" i don't know,
i always thought you guys were just friends. "
in which a lightning-struck girl and a camera-flashing boy are thrown into the murky waters of their town
[ jonathan byers x oc ]
[ stra...
rubatosis (n.) the unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat -Collie's Journal, Edition 1
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THE black sedan has followed her for five blocks now. She's tried taking back roads and narrow alleys between buildings, but it always manages to find her and continue its pursuit. Its windows are tinted a deep charcoal, preventing her from recognizing who's behind the wheel.
Colleen anxiously clutches her backpack straps and glances over her shoulder only to see the car still trailing after her. Its engine hums gently, rippling the dark evening silence. She returns her gaze to straight ahead and focuses on the bright, florescent light of the sign mounted in the window of the grocery store. She decides home is too far.
The hazy shine from the dim streetlights illuminates her face, along with the unusual marks that streak across her features. Jagged white scars band across her eye, nose, and cheek, like pale rips in her skin.
Colleen hurriedly strides down the cracked sidewalk, the grocery store becoming closer and closer with each step. Her heart pounds in her ears at an alarming rate and she wishes the ground will open up and swallow her whole.
"Rubatosis." Her voice barely reaches her own ears, drowned out by the sedan's engine. Colleen swallows, her pace quickening as she finally reaches the parking lot of the store. Daring another glance, her eyes follow the sleek car as it slowly turns, then disappears around the corner.
She lets out a sharp exhale of relief, then spins on her heel and jogs to the glass door of the grocery store. A chilly breeze whips past her as she enters and she immediately savors the gift of indoors.
Low music drifts from the speakers overhead and a bell chimes from above the door as Colleen enters. She passes the register, which is vacant of either employees or cashiers.
A weary voice arises from one of the aisles and says, "Sorry, but we're about to close." From around the corner appears Jonathan Byers, a blue apron tied around his waist. His face softens upon seeing Colleen and he slumps once more. "Oh. What are you doing here?"
"Hey to you, too," Colleen says as a smirk plays her lips. "Practice ended late tonight. Thought I'd say hi."
Jonathan smiles a bit and beckons her down the aisle he emerged from, to which she obliges and follows closely. As he kneels down to to finish restocking cans of vegetables, Jonathan asks with a hint of amusement, "So why are you really here, Collie?"
The nickname makes Colleen roll her eyes and she resists the urge to tell him she's not a kid anymore. However, her expression fades as she glances back to the storefront windows, the darkness outside seeming to taunt her.
