“Hey, are you okay?” the person said, and I realized it was male, the voice rang a bell but… unnnghhh… my head was spinning and…
“Woah, easy there,” the guy said as he caught my arm and kept me from stumbling. Still looking down, I noticed that the rain stopped. As I looked at the stranger in front me my hood fell back and recognition transformed the worried expression of the guy.
“Sophie?” he said. I squinted and tried to look at the stranger but my blurred vision won’t let me see him properly. God, my head hurts. The black hair, the voice, I remember now.
“Ian?”
“Yeah, I was looking for you at your penthouse and…” he was cut short as he held both his arms out and tried to keep me upright. The rain started again. It barely registered on me that the rain didn’t stop, he was simply holding an umbrella and with both arms needed to support me, he let go of it. I could barely stand, the world was spinning, “Sophie, are you okay… c’mon let’s get you back home.” He said, at least that what I thought he said, my brain was killing me.
“Unnngghh,” was all I could say, as my eyelids drooped and I fell limply into his arms. As I passed out, all I could think about was, Not again!
In my asleep-but-not-totally-asleep state, I felt Ian lift me up and run back to the penthouse. I was conscious enough to hear the doorman say, “Again, Ms. Sophie?” and I couldn’t agree with him more. I felt myself laid on the couch and heard Ian’s voice from the kitchen calling my mom. A few words floated to me… concussion… hit her head. Speaking of head, my brain is killing me. That was my last thought before I completely passed out.
I woke up only a few hours later, I assumed from the darkness outside. It must be night time and I passed out just before twilight so I must not have been out too long. It stopped raining, too. I found myself still lying down on the couch but someone wrapped me up in a blanket. I tried to sit up and instantly regretted it because my head throbbed again, the room spun around me… but a hand behind my neck held me upright.
“Easy now,” Ian said soothingly and handed me a glass of cold water. I didn’t realize I was parched until I drank half of the water in the glass in one gulp.
“Thanks,” I said. I lay back down on the sofa and closed my eyes, fervently praying that my head would stop hurting so much. I’ve had enough of these monster head aches in the last three days. Through my headache induced stupor, I felt Ian brush the hair out of my face before he quietly stood up. Slowly, my head cleared a bit and I finally managed to get a decent sleep.
I woke up, the next morning to the sound of my alarm clock. My eyes still closed, I flailed around the desk, hit the snooze button and snuggled back to bed. I stayed like that for a few moments and something dawned on me: I didn’t fell asleep in my bed, I slept on the couch. Hmm, maybe Ian brought me up here. I sneaked a glance at the clock. 7:50. Something kept bothering me with the time. Then it hit me! SCHOOL! I’ve got school today! I stood up so abruptly that I felt dizzy for a moment, but when my head cleared a bit, I rushed through my morning routine as quickly as my body would allow.
I got to school just a tad bit too late. The halls were deserted, the students in the classrooms already when I arrived. I missed homeroom, so I hurried to my first-period Pre-Calculus class, which I share with Gab.
“Nice of you to join us, Sophie,” Mr. Gordon, announced, glaring at me as I walked to the seat next to Gab’s which he saved for me.
“What’s up?” He asked the moment I got settled.
“Nothing,” I said curtly, I wouldn’t want him to worry about me. He just gave me a pointed look.
“Seriously, it was nothing. My head just felt all funky again.” I said, dropping the conversation and paid attention to Mr. Gordon as he discussed about limits.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Kirsten babbled about her weekend with her ‘rents over lunch. Ian happily announced his acceptance to the Lacrosse team. I tuned them out. Curiously, I started thinking about angels and my latest dream, the one where I was falling then I grew the huge wings. Yeah, that one. I started as Gab touched my hand and I pulled myself back to reality just in time to hear K say, “Earth to S! Hey, girlfriend… you’re creeping me out, you’ve been spacing out the whole time. Something wrong?” She asked and three worried gazes turned to me. I forced myself to chuckle a little, hoping to alleviate my friends’ worry.
“No, no, I’m okay… I just remembered this freaky dream I had… It’s nothing. Really.” I said. Kirsten shrugged and went back to her story, as I tried to pay more attention. Ian dropped it, too. But I felt Gab’s eyes, still on me and felt his hand squeeze mine under the table. I looked at him. He had this look that says: You’re not fooling me. I just sighed and squeezed his hand in return, assuring him that I really was fine. Still looking unconvinced, I scooted closer to him and put my head on his shoulder, his warm hand still holding mine, as we listened to K’s tale. He sighed and leaned his cheek on my hair and dropped the issue. But I know it’s not yet over.
After school, Gab walked me home. For the most part, we just walked in silence, simply appreciating the other’s presence. My hand was in his and I snuggled closer to him in the cold, brisk November air. Being with him like this made me feel better in a million different ways. I know we haven’t known each other that long but I felt a real kind of bond that draws me, no, connects me to him. I’ve been in previous relationships before but never had I felt with them the way I feel with Gab now.
“So,” I mumbled as the elevator dinged signaling my stop. The doors opened.
“Yeah,” he said, letting go of my hand almost reluctantly. Once my hands were not in his anymore, I immediately felt an emptiness in my palm like our joined hands are the most normal thing in the world.
“Bye,” I waved awkwardly as I stepped out of the elevator and started heading inside.
“Sophie?” Gab called and as turned back to him, he held the elevator doors open, leaned out and kissed me. On the cheek. As his lips brushed my cheek, electricity seemed to emanate from his kiss making me feel all tingly to the toes. “See you tomorrow?”
“Yes. Sure. No Problem. Definitely.” I blurted out still feeling rather flushed. The elevator doors closed once again, obscuring him from view. I walked through the house almost dazedly; the feeling of his lips on my skin sent shivers down my spine and raised goose bumps on my skin. In a good way.
I can’t help but think of his kiss all night. Through dinner, through our Monday night movie, through my pre-bedtime rituals, all I could think about was Gab and how soft and warm his hands were and how his lips felt so much softer and warmer in comparison. I fell asleep still replaying the scene by the elevator over and over.
