"Are you sure I'm allowed to?" I ask hesitantly. "I don't want to be a bother."
On the other line of the phone, Lisa scoffs almost mockingly. "You? A bother to us? Pfft! No way! My mom is in love with you," she chuckles with a loud voice.
I smile at her words. "Okay, I'll be there in 30 minutes," I tell her.
She squeals in excitement and warns tia Maria of me coming before ending the call abruptly.
I stare at my phone in astonishment, surprised at her lack of manners.
Did she really end the call just like that?
I chuckle to myself.
She was so odd, but I loved it.
Getting up from the comfort of my bed, I sigh and pack up the necessary books for our 'tutoring' session. We always make these plans to study but once we get comfortable, we end up chatting away instead of revising.
She was such a sweet girl. I had terribly misjudged her when we first met. Her lack of enthusiasm was so confusing in the beginning. But, as time went on, I got to know the real version of herself. She was just like her brother in a way. They show a whole other version of themselves in front of everyone when they are a completely different person.
My heart clenched a little at the thought of Andrew. I hope he wasn't at home. I didn't want to see him after what happened between us. Our last encounter had been around a week ago and yet I couldn't forget about it.
Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I hurry down the stairs and throw my shoes on.
"Mamá, I'm going to tia's house!" I yell out with my bag over my shoulder.
Her voice barely audible, she answers me back. "Be back before 7, okay? It gets really dark nowadays."
"Bueno," I reply and close the door behind me.
I take in a deep breath of air, looking at my surroundings. My mittens sheltered my hands from the cold but I still rubbed them together to warm them up. As I took breaths in and out, I could see the cloud forming in the air.
Winter was not here yet, but very close. I couldn't wait until Christmas came along so we had our traditional yearly party with the rest of my family, my cousins in particular. It was the event I looked very much forward to every year. Every Christmas, we'd gather together and play games, sing songs, talk all night, make ginger bread houses, exchange gifts, etc. Having a large family like mine was truly a blessing.
I walked along the paths and the roads, getting closer to Lisa's house with every footstep. It had been a good 30 minutes of walking in the light snow before spotting her home.
Once I was at the doorsteps, I rung the bell.
As usual, her little siblings yelled and screamed inside, warning the entire neighborhood about the stranger who rang their doorbell.
Mateo opens the door for me.
"Holááá!" He yells in joy. "What you do here?" His little voice asks me in concern.
"What? You don't want me here?" I question him, acting hurt while an exaggerated frown falls on my face.
His eyes widen in worry, scared that he might've actually hurt my feelings. "No! No! Entra mi casa!" He says as he grabs my index finger with his little hand and pulls me inside with all his might.
I laugh at the action.
When I enter, I feel the warmth of the house. The same homey smell filled my nostrils. It wasn't that my house didn't have this type of feeling, but Lisa's siblings made everything so much better, just as she did.
As if waiting for the cue, she runs down the stairs and greets me. "Ariana! Finally! I haven't seen you in so long!" She fake cries while shaking my body dramatically.
"I saw you a week ago at the library," I giggle at her.
"Whatever," she says, trying to suppress a smile.
I puff out a laugh and we head to the island table to begin our 'studying'.
I throw my books on the table before resting the side of my head on my hand. With a sigh, I relax onto the stool of the table. "So, anything worth sharing?" I ask.
She grins at me with twinkling eyes, as if she was waiting for me to ask. "This time won't disappoint," her lashes flutter, knowing that I didn't want to hear about the boring events she told me about again.
The corners of my mouth turn upwards while I patiently wait for her to continue.
"I signed up for the contest you told me to enter. And my project is ready"
My eyes widen.
I had been begging her to compete in that contest ever since she informed me about it. She's always been put down by Andrew for trying to enhance her artistic abilities. It was time Lisa tried something out of her comfort zone- something she would enjoy for once.
"Show me," I beg her.
Then, we hear a loud noise coming from the basement. My head turns towards the hallway before looking back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't worry about that, Nella and Tonio are playing their daily FIFA game," she rolls her eyes, making me laugh.
"I thought that was Andrew."
"No, he's not here today."
I wonder why, I ask myself with irony.
She proceeds to get off the stool to get her painting. Her footsteps are quick, indicating her excitement about this. The moment she comes back with the piece in her arms, my eyes fill with amazement.
She had a whole masterpiece in her hands.
"No way you made that," I mumble in awe.
"I did," she says proudly.
I stare at the painting for a few minutes. Admiring the intertwining colors and shapes, creating the illusion of a tall cliff, holding a healthy waterfall. The unexpected colors used to shade the painting, captivated the eye. The leaves from the trees were falling, making their way to the waterfall. The colours were bright and complimented each other while still being opposites. Rocks were placed here and there, almost randomly, but their presence created a contrast. There were vines going up and down the cliff, even making their way under the water of the waterfall. It was such an overused scenery for a painting but the way she created it made it seem as if this view had never been painted before.
"If I could name that painting," I mumble. "I'd call it 'Out-Of-This-World'."
She frowns a little. "That's a really good name," her breath hitched as she pulled out a pen from who-knows-where and scribbled on the back of the canvas. "Don't copyright me."
"Don't tempt me then," I laugh. "When's the submission date?"
"Next week," she huffs, slamming her eyes shut. "Do you think it's good? Should I redo it? Does it need changes?"
"It's perfect," I tell her, raising my eyebrows, shocked that she'd even ask me that.
Seeing the questioning look on my face, she looks down in worry. "I don't know- I'm just... scared."
"Of what?" I chuckle.
"I don't want to fail."
"How can you fail at trying something new?"
She stares at me for a while, clearly letting my words sink in, and smiles. Her eyes twinkled with an indescribable emotion, but I could sense that my sentence affected her.
As soon as that was over, we started our study session, chatting about everything and nothing along the way. Sometimes, Mateo would come to annoy us. It came to the point where he offered me a half-eaten squished-up banana. Lisa's mom also showed up through the front doors with a handful of grocery bags in her arms, so we helped her unload the food and organized it in the fridge. A while later, we went back to our 'studying', wasting another hour on it.
Then, out of nowhere, loud footsteps came up the hallway, towards the kitchen we were in. My eyes followed the figure as he opened up the fridge.
He was shirtless, muscles clenching and twitching while he grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator, bringing it up to his mouth. His dark hair sat on top of his head messily, as it usually did. His Adam's apple throbbed with every gulp he took. Breathless, he put down the bottle on the table, right in front of me. His eyes slowly drifted up at me, but I was too busy examining his chest to notice.
His abs were the ones looking at me first, I swear.
Finally, I dared to look up at him. His eyes were big and his frown had faltered, leaving room for a surprised look instead.
"Are you just gonna stare at her?" Lisa scoffs. He doesn't say anything but purely examines my face, making me shift in my spot under the tension. Seeing as he wasn't going to answer, she continues. "I thought you were at work.".
He flickered his eyes to hers and back at mine, straightening his back.
"Why the fuck is she here?" He sneers, making my heart drop in disappointment.
Damn did that hurt. I was expecting it but I was also hoping for something else.
Lisa's forehead furrows in shock. "What?" She laughs nervously. "What do you mean she?"
He squeezes the plastic bottle he was still gripping and throws it in the trash can while his unfaltering gaze never leaves mine.
I look down at the palms of my hands, my cheeks warming up rapidly. Was it shame I was feeling? Embarrassment? I didn't even know at this point.
Then, he walks away with haste, not saying a single word.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" She follows his silhouette with her eyes. "I thought he liked you."
"Me too," I throw my head back in a sigh. "I don't know what I did wrong. He's been ignoring me the past two weeks."
She rolls her eyes. "He's such a baby," she tells me. "He says he wants things but when he gets them, he runs away," she goes on, almost making me feel that she's telling this to herself.
I stay quiet.
What did that mean? Was I something he wanted? In what way was this meant?
Friendship-wise or...
I shake my head, getting rid of those thoughts.
"I know he's been through things..." I begin, making Lisa's head spin towards me. "...but it still hurts when he acts the way he does."
"Don't blame yourself for feeling hurt. He's the problem here."
I pursed my lips in thinking. "Right."
I know she's trying to make me feel better, but how can I not feel the way I'm feeling? I really did believe I did something wrong. The problem was I didn't know what I did.
Suddenly, my phone starts ringing. I pick it up quickly and answer the call.
"Lisa, you're late," my brother tells me from the other side of the line.
"I am?" I ask no one in particular, checking the time. "No, I'm not. It's only 7:45."
He sighs exaggeratedly, making the noise reach Lisa's ears even though he wasn't on speaker. She turns around in amusement.
"How long will it take you to walk home?"
"30 minutes," I reply.
"And what time will it be when you get here?"
"8:15"
"Exactly."
Oh.
I roll my eyes even while knowing that he couldn't see the act. "Okay, tell Mom that I was busy studying and that I didn't see the time pass. I'll leave right now," I tell him.
He gasps randomly. "You're gonna walk at this time? It's dark outside!"
I roll my eyes again. "Then come pick me up."
He lets out a pitch noise. "Pick you up? My car's at the mechanic and dad's not home so I can't use his."
"Whatever," I tell him, hanging up the call. I knew that this pissed him off but he kind of deserved it. How dare he not pick me up?
I turn to Lisa in a huff. "I gotta go home."
She tilts her head in disappointment. "But it's dark," she whines.
"Don't worry, no one's gonna kidnap me," I assure her.
"I'll ask Andrew to drive you," she offers.
"No!" I almost yell out before redeeming myself. "No," I clears my throat. "I don't want to be in a car with him, thank you."
I lied. I didn't mind being in a car with him. I just didn't want to hear him say no when Lisa asks him to drive me off. I was afraid of rejection.
Nothing new to be honest. I was always afraid of rejection, hence my social anxiety.
She frowns a little. "I'm not letting you walk home at this time."
Getting up from the table, I rush towards the door with my bag on my shoulders. Lisa follows behind me and attempts to stop me, but I make it outside first.
"Bye, Lisa!" I yell out. "I'll see you next time," my voice continues while I wave her goodbye.
She sighs loud enough for me to hear from the other side of the driveway.
"Get home safe! Don't get kidnapped!" She warns me.
"I'll try to," I mumble to myself, almost unsure if do end up getting abducted.
After hearing the door close, I quickened my steps to get home faster. The cold air bit at my face, causing me to shiver every time. I walked down the sidewalks while I listened to my surroundings, paranoid of getting kidnapped, now that two people had mentioned it to me.
How ironic would it be to actually get kidnapped?
Haha...
I shouldn't be laughing.
I clear my throat and quicken my pace. I had to get home fast. It was already 8 pm and I was barely halfway through my walk. I shivered at the cold. Though my windbreaker was thin, it was strong. Even so, it couldn't protect my cheeks from the cool wind hitting me and every step I took reminded me of how cold my toes had gotten.
This is why you don't wear sneakers in the middle of November.
I had to hang in there for a while more.
I wish I was home right now. I'd be lying in bed while reading the book I've been obsessed with these days.
As if the universe had heard my complaints, I felt droplets of water hit my face. Instead of a miracle, I got a curse. Where was my fairy godmother? How unfair was it that princesses got blessings just by crying and I got cursed on top of suffering.
Slowly but surely, the droplets got heavier. I think I really pissed off the universe with my ungratefulness.
I threw my hood on and tried to warm myself up by running my hands up and down my arms.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
It was no use.
Then, the water droplets got heavier. I put my hand out to see if they truly did or if it was just my imagination. A droplet pinches my hand and I retract it as soon as it does. Was it raining ice?
A tiny ice shard hits my forehead as if to confirm my theory.
I hurried off to the nearest bus stop and hid from the icy rain. Watching the frozen droplets fall from the sky, I listen to the sound with a sigh.
At this pace, I'd never get home.
My phone starts to buzz.
I pull it out of my pocket, using my frozen fingers to try to answer the call.
Why won't this damn thing work?!
Finally, I answer it and lift it to my ear.
"Hello?" I ask.
"Ariana..." my brother's voice sounds. "Where are you at? Don't leave the house yet."
I look around me in paranoia. "I left a long time ago," I tell him. "Why?"
"Fuck," he curses. "Its fucking raining ice, that's why! Where are you right now? Are you hiding somewhere safe?" He asks, worry evident in the way he spoke.
I let out a cold shaky breath. "I'm at a bus stop."
"Okay, don't move. I'm coming to get you."
"What?" I ask with concern. "You're gonna walk here?"
I listen to the noise of shuffling and closing doors on the other side of the call.
Was he seriously going to walk all the way here?
Lifting my hand to my mouth in an attempt to warm it up, I notice a car driving slowly down the road. Driving was very dangerous at this time. The roads were icy and slippery. Any small curve or mistake could lead to a drastic accident.
Then, the black car decides to make a U-turn and drive on the side of the bus stop, my side of the road.
"Cristian...?" I call out to the phone in worry. "Cristian, there's a car driving really close to me."
My brother's breath hitches in a panic. "Ariana, don't you dare end the call. I'm coming right now."
As the car slowly makes a stop in front of me, I discreetly take out my scissors from my pencil case. Taking a step back, I hold my phone closer to my ear, listening to the blowing wind hitting Cristian's microphone. I could hear his heavy breathing through the speakers.
"Cris, the door is opening..." I warn him.
"Ariana, please don't fucking hang up!" He pleads.
I hold up my hand to my face, trying to tone down the bright light coming from the car's headlights. I hear quick footsteps approach me, but I could barely see. My heart races in fear while I squint my eyes, trying to see the person making their way over to me.
I jinxed myself. I was getting kidnapped.
"Get in the car," a voice huffs out in a hurry, squeezing my shoulders tightly.
"Get away from me!" I scream out, attempting to stab the person with the scissors on impulse. My phone drops to the ground at the action.
The guy forces me to stay put and rips my scissors out of my hand. My heart drops in discouragement. This was not the day to get kidnapped. I had things to look up to. I had dreams to look forward to. I had...
Tears begin to well up in my eyes. "Cristian..." I whine quietly. A hiccup leaves my mouth as I try to rebalance my heavy breathing.
The grip on my shoulders weakens suddenly.
"Ariana, I'm not... kidnapping you," an all too familiar voice tells me.
I look up at the man in front of me, realizing who it was. I couldn't make out his face clearly because of the blinding light behind him, but I could see his subtle familiar features, like his messy hair and large ears. I sigh in relief, glad that I was not getting kidnapped today.
At least I thought so.
"Ariana? Ariana!" The phone screams out. "Is everything okay?! Answer!"
I go to reach for the phone but Andrew beats me to it, grabbing it and putting it up to his ear. "She's fine," he declares, his voice low. "I'm gonna bring her home."
We hear a loud sigh, leading to evened-out noises on the speakers. "Don't," Cristian replies, causing confusion to swarm around in my head. "The weather's really bad, it's not worth the risk. Just go back to your place."
"Wait-" I try to argue.
"Ariana, don't worry. I'll tell Mom you had no choice," he informs me. "I gotta go back home now. I've been running for the past three minutes," he exhales exaggeratedly.
I still couldn't believe how he had such a good physique but such horrible athletic abilities.
He took all the genes and left me with none. What a greedy bastard.
The call ends and we are left with the noise of the ice hitting the roof of the bus stop. I look up at Andrew, only to see him already looking at me.
He grabs my wrist and pulls me towards his car, covering his head from the icy rain with his arm. "Come on," he groans.
I wanted to argue, but my freezing hands reminded me of the pain I was in.
Andrew opens the passenger door and waits for me to enter before jogging to the other side of the car and throwing himself in. From the inside, we could hear the continuous sounds on the rooftop, meddling with the howling wind on the outside. A shiver goes up my spine from the cold.
He finally puts the car in drive and drives off slowly, careful not to make a wrong move. He drives in silence while I watch out the window in discomfort. The rain was falling down the outside of the windows and my eyes followed the trails left by the droplets. It was something to distract my thoughts with.
My nose was running due to the cold and I kept on sniffing.
Now and then, he'd glance at me awkwardly. The tension in the car was rising as I waited for him to speak first. I guess he expected the same from me, but I didn't have the energy to talk after this rollercoaster.
Suddenly, he initiates the conversation. "Why didn't you want me to drive you home?" He asks with a grumpy tone.
Irritated, I turn my head to face him. "You're the one who doesn't want to talk to me," I sniff.
I swear I wasn't crying. It's just because I was cold.
He stays quiet, hand clenching on the wheel, as if he was contemplating saying something. Finally, he takes in a deep breath. "Lisa's right, you know. I ask for things but run away when I get them..." He squints his eyes at the road in front of him, trying to see through the rain.
Thankfully, there weren't any cars in the streets, except for his of course. He was dumb enough to be driving at this time, this weather, this situation, just to get me.
"What are you running away from? Me? Why?" I ask with full curiosity.
Hand clenched on the wheel, he stares straight ahead. "The same reason why I ran away from Ethan," he reveals.
My eyebrows raise in surprise, shocked that he'd tell me such a thing.
He didn't seem like he wanted to elaborate, so I didn't question him any further. I got myself comfortable on the seat and waited for us to arrive at the house.
Minutes later, the car pulled into the driveway and we ran inside before the cold weather got to us again.
The moment we entered, tia Maria was waiting at the entrance of the house. She notices me coming in first and pulls me into her arms, cuddling me with a large hug.
"Aye mija," she comforts me. "Don't do this to us again," she warns.
Taken by surprise, I give in to her hug and soak in all her warmth, letting my arms wrap around her body. After the long greeting, she lets go of my figure and gives Andrew an accusing glare.
"If it weren't for this imbécil," she nudges the side of his head. "You wouldn't be freezing like this."
I laugh lightly, finding amusement in a situation like this.
"Let me make you some tea," she offers with a smile.
I thank her politely while she scurries away. Andrew stands beside me, his body tense. I connect my eyes with his only to see him already looking down at me, regret shinning in his eyes.
A shiver runs up my spine. "I'm cold," I say, running my hands along my arms.
Lisa comes up to me with a change of clothes in her hands. "Here," she offers. "I figured you'd want to change when you came back."
I reach my hand out to grab the clothes. "Thank you-" I say.
Before being able to take them, Andrew grabs them with haste. "No," he says. "They... they won't fit her."
I squint my eyes at him. "Are you calling me fat?" I ask playfully.
Panic swarms in his eyes. "No, I meant that-"
"Then what do you expect her to wear?" Lisa asks him with a frown, her arms crossed while her foot tapped on the ground.
Unable to answer her question, he hesitates, "She... she could wear m-" he gets cut off before being able to finish his sentence.
"Right!" She gasps. "I can ask Mom."
"No..!" He reaches his hand for her wrist, stopping her from leaving.
"What?" She asks with irritation. "She's already suffered enough because of you. Why are you trying to torture her more? Let her change her clothes!" She throws her head back in exasperation.
"I'm saying my clothes will suit her better," He says briefly, the grumpy look still on his face.
"Your clothes will..?" her eyebrows furrow. "Oh!" A light shines across her face. "You're so right! They will fit her better." Her tone sounded sarcastic.
I wasn't too sure, to be honest.
She turns to me. "Ariana, you will wear Andrew's clothes because they will fit you better," she says in a mocking tone.
Filled with awkwardness, I balance my weight in my feet. Not knowing what to do in this situation. It didn't make sense how just a minute ago, Andrew was expressing his hatred toward me and now I was about to wear his clothes.
"I don't really mind," I lie awkwardly. "I just don't want to be cold anymore."
At that, Andrew clears his throat and walks off to go downstairs.
In the meantime, tia Maria gives me the cup of tea she made, which I accepted gratefully. I breathe in the heat and the comforting smell of the camomile.
"Was it that bad outside?" Lisa turns to me.
I let out an exasperated sigh. "It was raining ice," I inform her.
"See? You should've agreed to my brother driving you home. Now you're gonna have to spend the night with us."
"It's okay," I reply, sniffling. "I don't mind spending time with you."
She rolls her eyes playfully before dragging me downstairs by the arm. We walk down the steps and come into the same familiar room where me and Andrew had our third interaction.
Yes, I counted.
She lays down on the couch, letting herself soak into its comfort. As she sat cross-legged, she grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns on the TV.
"We're watching a movie," she declares.
"I didn't consent to that," I laugh jokingly. "What are you putting on?"
"White Chicks."
Soon after, Andrew comes in with folded clothing in his arms. Walking over to me, he hands out the change of clothes. "Here," he says.
I grab it gratefully before scurrying off to the bathroom. Not knowing what direction it was in, I twist and turn the handle to a random room, expecting the washroom to magically appear in front of my eyes.
Instead, the sight of a cozy bedroom lies under my gaze. My eyes wander inside the room. The walls were painted grey and white with a dim light brightening the space. Clothes were thrown around everywhere while books sat on the ground. There was a punching bag stand standing in the corner and two red gloves on the floor.
Before I could do anything else, the door slammed shut, making me flinch. Andrew stood a few inches away from me, holding the handle of the door. His near presence spiked my nerves. He was so close to me, that I could hear his imbalanced breathing.
"The bathroom is there," he says with a gruff voice, pointing in the direction of the door on the other wall.
Whoops.
I stumble on my feet, my arm brushing against his on accident and sending sparks throughout. My eyes catch his but I lower my gaze right away, intimidated by his stare.
Running off to the bathroom, I shut the door behind me and lock it.
This was all so weird. One minute he's pissed at me, the next I'm feeling weird things in my stomach. I was still mad at him I think. Right? I was mad at him right? Or was he still mad at me? Well it didn't seem like he was mad at me anymore but you never know. I didn't know what to do. Was I supposed to act like nothing happened now? Maybe this wasn't as much of a big deal as I was making it out to be.
I huff in embarrassment and change into the clothing given to me. Looking at myself in the mirror, I admire how the shirt fitted me. It was pretty large, leaving lots of room for me to breathe and the shorts were comfortable on my thighs. I could smell the familiar herbal fresh scent coming from the shirt. I pull the collar up to my nostrils and take a deep sniff.
Damn, it smelled good.
I cringe at my action. How perverted.
I need help.
This isn't okay.
I decide to leave the bathroom and make my way over to the couches of the basement. Stepping in front of them, I noticed how Lisa had taken the one-seater all to herself and left Andrew on the other one. Contemplating my next action, I hesitate before finally making a move.
I sit on the seat next to him and realized how he'd been staring at me for far too long.
"What?" I chuckle nervously, my cheeks hot from the thought of what I did in the bathroom.
He looks away abruptly, a hint of pink tinting the tips of his ears. "Nothing."
Lisa frowns at both of us, her eyes flickering between. "I'm starting the movie..." she trails off.
I nod my head, mouth set in a hard line. The movie starts and we watch in silence. Every now and then, I'd snicker.
What can I say? White Chicks was an iconic movie. I could never get enough of watching it.
At some point, I laughed so loud that both their heads turned to face me.
"Sorry," I snort, hiding my mouth.
I glance at Andrew, trying to read his expression. However, the same furrowed eyebrows were still present and the same frown was still on. Did he even want to be here? He could've just left. I mean, his room is right there.
I turn back, distracting myself before my thoughts delved deeper into this maze.
The movie went on and on, showcasing the ups and downs of the main characters' mission. Then, we heard loud noises coming from the one-seater. I glance at Lisa only to see her head leaned up on the couch, leg on the armrest, and mouth wide open.
I snicker at her position while she snored loudly. "She's asleep," I point out.
He raises an eyebrow, his lips parting as if he was about to say something when the power suddenly goes out, creating a silence in the room due to the lack of the TV audio. The noises of the howling wind outside the house and the droplets of frozen rain hitting the walls could be heard through the closed windows of the basement.
"Shit," he curses.
The basement was pitch black. I couldn't see anything so I grabbed the nearest thing next to me, which was his arm. He flinches at my touch but I couldn't see the reaction on his face. I shift in my seat, in a hurry, trying to find security in my position.
Hearing shuffling next to me, a light suddenly shines. Andrew had his phone out with the flashlight turned on. He spun it towards me and immediately backed away, seeing as the distance between us was so small.
"Sorry," I whispered, letting go of his arm.
"No, it's-"
"Why is the power out?" I mumble, interrupting him.
"I don't know. The rain probably." He scratches the back of his head.
I sniff again, shivering.
"Are you cold?" he asks me suddenly.
"I'm fine," I reply. "Your sister looks like she's freezing though."
He gets up swiftly from his seat, making the couch rise up a bit. "I'm gonna go turn on the backup power generator."
I furrow my forehead. "Isn't that outside? It's cold."
"I won't leave everyone else to freeze just because It's a little cold," he says with a harsh tone, clearly taking it personally.
I look down, mixed emotions swimming in my chest. "I didn't mean it that way..." I try to defend myself, but he had left long before.
Amid the cool room, I decide to turn on my own flashlight and head to Andrew's room without permission.
I knew he slammed it shut before but it's not like I was going to snoop around. I just needed a blanket.
Nudging the door open, I take a peek inside before entering. The room had a whole different vibe now. The clothes were gone, and the books were put back up on the shelves. How did it take him five minutes to tidy everything up? I walk over to his bed, where two blankets lied.
Grabbing the blanket on the top, I feel the fluffy texture. I was definitely taking this for myself. I quickly grab the other blanket and throw them both on my shoulder. My phone drops to the ground before I can make it to the door so I bend down to pick it up. That's when I see a load of crinkled-up clothes under the bed. I puff out a laugh and head out.
I guess, he didn't have some magical superpower that helped him fold his clothes in under five minutes.
Reaching the living room again, I step in front of Lisa, who had positioned herself in a fetal pose on the couch. Touching her fingertips lightly, I realize how cold she was.
I guess I had to sacrifice the good blanket.
Setting it on her, I make sure it covers all her body parts. Then, I walk back to my couch and plop down.
Damn was it cold.
Suddenly, the TV turns back on.
The power came back.
Quickly turning it off, I soak back into the couch to warm myself up again. I didn't want to waste the electricity on the TV, there were other things to prioritize. Thankfully, the heater was getting to work, but it was taking a while.
Then, I hear footsteps come down the stairs, so I turn around. Andrew steps off the last stair with his arms rigid. His face was tinted pink and his eyes squinted, trying to see in the dark.
"Why didn't you turn on the light?" He asks.
I mumble out my words. "Why would we waste the generator's energy on that?" I pull up the blanket to cover my shoulders up to my neck.
He doesn't answer but simply walks over to me and stops right at the edge of the couch. He glances at Lisa and marches towards her. I watch as he slides his arms under her body and lifts her up with ease, muscles clenching along the way. Realizing that it was dark, I got up from my seat and followed him with the flashlight, lighting his way.
"Why not just wake her up and tell her to go to her room?" I ask curiously.
"She'll scream at me if I do that," he says briefly.
Was he afraid of her screaming at him or was he just caring enough not to disturb her sleep? Either way, it was a cute response.
I stare at him with wide eyes before snorting. "I'd see her doing that."
He easily walks around the furniture and makes his way to his room while holding her steadily. On the other hand, I was lighting the way for him. Suddenly he stops at the foot of his room. I almost bump into him but I was able to recuperate myself before anything happened. Confused, I peek my head around from behind his back. His face turns to mine and my eyes lingered on his, examining them. That's when I realized that he was waiting for me to open the door.
I quickly make my way in front of him and turn the handle. "Sorry," I mumble.
The moment the door opens, he walks in and places his sister on the bed, covering her up tightly with the blanket.
My heart warms at the action. The way he cared for his sister was amazing. Andrew was a truly affectionate person, he just didn't show it.
I observed him from a short distance while he straightened up his back. A tingle goes up my spine and I shiver. At this point, I was super tired from the day. My nose kept running and I'd sniff now and then. We make our way to the sofas and I throw myself on the couch, covering up with the blanket. Andrew walks over to my couch and plops down on the other side.
No one spoke a word, but the tension was there.
The icy rain drops outside the house hit the window continuously, giving an eerie vibe to the room. The sounds of our breathing filled the empty air while the tension only grew.
He was so close yet so far to me. I glance at him for a second, observing the way his back was straightened and his muscles were tight.
"You cold?" I ask.
He spun his head towards me, shocked that I had spoken first. "I'm fine," he replies, a hint of a lie staining his statement.
"Don't lie, you look cold," I argue.
He furrows his eyebrows. "I'm not."
I roll my eyes in amusement. Why was he playing hard to get?
"We can share the blanket, it's yours anyway."
"No, keep it with you," he orders, his voice low.
"You're cold too. I don't mind sharing it."
"I'm not," he furrows his eyebrows deeper.
"Fine," I humph in annoyance.
The same quiet noise comes back to haunt us. The rain continued on and the minutes felt like hours. Sitting in silence was making me so self-aware to the point where breathing normally became a hard thing to do.
I try to break the tension. "You haven't apologized yet, you know?" I mumble.
His eyes connect with mine, while an unreadable expression sits on his face. Andrew slowly looks down at the floor with a deepened frown. "I'm sorry, Ariana," he says.
The moment he says my name, I feel a tingle in my chest.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he sighs.
Almost instantly, I reply to him. "Did you really think that I'd be okay with someone ignoring my existence after acting like they care? Why did you ignore me?" I frown.
His eyes widen a little as he parts his lips, attempting to say something. I see an internal battle swarming in his eyes as if he was hesitating on telling me something. A muscle ticks in his jaw before he finally speaks up. "I'm a pussy, that's why."
I scoff a little, not taking his response as an answer. "Fine, don't tell me then."
I shift on the couch, pulling the blanket tighter around myself.
I felt kind of guilty, telling him all of this. Normally I wouldn't say this type of stuff to somebody but with him, it was different. It was just so easy to tell him things. I didn't why know why.
"I just-" he takes in a breath. "I don't want the same thing that happened with Ethan to happen with you," he admits.
My heart clenches in empathy. Was he finally opening up? I needed to know more.
"What... happened between you two..?" I ask hesitantly, afraid of his reaction.
He doesn't say anything as his gaze shifts upwards. "Nothing important."
My heart drops in disappointment.
I thought he was going to reveal a little about himself to me. I guess not.
Yet, I didn't want to leave things on an awkward note, so I attempted to scoot over closer to him and draped the covers around us.
"Here. Now, none of us will be cold," I say with a small smile. "Maybe your heart will stop being cold as well, maybe it'll unfreeze," I continue, letting out a quiet laugh.
Maybe he'll finally tell me something about himself.
The moment we got closer, our shoulders touched and I could feel him tense under it. His body was emitting heat like a radiator and I was beginning to hate the little gap that separated us. Something was pulling me towards him, but I didn't give in.
I listened to the noise surrounding us. His breathing was steady but tense.
What would happen if I leaned in closer to him?
Just for warmth reasons, obviously.
Without a thought, I moved closer until my side was glued to his. Now that our arms were touching, the heat seeped into me. A shiver came down my spine, the sudden change in temperature setting it off. The contact sends tingles down my arm as my pulse starts to quicken at this new feeling. I felt my cheeks heat up while I became aware of every single thing about him. The way his chest rose and fell, the way his breathing unbalanced, the way his body stiffened. His arm shifted a little and set off something inside me.
I attempt to pull the cover closer to my body and by doing so, my fingers graze his arm a little, making him flinch at the touch. I heard his breath hitch and my heart began to pound in my chest.
It was new feeling- but it felt so good to be this close to someone. To him in particular.
I didn't know why, but there's always been something pulling me to him.
At the school festival, I was the one who pulled him out of the fight. At the Halloween party, he was the one to find me after Laurie left with her boyfriend.
Everything was aligned so that we'd always see each other. It was like it was meant to be.
This all felt so unreal. I was feeling things I've never felt before. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach and my chest was filled with something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
I was beginning to think that maybe I...
...maybe I liked Andrew.
I couldn't deny how nervous I felt around him. How even though he pushed me away, he always ended up doing something that brought me closer.
I take a peek at him, noticing the way a small source of light coming from the window lighted his face just a little bit. Was he looking at me too? I couldn't tell.
His presence was overwhelming. His arms were crossed but the way his leg bounced up and down slightly made me think that maybe I wasn't the only nervous person here. It was hard to breathe properly, with him so close. My nerves were up and awake but my eyelids began to feel heavier. The tiredness from the day was finally setting down upon me. I gave in and rested my head on his shoulder. My eyes closed as all my worries drifted away.
At some point, I felt his arm nudge and wrap around my shoulders, pulling me into him. My head rested on his chest while his fingers held my shoulder, sending sparks into my arm.