Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 2: Retrieval

II. 

There was no explaining it, but something just wouldn't let me move.

I exhaled with audible annoyance, throwing the key down onto the passenger seat and pushing the door open so I was once more soaked through to the bone. With no jacket on, the rainwater was quickly biting through my t-shirt and jeans, and it was going to be one hell of a late start to the new semester to get back with a raging cold. The girl on the bench lifted her head in confusion while I propped one arm up on the roof the car and used the other to close the door.

"Look." I said sharply. "I don't know what the hell your deal is, but where I come from, people don't let other people sit out in the rain and just feel sorry for themselves."

She made no sound, but I could tell she was listening so I continued.

"Can I at least give you a ride somewhere? Home? The mall? Anyplace with a roof? I won't call you annoying anymore, I promise."

"I told you already, I'm fine." She repeated, lowering her head.

"Well from where I'm standing, you're not fine. And I'm not fine just knowing you're not fine. So I'm going to stand here until you either get into the car, or find someplace to go that isn't here."

The girl frowned. "What's your deal? Do you just go around the city picking up homeless strangers everywhere?"

I was about to roll my eyes, but something stopped me. "Wait... you're homeless?"

The girl just looked down to her toes again, returning to her previous demeanour of ignorance to my presence. "Look..." I said slowly, ensuring that my voice remained loud enough to hear. "How about you just come home with me. I mean you can't stay out here... you'll freeze." I looked up. "Or by the looks of it, you might drown."

With that, her eyes finally moved to me. "So you do just take in random strangers from the street."

This time, I did roll my eyes. "No. I don't."

"So why are you doing it to me?"

"Well..." I felt all caution fly to the wind as I stepped a little closer. "Most of the weirdos I find on park benches aren't nearly as hot as you are."

There was a moment of rainy silence, and the girl looked up at me with a small frown.

"What?" I followed up, tilting my head to the side as she just stared at me in silence, waiting for an explanation. "Look at you, you're really going to tell me that you've never been hit on before?"

The girl got to her feet, sliding her arms through the sleeves of her jacket that had been been previously draped over her shoulders. She seemed taken aback at first, but was slowly becoming more and more impressed as time progressed. "Oh, so that was you hitting on me? Wow... kinda smooth, and really shallow. Not what I'd expect from someone like you."

"Someone like me?" I met her halfway, keeping my distance yet allowing enough space between us for a challenging conversation. Looking her straight in the eye, I saw that they were green. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look at you." The girl chuckled. "Big brown eyes, an innocent face... you've got to be the most doe-eyed person I've ever seen, you literally look like a baby deer that just fell out of its mom." Pressing one hand down on the roof of the car, she lifted an eyebrow at me. "I didn't expect there to be a flirty badass behind those eyes."

I knew immediately that there was something special about this girl, and even more so that there was no way I was going to leave without her. "Get in the car." I ordered, lifting my chin over at the passenger seat door that was still conveniently unlocked.