Elaine
I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of someone baking. Diana's cooking made me question my appetite, when It comes to her dishes there's no turning back until the container was empty.
Walking downstairs I saw Alex seated at the breakfast bar with a plate of pancakes and an orange juice on the side. No surprise, Diana served her guest well.
His hair stuck in all possible directions, he had his jacket laid on the armrest. He sat there on his plain white t-shirt and blue jeans, with a lazy morning look on his face. Yet he could give Calvin Klein models a tough competition any day.
I must've stared at him for too long as I saw a smirk playing across his lips.
I took my share of pancake and sat beside him, he passed me the syrup.
We ate in silence with the clings and clangs of the fork and ascending theme track of friends from Diana's room as the only sound resonating among us.
"Want to talk about it?" I chewed my bite of the fluffy goodness slowly, but I had to ask him.
He sipped on orange juice wiped the side of his lips with a napkin.
"My dad's in town" He seemed tense but tried to appear casual. "He said he wanted me back in Orlando"
My heart fell, the pancake tasted like mud in my mouth as I forced myself to swallow. He must've sensed the change of mood as he shifted on his seat and looked deep into my eyes. Suddenly I felt vulnerable, never I ever had this hard of a time masking my emotions.
"I said No" he smiled as I exhaled in relief.
"But dad and I don't get along well" he ran his fingers over the hair, making it messier. it was palpable, his dad was a sensitive subject for him. And I am willing to give him enough space to open up and maybe someday I'll find enough audacity to do that myself.
"I left the house troubled and wanted to avoid the place till I could think straight, so-"
"It's fine, you can stay as long as you want" I cut him off.
His pensive feature bartered into that of mischief.
"So you want me around so desperately huh?" his lips shaped into a smirk.
"It's called humanity and flirting doesn't suit you well, especially with that disheveled hair and stained shirt" I pointed the spiky end of the fork at the brown patch.
Groaning he got up, collecting the dishes in his arms.
"Suggest any good hairdresser, I know my hair requires service" trudging to the sink, he started on his dishes.
"I know one, probably the best in town, but not recognized yet" with my own set of the platter I walked to him. Wiping his hands on a paper towel hesitantly he asked
"Who?"
After five minutes he was answered, but he wasn't thrilled about it.
"Are you sure about this, not that I am possessive towards it, but you're a designer and it's a hair and not a fabric?' I bit my lip to swallow the laugh as Alex sat there on a chair with a towel spread across his chest and a hovering scissor curled under Diana's fingers.
"You should be possessive about it, do you know how many people would die to have this color as natural and yeah I am sure about it, I have a diploma in this field" an annoyed Diana made her point, as Alex nodded, but still uncertain.
Subsequently, finally, an hour of happily haircut ever after and you're a pro at this, and thank you so much's later we purified Diana's room of Alex's sneaky little lingering hairs. We then decided to do our much talked about and mightily procrastinated English assignment. In my room.
I'd be lying if I recite that I wasn't foreboding about letting him in my room, it would mean disclosing more of me to him.
With a jumpy attitude, he followed me in but stopped short in the middle. His face contorted into a look of veneration as he examined the area.
To be honest I won't call my room exactly simple and plain since I did my best to plaster all the memories in a wall. It was not vast but neither meager. The walls were of pure white, the color my dad adored and the side of the bed illustrated the dark grey almost black coating the saturation my mom admired.
The opposite end held my study desk and jumbled set of laptop and other cloned elements.
The other wall dwelled groups of collage, every memory, moment, smile, victory and love webbed together in a frenzied and desperate attempt to feel close to them.
Fronting he approached the pictures, raising his hands he brushed his fingers over the image of my eleven-year self hugging my mom from behind as dad clicked on the timer in camera but before he could make it, it went off. Capturing him in the state of walking on the side as we chortled.
"You look so much like your mom" he whispered silently, his eyes running over each of them, trying to take in all. Arduous pursuit to deduce the Elaine in pictures.
"My parents" my throat felt dry but I had to do it, though not the entire truth he deserves this after all the things he did for me "They died in an accident when I was twelve".
I wish it was that easy, like an accident. But there was more to it. And I wasn't prepared to voice the nightmares, not for now.
"After they passed away Diana volunteered to become my official guardian, she was Mom's best friend and thought she could help me" I sighed a heavy pause.
"Before this, I used to live in Seattle, I moved into her town. It wasn't easy for her to discipline a hormonal thirteen-year girl who started developing symptoms of depression and anxiety." My eyes stung, but I refrained from tearing up.
"But she stayed by my side, and I am thankful for that"
He watched me in silence, the deep sea blue eyes held mine. It felt like it was the only thing holding me from breaking down.
His existence in my life somehow changed me, I won't shy away from accepting, he made me valiant, made me feel brave.
"You're the strongest girl I've ever come across Elaine" he tucked a strand of my hair behind the ear, when Tyler did this I felt disgusted. But with Alex, the touch was deemed right. It felt special.
"It's not just Diana, I am never going leave your side, Elaine, I promise" cupping my cheeks he wiped the stray tear with his thumb.
There was no I am so sorry or pity, but a sign of spirited and noble ecstasy.
"So is there anything else to show me? I want to see more of your creative and exotic life." suddenly he started moving around the room, with childlike awe and excitement, he saw and commented on everything and anything that was in here, the bookshelf, the wall painting, and even the carpet.
He made the tense situation evaporate into thin air. Only he can do that.
During my hideous admiration towards him, I failed to notice that Alex stood by the large floor-to-ceiling plywood bookshelf that almost occupied one complete portion of the wall beside my bed.
A deep frown delicately framed his forehead as he scanned the names on the spine of the books I owned.
If I had been him, or anyone else I would've been mirroring his expression if I had found such textual interest in the room of a teenage girl.
My heart rate picked up slightly as he tilted his head and one of his hands decked an old book out of its slot.
"Astrophysics and theory on black hole?" There was a touch of humor and surprise in his tone as he looked at me and then at the thick book.
"I like to figure out things about the unknown. And space is a vast unexplained field" locking my sweaty palms behind my back I silently wished for him to stop asking me more. I am not a freak or a nerd, but I was someone who learned to act normal despite having uncommon interests.
"Anatomy of human body? The varied history on Abraham Lincoln? oh God Elaine, what are you?" He said as his lips twitched every now and then he checked for equally but some how fascinating titles for him.
My face was red due to all the un veiling being done by him. If I had the power I would vaporize myself in a second.
"There is not a single romance novel or a fantasy here." He turned to look at me as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Is that a bad thing?" I pouted. He simply watched me with his arms crossed across his chest, side lazily leaning against the shelf. His eyes shone with layers of mischief. It made my body tingle with something unexplainable.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I pinched the bridge of my nose to distract myself.
"I am wondering" he shrugs, his gaze still not wavering an inch.
"Wondering what?"
"Just how different and unique can you get?" He untangles his arm to flick the tip of my nose, the touch sends a jolt of shiver over my skin.
"That's a rhetorical question. How am I suppose to answer that?" I say, puffing out a loose strand of hair from my face.
He shakes his head chuckling as I clench my teeth, willing the mind to halt the blurting mess.
"Remind me to collect ample amount of facts about astronomy and science if we ever were to go on a date. Because if we do, I want my girl to have a conversation with the boy that would spark her interest." My jaw did the pretty good job of falling low as I gaped at his words.
He smirks, the angular jawline of his making it impossible for me to take his words accompanied by that smirk anything but seriously.
composing the taken aback, shocked and confused self I rapidly blinked. As if virtually stirring it away.
"I have something to show you" I hurried before he could ask me more questions or blurt out random cardiac cycle threatening probabilities, dragging him out to the room at the far end.
Picking the key from its holder I unlocked the biggest room in the house, the room was constructed by the previous owner for his wife who conducted ballet classes here.
It was vast with wooden flooring and ceiling-high windows with the brightest rays of sun seeping through it, illuminating the whole room.
But now it hosted my mom's dearest memory, her piano.
The brown instrument at the center was my childhood. Singing on the notes made by mom as I sat beside her on the mahogany bench.
"Is this your_"
"Moms piano" I ended his sentence as he looked at me. Every time I came here it made me sad, dark, and hopeless. But for now, my emotions were in contrast.
We both sat at the bench, I ran my fingers over the keys as he scrutinized the exchange with serenity.
"Can you play?" His inquest caused a blush to coat my cheeks.
"A little" I responded shyly.
"Play something for me" if it was some other day or guy I would've laughed at his face and walked away, but something deep persuaded me to nod yes.
The delighted beam of the smile on him was worth the embarrassment I will face after I mess up the notes. It's been months since I played.
Inhaling the cold air and placing my fingers upon the first key I proceeded. Before I know it I was singing the lyrics to the song.
Waking up I see that everything is okay
The first time in my life and I feel so great
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great.
Tilting I smile at him as I say the words, I don't know what I was doing or saying. But it felt natural.
I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling.
Turning to the piano I close my eyes for the attempt on high notes.
This innocence is brilliant
I hope that it will stay.
I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by.
Ending the tone I breathed slowly. Opening my eyes sluggishly smiling I turned to see his reaction.
But found nothing. His eyes hooded over my lips. He leaned towards me slowly and surprise was it did not make me flinch. Instead, I sat like a mannequin.
As if entire existence vacuumed from the room and he was the only thing that mattered, I stared at him as my heart struggled inside.
My heartbeat was the only thing I could hear and the intensity in his eyes the only emotion I see.
Suddenly his Mobile bleeped. Startled he sat back straight abruptly. My eyes widen In shock.
He masked his as he stood up.
"I-i forgot something at home, I have to leave" he said sliding his hands in his jacket as I nodded. In reality, my mind hardly operated and my cheek was still on fire.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" He asks hesitantly " we shall finish the assignment then"
"Yeah sure" awkwardly I got up. Walking him to the door and waving a bye felt like ages.
After locking the door I contemplated the day.
What the hell just happened?.
***