See Me

22

"Do you have somewhere to be?" I noticed Zane had been looking at his phone, seemingly checking the time. I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. I liked it here.

"Hm?" Zane said as he snapped his head up from said phone. "Oh, yeah. I'm supposed to go to O's tonight. It's his girlfriend's birthday."

"Ah." I nodded. I didn't want to leave, but without Zane's car I was looking at an hour walk home, if not more.

"Do you want to come?" Zane surprised me by asking, but then I realized he probably didn't want me at home by myself again.

"I don't think O will want me there." I told him, and when he seemed confused I clarified. "After yesterday."

I wish I could say I didn't remember trying to rip my clothes off in front of Zane's friends and shouting at them to look at me, but unfortunately I did. Vividly.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I just told them you were sleep deprived." Zane explained, although his eyes darted to the left, which made me think he was being less than truthful.

"I don't know his girlfriend. I'll be fine at home, Zane. You don't have to worry about me. I don't need a babysitter." I said as I wrapped my arms around my chest.

"Seren, I want you there. Which is why I'm asking you to come." Zane told me, and this time he looked like was telling the truth.

I contemplated my options. If I had my pills, I would go home. I would go home and I would sleep. But I don't, which meant going home and staring blankly at the TV screen, waiting for my dad to come home and being paranoid.

"Okay." I finally agreed.

"Yeah?" Zane asked, and his mouth broke into the biggest smile I have ever seen him make, and I couldn't help it. I just couldn't. The edges of my lips twitched upwards.

Zane's eyes opened wide. "You smiled."

I don't know how it made me feel that he was so surprised.

But then again, it might have been the worst excuse for a smile, and no where near as beautiful as his was, but he was right. I did smile. Sober.

Zane handed me his phone as we were in his car, and driving back towards the city. "You pick."

I grabbed the phone from him, mildly surprised at his willingness to hand over control of the music. Most guys I had hung around were such control freaks about it. But, I'm starting to realize that Zane wasn't like most guys.

I scrolled through the playlist he had open, recognizing one of the songs and pressing play. It was included on the playlist Zane had made me, called Boston.

"Do you ever think about just leaving this place? Starting somewhere new?" Zane asked me, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was referencing the lyrics.

I barely had to think about it. "No."

Zane looked pleased, like I had answered a question correctly on his How Depressed is Seren?questionnaire. I almost felt bad about completing my thought. Almost.

"The people probably are just as bad everywhere else, so there's not much point." I looked out of the window as I said it, so I couldn't see his face, but the prolonged silence filling the car said enough.

My anxiety level started to rise as we pulled onto a street lined with cookie cutter, suburban houses. They weren't as large or as grand as Zane's house, or even my house, but they were nice. I instantly knew which one was O's from the lines of cars in the driveway.