows in mocking. Playing hard-to-get was so old-school it surprised him.
"We don't mind if you walk with us," offered one of the girls.
But he did. He liked to do things one-to-one. These were his rules. Either score or don't play.
As he reached for "Amy", he was careful to spot any tension. When tension did come, he moved his hand so that it headed for her shoulder instead of her chin. With a stare engineered to appear more meaningful than it was, he watched her eyes as they darted. She was flustered at his touch.
He had cracked her.
Neil's grip became firm as he pulled her forward. He leant into her ear.
"See ya."
Brief as it was he knew she was affected by the whisper. It was not like he had kissed her, and yet...
The boy took special care not to turn back as he walked away. And because she was watching he widened his strides, faced the breeze from his right and threw a carefree smile to the open sky.
Man, he was evil.
And that was why no one would ever love him.


- Xin