corrupted lungs | d.w #Wattys2016

e l e v e n

I sighed as I walked outside, feeling the cold air brush against my skin and send shivers down my spine. The snow was falling from the sky again, covering up every area that I shoveled free yesterday.

Oh right, yesterday.

I smiled a bit at the memory of Gabe's arm around my shoulders, his band and their performance, the way his fingers strummed across the thick strings on the bass and the way his voice sounded when he sang.
It'd been an amazing night and afterwards, he'd followed me home.

Such a gentleman.

Now, I was on my way to the store. My mom and dad had invited some of our family over for dinner and I'd gotten the mission to go and buy some ingredients for the food.

Family reunions and dinners weren't exactly my thing. I tend to always try to make a funny joke and end up having everyone stare at me in fright before awkwardly going back to talk to each other.

And people wondered why I hated speaking in front of big groups so much.

I cringed at a memory flash and shook off the thought again. My hands escaped into my pockets searching for warmth, but they were as cold as the air outside.

Arriving outside of the store, I could spot some cheap Halloween costumes hanging inside and smiled a little. October was my favorite month of the year- after December- and all because of Halloween. I loved dressing up and scaring people. My mom had said that ever since I was a little kid, Halloween and Christmas had been my favorite holidays.

The doors slid to the side as I walked up towards them and then continued into the store. It was warm enough for me to pull my hands out of my pockets, which made me pleased. I grabbed one of the smaller carts that stood nearby and rolled into the store.

I struggled a little with finding the right ingredients. I'd only ever been to this store once since we moved here and wasn't really familiar with it. The store again didn't seem to have many people working here either, which made it a lot harder. In confusion, I stared at the piece of paper filled with everything from potatoes to spices I couldn't speak the name of. I bit down my lip and slowly started moving forward again, looking up and down the shelves.

I suddenly felt the cart hit something and released a small "Shit" under my breath as I realized it was a human I'd bumped into.

"Oh, sorry!" I quickly said and looked up to face the person. To my surprise, it was someone I knew and it was someone I was happy to see.

"It's alright," Dallon said quietly while raising his broad shoulders into a shrug. "What are you doing here?"

"Just doing some shopping for my mom." I told him and looked at the list again. "I'm just having a hard time finding the things I need." I explained and looked up to meet his gaze again.

He looked at the paper I was holding and slowly reached out for it. "May I take a look at it?" He asked, almost under his breath and I nodded before handing it over. His eyes quickly scanned over the different brands and weird names, before smiling a little and handing it back.

"I know where to find this." He mumbled. "Want me to help you?" He asked carefully and looked down a little.

"I would really appreciate that." I genuinely said which made him brighten up a little before taking the lead and showing me the way across the aisles.

After about ten minutes, the cart was filled with all of the groceries that I came here for and Dallon and I were stood in line together.

"Thank you," I told him with a smile. "I probably would've been here for an hour if it weren't for you." I giggled.

Dallon just smiled at that and helped me line up the groceries on the cash band. It had made me happy to see him smile in such a genuine way, since I never saw him happy. Maybe he was, but he rarely ever smiled. His smile was beautiful. I wish he'd show it more.

Once I'd payed for my groceries and Dallon for his (which was a can of soda and a chocolate bar), we exited the store together. The world didn't seem so cold anymore, or maybe it was just Dallon that spread such a warm energy around him.

"What are your mom cooking that involves saffron?" He suddenly asked me and I looked up at him. "Sorry, couldn't help but notice." He confessed and a little smile spread across his pale lips.

I chuckled. "Well, I don't really know. Our relatives are coming over and she's cooking a big dinner, but I have no idea what it is. She just asked me to buy this." I said and shrugged.

"I'm sure it's going to be delicious." He said and I smiled.

"Yeah, all mom's cook the best food." I said and suddenly saw his face drop. I felt my stomach twist a little, knowing what I said probably made him think of something unpleasant. Shit.

Dallon was quiet for a while, before noticing my movements next to him. "I.. M-my mom have this damage in her neck that.. she can't perform certain tasks and that involves cooking.." The boy stuttered out and I looked down.

"Oh.. I'm sorry to hear that, Dallon." I said quietly. I didn't know what to say, so I just gave his arm a little comforting squeeze before pulling back. He shot me a little smile, but I could tell he was sad and it made me anxious to know that I couldn't really do anything about it.

We walked the rest of the way under silence. I didn't dare to say much, I was afraid to say something else that might hurt him. Dallon followed me all the way to my front door and as I turned to him I saw the boy, his head hanging low on his neck, staring at the ground.

"Thank you for your help today." I said and shuffled my feet a little in the snow.

He nodded his head and looked up a little. "No problem." He quietly said before looking back at his feet.

None of us knew what to say nor what to do, but we didn't leave each other. It must've looked funny.

"Have fun at your family dinner," he suddenly said after a minute of silence and glanced up at me. I understood that he tried to show me that he was somewhat okay.

"I'll try," I said. "I'm not a good talker amongst many people." I told him and awkwardly smiled. A more genuine smile reflected on him.

"Me neither."