Luke
They said she wasn't feeling well and she asked to stay behind. I figured she must be pretty sick to be missing out on a day trip to Disneyland. She loves Disney. "You guys go on. I'll just check up on her."
"Luke, you don't have to do that." Dash said.
"It's okay. If she's sick, someone should take care of her."
"She's a big girl. And she's not your responsibility." Ria pointed out.
"If she's feeling better, we'll try to catch up later. But I'm gonna see how she's doing now." I insisted. "I want to."
Ria sighed. "Fine," The she handed me her key.
I could hear her sobs from behind the closed door. I knocked thrice, "Elaine? Can I come in?" The crying stopped. I took that as a sign and pushed the door open.
The first thing I saw was her desk filled with paper and drawing tools in mugs and cloth swatches. Her chair had about five different fabrics draped over the back and her wall was covered with taped-up sketches in various stages of progression. Beside the desk was a mannequin with a half-finished long dress pinned on it. This side of the room was kind of a mess. On the other side-where her bed, bookshelf, and beside table were-was clean and minimalistic. Her room was just so...her. She has a version of her where she was so prim and proper, stone-faced, calm and collected. Reserved. Then she also has a wild side, bold and so carefree. Basically up for anything. One face closed off, the other an open book. She was both sides of one coin.
She was curled up on her bed, eyes red and puffy. "What are you doing here?" She asked in a voice that was husky from crying.
"Dash and Ria said you weren't feeling well. Is it a fever?" I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead to check her temperature. It was too late when I realized that maybe I shouldn't have touched her. She flinched a little, but didn't seem to mind. I let my hand drop back to my side though. I wasn't going to push my luck.
"No,"
"Headache?"
She shook her head.
"Is it...period cramps?" I asked reluctantly. I remember she used to get really bad cramps sometimes.
She snorted a short laugh. "No."
"Does anything hurt?"
"Not physically." I was completely confused, and it must have showed, because she sighed and said, "I'm just having a really off day." Oh. Now I get it.
"I came here to look after you." I answered her earlier question.
She started crying again. "You skipped Disneyland because you thought I was sick? I'm so sorry."
"Hey, it's okay. Disney isn't as fun without you anyway. And I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"Why?"
Because I care for you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I want to take care of you but I don't know what to do and I wish you would tell me how. I want to hug you tight right now and take all of your sadness away, but I'm not sure if you'll let me. I have to be careful around you because I don't want you to push me away again. I've barely gotten you back; it would hurt like hell if I ever have to lose you again. But I tell her none of these things. I don't know if that's what she wants to hear. So even if it hurts, even if it's not entirely true, I just say, "Because that's what friends do."
She smiled a little through her tears. "You're a good friend, Luke."
I wanted to ask her if I was better at being her friend than I was at being her boyfriend, but I knew it would come out sounding bitter so I swallowed my question with a tight smile. I asked instead if she's eaten anything. She shook her head. "Want me to fix you something?" I offered.
YOU ARE READING
Broken Pieces
Fanfiction"One look at his face and that was all it took to undo all the barriers I built for six months. Is it possible that he looks even better now than he did before? How did a guy like that ever fall for a girl like me? I felt like the luckiest girl in t...
