Oblivious

16 // Invisible weight

Paroxysm
(n.) an outburst of emotion or action

-Elijah-

Elora's shoulders relax and before I know it she's grabbing my wrist and rushing down the stairs.

Going so fast in fact that I have to catch her at the bottom when she goes to fall.

My hands, seeming to have a mind of their own are attached to her waist before she has a chance to hit the floor. They stay there when she stands, I don't entirely trust her to stand on her own.

Elora smiles at me over her shoulder before making a move to run to the women in front of us. Who has one eyebrow raised in question, her eyes narrowed at my hands on her daughters waist.

I drop them and Elora practically rugby tackles the women. The woman chuckles, hugs her back and kisses her cheek before making a move to take off her shoes.

Then she's facing us again, hands on her hips, eyebrow raised in question.

Elora smiles at her, hands in front of herself as she twists her fingers. I'm left standing awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs not entirely sure on what to do or say.

"Mam this is Elijah, my friend from school, Elijah this is my mam." Elora waves her hand in between us as she introduces us.

Elora's mam turns to face me and I clear my throat, my right hand rubbing the back of my neck. "Pleasure to meet you Mrs Owens."

Elora winces and her mum frowns. Elora throws me a sympathetic look and my stomach pummels at the fact I've messed up my first interaction with her mum. "It's Miss."

My throat clears again and I don't know how to not be so awkward. My left index finger taps my thigh repeatedly. I can only seem to manage to look at my shoes. There's a deep need in my stomach for her to like me and I've messed up probably my only chance by assuming. "Right. Sorry, Miss."

It's silent for a few blinks, I want the ground to swallow me whole. Then Elora's mum is throwing her head back and laughing and I can't tell if she's laughing at me and I want to die inside.

She walks towards me, taps my cheek sympathetically. "There's no need to be so worried boy, any friend of Elora's is welcome here."

My shoulder relax. My stomach unties it's self. I smile at her, spotting Elora over her shoulder who's beaming at me with her thumbs up.

For whatever reason Elora smiles wider and then she's grabbing my hand and pulling me into the kitchen after her mum.

It's not a very small kitchen, having been mixed with a dining room. Elora takes a seat at the table, pulling me into the one next to her.

Elora drops my hand once we're sitting. Looking at her I find the tips of her ears pink. I stare at her side profile, probably too long because I only stop when she's blushing and her mum is calling me from over her shoulder on the other side of the kitchen.

I look towards her and I know my cheeks are red. She smiles at me and doesn't comment on it. "Would you like a cup of tea?" I feel Elora shift closer to me, placing her hand over her mouth as she whispers. "She makes the best cups of tea."