Cool Kids Don't Dance

Five

Lou woke with a start.

This was not her bedroom. But even this one was warmer than her own.

Her fingertips traveled to her lip which was "conveniently" throbbing.

The window was open, letting a golden ray of sun flow onto the mess of books that covered the floor. The room oddly smelled of rust, Louise tried finding the source of the scent from her position on the bed but it seemed constant.

As she gazed around the room she spotted boxers curled up in the corner. This was obviously Aidan's house. She shudderes this was not how she wanted to end up here.

I mean what are his parents going to think of him taking a girl home.

Louise winced at the thought of it. She then scrubbed at her face with her hands smearing whatever makeup was left all over her tear streaked cheeks.

Louise felt her braids still hanging down her back and breathed a sigh of relief. Her hair would be gross, but not as gross as it could be. If it had been loose.... Louise shuddered yet again.

She then took a breath in of rust and shuffled out of the room.

The house was eerily quiet, she crept down a carpeted hallway as quietly as she could. Waking his parents was the last thing she wanted to do.

Parents..... mom?!!!

Louise patted her pockets. Her phone was gone. Probably still in the car.

Louise padded into a door at the end of the hallway, the best bet of an exit, she figured.

Louise carefully slid into the room and flipped on the switch next to the door jam.

Oh no... a bathroom.

Louise gulped at the sight of her reflection, she had been dreading how she would look when she faced Aidan. He'd want to know what had happened. And he to see her... like this.

She was still in her old cloths, which smelled of rot, there was an obvious drool stain down her cheek along with the tear streaks and mascara that had run. Yet her nose was completely spotless, even shiny, if you will.

Louise leaned forward, retrieved water from the basin and scrubbed the sludge away.but on closer inspection, there was hints of blood around her nose and lips.

She cleaned the area around her still throbbing lip to reveal a small cut and and a bloody nose which Aidan had obviously attempted to clean.

After her face was as clean as it would come, she stepped back and studied herself as a whole. She looked scared... frail. The girl who stood in front of her was a stranger, a frail, broken girl that Louise couldn't bare to look at. She bought she looked like a girl that you saw in public and felt bad for... for no apparent reason. Louise shivered. and scampered back into the hallway of closed doors. Louise laughed at that.

A hallway of closed doors? Sounds like my life.

She giggled again, this time without humor.

Louise thought back to that awkward game she had on her old computer: click a square with a smily face behind it, try to avoid the bombs.

But this was no game. She would either open a door to Aidan's parents or her escape.

Louise began to tip toe towards the door at the other end of hallway. Right as she began to turn the knob she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and goose pimples prick her skin.

Louise whirled around to face Aidan who was obviously eyeing her up and down.

"I won't ask what happened, cause it's none of my business."

Louise didn't answer.

"I won't ask why there is a room just for you in the hospital."

Louise turned back toward the door and leaned her forehead on it.

"And I won't ask why you needed a ride so late. Because its none of my business. I will respect your privacy"

Louise sighed and dug her nails into the door frame, the one thing that she yearned to keep secret was now out.

But I do need to tell you as soon as you didn't respond to me, I panicked and stomped on the brakes... your face slammed into the dashboard."

Louise giggled, that's where the rust smell had come from, her own blood.

Louise felt his warmth closer to her, his voice lower now, "Ans I will ask if I can help."

Louise turned around to face him, "do you have a phone I can use?"

• • •

She called her mother's phone and her work number twice just to be sure that she wasn't imagining things. But although her fears, she wasn't, Louise would be alone.

Aidan leaned onto the counter, adjacent from her.

"No answer?"

"No."

Silence engulfed them, Louise struggled to find words before this beautiful boy. So she asked the only thing on her mind.

"Are your parents home?"

"No, they are in Tampa for the week for my brother's wedding." He rolled his eyes.

Lou let out a sigh of relief.

"Where is Willard's Grocery?"

"Willard's Grocery?" He chuckled, "never heard of it."

Edgewood was a small town how had he not heard of it?!

"Wha- but I- Mom said she-" Louise was flabbergasted my mother would ever lie to me. She had never kept things from me before.

She rested her forehead onto the countertop between Aidan's elbows which proped him up.

"Do you do that a lot?"

"What." She grumbled.

"Lay down on things when you get upset." he stood up and guffawed.

"Very funny. Yes. I do." I replied in monotone. "And I'm sorry to bother you with this, and I know I probably freaked you out last night with my... " Lou tried to think of a word that wouldn't make her sound like a freak. "episode?"

His face suddenly grew serious, he obviously didn't know how to react.

"I know, I know, I'll just go. I scare people sometimes, I didn't mean to...." Lou shook her head and left the kitchen.

She left the front door she had been shown on her "Grand Tour" and took a look around, surveying her surroundings thinking which way would most likely lead her home. But the sea of vast houses looked frightening.

Louise checked all of her pockets for change for a taxi but Aidan rushed to her side.

"Let me drive you home."

"I don't want to bother-"

Aidan gripped her bicep and drug her into his truck, closing the door behind her.

Louise grimaced as she thought of how bizarre this must be for him.

Aidan stepped into the drivers side and started the car, "My mother had the same condition, you're no bother." he simply stated before driving her all the way home.