Oblivious

4 // Sort of Pretty

Pistanthrophobia
(n.) the fear of trusting people due to to past experiences

-Elijah-

Her hands are shaking, have been since she got in the car. She's soaked, looks miserable and is probably freezing.

I want to apologise. It's on the top of my tongue to do so.

But then she turns to look at me, smiling a pathetic attempt at a reassuring smile. Her mascara running and smudged, her normally straight hair soaked and dripping. Her clothes are sagging and creating a sort of puddle on my seat.

She looks so unkept, disorganised, messy. She looks sort of pretty.

She always looks a little pretty sure, but right now she looks really pretty.

Pretty enough for me to shove any apology back down my throat.

"Are you cold?" It's a stupid question, obviously she's cold. I turned the heat on before she even got in the car, but her hands won't stop shaking.

"I'm fine. Obviously I'm not fine fine. My mascara is running and getting in my eyes. It toke me an hour to straighten my hair this morning and now it's all frizzy. My clothes are pulling me down and creating a mess in your car. And I feel miserable and cold. But it could be worse so I'm fine." She stutters a little, sniffles a bit too.

I don't like the way she said it 'could be worse'. It could be worse sure but that doesn't mean she can't be sad about it.

I glance over at her when she sighs, watching as she wraps her arms around her stomach. "I'm sorry for rambling. I'm fine, really." Her voice is soft and less enthusiastic than it has ever been since I meet her.

My stomach feels heavy. My apologies resurfacing. I definitely shouldn't have soaked her even if she looks really fucking pretty because of it.

"I'm sorry, I guess." She looks at me all confused like she's not freezing her ass off right now because of what I did. "For driving through the puddle."

Elora focuses on her hands, tightening the hold around herself. "It okay. It was raining anyways."

I nod my head her even though she's not looking, exhaling when I pull up in front of her house.

"Thanks for the ride." Elora smiles at me, hurrying to collect her bags and get out of the car. I'm about to drive off when she turns back around, her cheeks a light pink colour. "And for shopping with me."

She doesn't give me time to respond, running like her ass is on fire up the steps of her house.

Driving off I refuse to admit, even to myself, my cheeks have become light pink too.

❤︎

Parking the car in the drive way I turn the engine off. Staying seated in the car probably longer than I should.

Not because it's still raining but because I really can't be assed to enter the house. It's probably why I gave Elora a ride home, to avoid going back to my own for as long as I could.

It's stupid and will only end up with my mother mad at me for taking so long. But I cannot seem to find the strength to get out the car.