Reaching out to people sometimes doesn't work out the way others intend it to. Inez faced the brute force of those consequences when beginning to tackle the wall that was Sebastian.
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Plagued by loneliness since childhood, seventeen-year-old Inez...
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You're Right They Do Taste Better
"Last one!" I told Sebastian, chucking an old beer bottle in his direction.
He swung at it, not missing. He'd hit all of the other ones I'd thrown at him with accurate precision. It made me wonder if he ever played baseball when he was younger. I watched him carefully, noticing his chest heaving up and down slightly. If truth be told, he looked like he was releasing the pent up emotions in him.
"Did anything else happen recently?" I asked, referring to the reasoning behind him being upset.
He walked up to a table, various objects on or around it. They all laid strewn atop the surface. Some old, battered electronics looked like they didn't work anymore. Plates, bottles, and even a vinyl record that was chipped. Sebastian put the bat above his head before slamming it down onto the table. It hit a couple of plates and generated a giant bang noise.
I flinched.
"No," Sebastian muttered after a minute.
I could tell he wasn't being honest, but I wouldn't pry. Instead, my bat crashed into an old computer. The cream-coloured plastic began to chip away from the box at the area of impact. The device flew off of the table, landing on the concrete floor.
"Don't force yourself," I said, not looking at him. Instead, my bat went to land another hit on the computer. The only sound that echoed through the small room was the band and crackle of it getting smashed to pieces.
"Okay," he agreed quietly, going back to what he was doing.
An idea suddenly came to mind as I noticed a couple of untouched plates. My gaze moved around the room, landing on my bookbag. It was in the corner. A black Sharpie was inside the front pocket. I made my way over there and took it out after unzipping said pocket. Sebastian soon noticed what I was doing.
"What's up?" he asked, leaning against his bat.
"I had a revelation," I joked, grabbing two plates.
"You? Thinking? I couldn't imagine," he said.
I let out a dramatic gasp. "That's just rude!"
Sebastian's lips curved up into a small smile. The action made my cheeks heated up almost immediately. It's hard seeing someone who's always scowling show a genuine smile. My heart just can't seem to take such a rare sight so easily.
"What's your revelation?" he asked me, getting closer.
"Well, instead of talking about what's bothering you, you can write it down on a plate and break it," I explained sheepishly.
"That's the sappiest shit I've ever heard," he deadpanned, crossing his arms.
I gave him a nervous smile, scratching my cheek. "I know. It's the best I could come up with."
