in which she swims to forget all the pain, but he sees it all because dallas edlen is not ok and, having loved her for years, seeing that was no task.
ONE BREATH
MINIMINTER
SIDEMEN
DEATHLIES 2016
[COMPLETED]
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ELEVEN s i m o n
Since the party, Dallas hadn't turned up to school. Now, it was Wednesday and she hadn't attended once again. From what Simon had heard, Dallas was only coming into school for swim practice and then going straight back home afterwards, but he hadn't seen her once. Not a single glimpse of the girl who'd been running through his mind every single day.
He sat at his desk, finishing off homework that was due the next day. Like usual, he had left it until the last minute and was now rushing through it. It wouldn't be excellent, but it would be good enough to get a decent grade, enough to pass. Passing was enough, honestly.
A small tapping noise broke him out of his concentration. Turning to the window, he sees a few tiny stones being thrown at it. Again, the annoying taps sounded as they hit.
Sighing, Simon put down his pen and walked over to the window, opening it and looking out. He'd been expecting to see Josh or JJ, but he was met with the sight of Dallas.
She stood beneath his window, a collection of stones in her hand and one of her arms raised ready to throw another few up. She lowers her arm when she sees him and drops the stones back onto the side.
Just like it had been at the party, Dallas' hair was curled to perfection. In addition to the pristine curled hair, she wore a white and red polka dot dress, nothing like she would normally wear. Simon couldn't help but question why. She hadn't worn anything like that since her mum made her dress up for dinners with guests. He'd attended a few, but none for years.
"Can you come down?" She asks, the streetlight shining on her cheeks. And she glowed as if she were all that mattered in the universe, and maybe tonight she was. "I need a walk again."
"Ok," He replies, in awe of her beauty as she stood below his window in a pretty dress. More importantly, her voice did not seem as playful as it did the first time she asked him to walk, or run, with her.
Now, it just seems drained and as he steps out of his front door and sees her, the reason was clear. Her eyes were red, puffy and bloodshot; she could barely look at him. Her cheeks shone with tears and her fingers fiddled with the heart shaped necklace that hung around her neck, the one she always wore.
They start walking. Nothing is said. She knows where she wants to go and Simon follows, letting her lead the way. Tonight, they walk in the opposite direction to before.
Another change came in Simon's sudden confidence to ask her what was wrong. He asks, "Are you ok?" and she laughs an airy laugh that seems to float through the air to his ears as if it was never meant to be heard.
"You don't have to pretend you haven't noticed the tears on my cheeks, Simon," She replies. "I didn't come here to talk about everything wrong with me."
"Then why did you come?"
"Because you're the only one who seems to care anymore," She tells him with a shrug of her shoulders, as if it isn't a big deal. What she makes even less of a deal of is the way she slips her hand into his, her fingers winding between his and sending a buzz of electricity up his arm.
What struck him first is that her hand was cold. Cold as if she'd been out here a while, walking through the icy evening air of autumn in nothing but a dress and her heels.
Glamorous, but frozen solid.
The second thing that struck him was the fact that Dallas relied on him to listen to her and to care about her. It was like going back through the years to a time where it was the two of them and all their secrets combined.
"Did you enjoy the party?" Dallas asks, breaking him away from his thought.
At the mention of the party, Simon comes to a sudden realisation and can't bite his tongue to hold back the question that bursts from his lips. "Are you here because of James?"
Dallas lets go of his hand.
She brushes her hair out of her face and says, "No. I'm here because I want to reconnect with you after all this time."
Simon wants to believe her, but the lie is too obvious.
"Maybe you should head home, Dallas."
"Ok."
And just like that he sent home the girl he undoubtedly adored in her polka dot dress because she was a liar, but couldn't quite admit it.
Did he regret it? Of course he did.
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in celebration of reaching 1.1K, I thought i'd finish up this chapter and post it! hope you enjoyed it <3
