The Corner of the Grand Canyon

Chapter 3: Rule Breakers

Elijah

The first rule of any disaster is simple: Stay calm.

For the first five seconds, I completely failed step one.

I was off running before I knew it, legs pumping as I hop skipped over a bunch of rocks.

"Hey! Eli, wait!" Asa's voice bobbed. I threw a look over my shoulder, seeing that he was running after me.

Stupid me.

That's why I didn't see the huge thing of rock in front of me. Suddenly, my toes crashed into something, turning my ankle forward, and sending me sprawling through dry dust and brush.

Footsteps rung besides me. Asa's knees fell on the ground beside me, his worried face suddenly peering up at me.

"Eli? Eli! Are you okay?" I blinked a few times, trying to clear my eyes. Shaking, I tried push myself up but adrenaline had taken its course of sapping my strength. Dust blurred my vision and a burning, tingling scratch was going into a fire on one side of my face.

Asa grabbed my shoulders hauling me up onto my feet. Gingerly, I touched the swollen side of my face.

When a drew my hand back, a dab of blood rested on my finger. 

"Do-do I look bad?" I asked to Asa. His eyes filled with pity and concern.

"I've got bandages in the car," he supplied. Grabbing me by the hand, he lead me back to the path, careful to lead me away from tripping again.

I felt a blush burn against my skin. Part of me felt humiliated for running and screwing myself over. I'm always doing this. I freak out, mess up, and someone has to take care of me. You would think I would've learned by now how to take care of myself completely.

Maybe I did like the attention. The pampering, the care. God, I hate myself some days. Just a bit of self loathing flaming out at a part of me. Why was I like this?

"You feeling okay?" Asa's voice was gentle and soft, like he was trying to use his word as a healing ointment for my cheek. 

I mumbled out an "I guess." My face went downward to look at my feet (damn those rocks.) Glancing out to the side, I realized Asa was still holding my hand, guiding me to the next destination.

Another wave of emotions rolled over me. That was an endlessly sweet and kind gesture but it also made me feel somewhat childish, which made me feel kinda happy, which threw me into the whole swing of bitterness again. 

I bit my lip, trying to dispel my thoughts. Blood throbbed in my cheek, creating an achy feeling.

"Is it bruised?" I asked, trying not to disturb the injured side of my face. Asa (still holding my hand) leaned close to check it out. His eyes were a plain brown color, but the focus in them gave them life and purpose. The steady of fire of intelligence lit the irises of his eyes like stained glass. And god, did he smell good. Faint hints of lavender and bergamont and chestnut surrounding him like an aura of amazing sm-

"I think it won't, but I can't be sure." Asa broke me out of my reverie. Did I just get lost thinking about his smell? 

Although that development somehow bugged my, I tried to keep it out of my face and body posture. 

Also, curse his heart, he was still holding onto my hand. 

We walked in silence for the rest of the way. I think was he giving me time. I'm not sure if he inherently sensed that I was partially humiliated or just used to social cues. A cold breeze stirred up some of the dry brush. I hunched forward a bit, trying to preserve body heat from the chill. It felt like the wind had tiny wisps of icy fingers that were pouring into my pores, caressing my back, neck, hands-