Mirrors//m.c

four.

When the next day followed, Ariella regretted ever agreeing to having lunch with Michael. She closed her eyes when she was in the car, tightly. She let out very soft screams to herself before her brother slipped into the car. She tangled her hands in her hair, pulling hard. Her fore head again rested on the dash board. 

Her whimpers were heard by her brother. But the thing was, he was oddly used to the sound of her crying and whining. Which, although strange, is upsetting. Because who is used to the sight of someone bawling their eyes out?

And as he crawled into the car, taking his seat, he placed a hand on her back. She shrugged it off and cried even louder.

"I just...What if you thinks I look horrible? What if he gets sick of me? Dear god, what if he notices how my face-"

"There's nothing wrong with you, Ariella." Carter promised to her, attempting to place his hand on her back again, but once more, shrugged away.

"I don't want your pity, Carter! I'm a repulsive sight to see, and I'm a bad person and I make everyone all around me unhappy!" She screamed, causing Carter to roll up the windows. Sadly, they did not know how Ariella was, and they always thought she was just special. But in some way, she was. But not the way the neighbors saw.

He just shook his head, and then she covered her face again, reality sinking in that in less than ten minutes, they would be inviting that boy to lunch. So before the car even began to set off, she swung the door open. Her small feet touching the driveway, leaping out of the car.

And she began to run. 

Her hair flew back, but then quickly caught by the hood of her dark sweatshirt. She disappeared into the other roads before Carter even had a chance to jump out of the car. And once he did, He stood at the edge of the driveway with wide eyes, his mouth slightly opened. He just looked so amazed and worried and determined all at the same time. His hands balled into fists before he slipped back into the car, quickly swivering out of the drive way, and making a sharp turn down the street Ariella vanished on.
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Michael actually didn't even have a shift that day at the McDonalds. So he parked himself on a bench right outside of a local park, where he thought things to himself.  

His head leaned back, where he looked at the dull grey sky. Before he even saw it coming, there was a droplet that fell onto his nose, causing him to flinch a bit and then, a smile grew on his lips. Michael never knew why, but he always loved the rain. Because while other people went inside, he sometimes would sit on his steps, not minding as the water poured down on him. It was his thing, just like helping people.

Maybe that was another part of it, too. That sometimes the most broken people sit outside in the rain, to clear their minds and have the rain take it away with the flow. Out there, sometimes he meets the most beautiful people, with the worst stories. 

But anyways, the boy propped his elbows on his knees, flicking the wet droplets out of his hair and looked down at his feet. 

That was, until he heard a slightly familiar cry. 

His head flicked up instantly, to the sight of a girl racing past him, avoiding puddles, then ultimatly, falling to her knees. She covered her face and then, slowly, her head covered in her hands touched the sidewalk. 

Michael stood up and slowly started walking to her, where he kneeled down and then she spun her head around, and at the sight of Michael, started violently shaking her head, then once again, covering her face as she started to scoot herself back.

''Go away!" She yelled, quite loud, But Michael didn't listen, for he slowly cralwed near to her and her body shook, her lips turning this dark shade of blue. She pushed her legs to her chest and her head fell to her knees.

"I don't want you close, okay?" She said, muffled. 

Only then did he remember the kitten-voiced girl from yesterday.

It was her.

Michael licked his lips as he continued to stare at her. As rude at it was, she was oddly thin, and she was, indeed, very beautiful. Does she not notice?

"P-Please." She said as she shivered, realsing her hands from her face to cover her arms. Her hands then fell to her side, covering the stomach portion of her. She still had her head down in her knees. 

"You....You do know that you're extreemly goregous, right?" Michael said in a whisper tone as he slowly began scooting closer.

"Stop. I don't want compliments that aren't true. You're just saying that so I won't cry." 

"But, I promise you." He said and his hand touched her arm, she flinched and winced a little, so he let go, a sigh then escaped his lips.

"Go." She said. "I've had enough of you." She was staring at her knees.

They look like they are facing different directions. She thought.

He crossed his arms and shook his head no. He wasn't giving up.

"Tell me your name."

"No." She said, quiet, almost to the point were you couldn't hear her.

"I'm Michael." He said and smiled a little.

"I know that. I remember yesterday." She hissed and then Michael scanned her body, in a good way. And whn she saw that out of the corner of her eye, she must of took that the wrong way.

"I get it, okay?! I know, i'm not pretty, and I'm pretty gross, I know my legs are off sized and my skin is awful looking. I know everything. Just go away!" She yelled.

"But-"

"Ariella!" Yelled a male's voice, and then dashing next to her was Carter. Michael scooted back and Carter kneeled down next to her, where he picker her up fireman's style and began walking. He head leaned onto his shoulder, and she cried a little. Her hands went up to her face again. 

Michael got up and stood next to Carter, who was walking to his car.

"Is she okay?" He asked and Carter shot him a look, then Michael just nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, where he spun around and walked the other way.

Why does she hate herself?