Flipped: Back Again (L.T. Sequel to Flipped)

Chapter 7: Resist

My hand slides over the wheel effortlessly, turning behind the town car down a more desolate road. I've been following Eliza's car for a good twenty minutes now and still haven't made it to the designated spot. The anxiety of what was to come after we arrived was making me boil with anticipation. This moment I wanted for nearly ten years now; this is what I spent nights thinking about, imagining, trying to figure out some reasonable explanation that was just out of my grasp because Eliza had left me without a trace. This was the time where I'd be able to fill that void I so desperately wanted to keep hidden and forget about it. Now, it was aching. Like a whole other being inside me desired to know and was just as eager as I was.

Eliza's car stops mid-drive, pausing to talk to some stranger passing by. The older man is clothed in rags, with a tethered bag hung over his shoulder. He looks over his shoulder and slips his hand inside momentarily to grab something, then sweeps it under his shirt. They part with a simple nod and we continue on the path. As I follow close behind them, the man is sure to keep his head down and avoids eye contact with me, escaping into the shadows.

I've never explored this part of London. It was dark, dreary; poverty in the air as we rounded multiple shacks hoisted together to create a sort of community. Many baggy eyes watched us as we cruised by, obviously out of place among them. They were starting to give me the creeps and I felt myself gripping my wheel tighter. Where the hell were we going?

Finally, the car slows to park in front of an old warehouse. Its smaller than the surrounding buildings and looks like its never been hit by sunlight. The old bricks are worn and charred, adding to its ancient look. Eliza would pick such a charming place to reconnect...typical.

When I see Eliza exit her car, I put mine in park and get out as well, making sure to hit the lock twice on my vehicle.

"What?" I say irritably when Eliza shakes her head at me. "Its a really expensive car." I might as well just hand over eighty thousand pounds if I leave it unlocked.

"I see." She cuts her eyes from me. "Follow me."

"What about your-"

"It'll be fine." She quickly silences me and walks briskly towards the entrance. The atmosphere inside is humid and moist. There are cracks in the wall, revealing light on the other side but also is cluttered with cobwebs and old pictures. I can feel the dust coating my lungs as I continue to breathe, coughing slightly from the polluted air.
Eliza seems perfectly content with the withering building. It suits her. I can see the appeal from her perspective; it definitely stands out and is outside the norm. Just like her.

I watch as she runs her hand along the wall, looking for something. My eyes travel from her arms, to the blue blouse shes wearing. Like the satin dress from the art show, its corset vibe is very unnerving. I have to force my eyes up to keep from roaming down her body. I cant think this way; not when I'm with Eleanor. But its just so damn tempting when she moves her hips that way..and the occasional bump in when I'm trying to divert my eyes elsewhere. The brief contact between her back to my front is just- no. I'm with Eleanor. Only Eleanor.

While gliding her hand over the surface, Eliza's finger slips into a little hole. "Here."

Remarkably, the hole revealed the shabby wall to actually be a door. It swung open easily despite the rusting screws keeping it intact. I couldn't believe my eyes when I stepped in.

"What is this place.."

"This right here," Eliza says, rubbing the dirt off her hands with a rag. "Is my studio."

"Its..amazing." That was an understatement. It was like we walked through a portal that brought us to a whole new world. The peeling, lifeless walls, were now solid white and smooth to the touch, covered with some sort of canvas material. There was a large window in the front, letting today's light shine brilliantly off the glass cases of paint and brushes. All her materials were illuminated, adding to the mystical place. In one corner there was a variety of frames waiting to be used. And in the other, a mountain-high stack of boards and wood.