Moments

Chapter three.

Alexia slid into the seat next to Eli, thumping her bag down on the table. He grinned over at her,

"Now, what did that table ever do to you?" She punched him playfully on the arm. Digging through her bag for her textbook and a pen, pulling out pieces of paper, and empty crisp packets in vain. Eli nudged her.

"Need a pencil?" he chuckled, offering one out.

"Thanks" she said, going to grab it, but he quickly pulled it away. She tried again, but he only pulled it further back. 

"If your life goal, is to tease me" she said, leaning across the desk and grabbing the pencil from his outstretched hand "Then you're going to have to try a lot harder" she said, falling back in her seat. Eli smiled, wrapping an arm casually around her shoulder, pulling her into him, tugging her hair out of its bun. She turned to him, her face questioning him. He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"I like it better down" he moaned.

"Good job I don't care" she retorted, pulling her hair back into its bun.

"Nasty" he teased, going to pull it down again, his hand freezing in mid air at the look he got from Alexia. Dropping his hand back to his side Eli turned back to his desk, leaning his chair back on two legs, twirling a pen absent mindly between his fingers. Alexia, dropped her bag onto the floor next to her desk, before laying her cheek down on the cool desk, and wrapping her arms over her head.

"You alright" asked Eli, a concerned look on his face. 

"mhmm, just tired" 

Alexia mumbled back, not bothering to look up. It wasn't a lie, she was shattered. Nightmares kept her up  only allowing her a couple of restless hours of sleep a night. But it was more than that; her heart ached, her stomach felt as if it was in her feet, and every breath was an effort. Every time she closed her eyes, his face danced in front of her eyes, but it wasn't him, the expression was cruel, taunting, a harsh reminder of what could have been. Inside she was screaming, desperately trying to rebuild her life out of the rubble. She'd been diagnosed with depression a month after the accident and been put on medication and forced to see a psychiatrist. Alexia hated the pills though, they made her feel numb, and she preferred the pain. The pain made her remember, a constant reminder of what she had lost. She'd barely said a word to her psychiatrist either, a 24 year old, fresh out of university, and he didn't push her. For the hour a week, she was forced to go see him, they would sit on the floor and play video games. Alexia wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to hold herself together.

"Alex" warned Eli, gently pulling her arms away from her head. "Please talk to me" he begged, trying to meet her eyes. 

"I can't, I can't" she tried to explain, feeling the hot swell of tears in her eyes. Quickly she swiped her bag off the floor, standing, knocking her chair flat on the floor, she darted out the room and into the corridor. Hearing footsteps behind her, she began to run down the deserted corridor.

"Alexia STOP" Eli yelled, a few metres back down the corridor, "Just stop" he pleaded. She stopped running, turning around to face him, her face flushed and red, her hair, half in and half out of its bun, stuck to her wet cheeks. She shook her head, 

"Just leave me alone" she yelled, louder than she intended too. Suddenly Eli's face flashed with rage.

"NO" he moved his hands up to his head, pulling at his hair "NO I WONT ALEX, BECAUSE YOU NEED HELP. YOU NEED TO GET OVER THIS AND STOP ACTING LIKE SUCH A CHILD. YOU WEREN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT LOST A FRIEND THAT DAY. I LOST A FRIEND TOO. AND I'M NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO GRIEVE, TO HURT, BECAUSE I'M SUCK BABYSITTING YOU, MAKING SURE YOU'RE OKAY AND NOT GOING TO JUMP IN FRONT OF A BUS" Eli's voice was shaking now, as he raised his head to look at the ceiling, before dropping it back down to focus on her "I'm through" he said, his eyes red "I can't take any of this anymore, I'll stay out of your way, just please leave me alone" He stared at her a moment longer, as Alexia stood, feeling her knees shake, words evading her. Shaking his head, he turned away, walking into the classroom and slamming the door behind him. Alexia fell back against the locker, sinking down to the floor, and beginning to sob. 

 

 

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Sorry it's so short, I just couldnt think of a better way to end the chapter. What do you all think of the characters so far? Do you feel sorry for Alexia, or sympathise with Eli?