t h e d a t e
sheila's p.o.v
I stood there in awe as his frame towered over me. I gazed up into his eyes, wondering if this was the prank he was talking about. I still couldn't wrap my mind around the happenings around me as he brushed passed me lightly to step inside.
It's been a few years since he's been in my house, since anyone other than family has been in my house. Azton took it all in, shamelessly staring at the school pictures of me lining some of the walls.
I shifted awkwardly on my feet, not knowing whether I should take this outside or what.
"Sheila," He breathed stepping closer to me. "I wish you walked up to my door instead of texting me that morning."
I arched an eyebrow. "At nearly three in the morning?"
"Well, it was closer to two." He shrugged and smiled.
His eyes traveled to the shoe rack where my one pair of my shoes rested on top of the rest of my mother's. I took it as a hint that he wanted me to get them on my feet so I scurried to grab them.
I already felt my knees getting weak.
"Is your mom home?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
I shook my head in response as I kneeled down to tie my laces. They were orange and black, old dirt from walking through my lawn fell off and on my finger tips.
I almost finished tying the second shoe before I saw two more feet appear in front of me. Azton has moved closer, much closer than I ever remember him being before in recent years. I shyly stood up, never raising my eyes from the ground.
His arm slithered around my waist and brought me closer to his side as his strides led me to the front door. I grabbed the keys from the hook and allowed him to drag me along, shutting the door behind us.
"My car," His hand raised to point at it. "Right there."
He drove us to the nearest Chinese food place, the name is something I could never pronounce. Our booth was in the corner which was pointless considering no one was even here.
My clothing wasn't much of what I preferred on a "date" as some might call it. I was wearing leggings and an oversized band tee. I shrugged, he obviously didn't care. His stained white shirt and black joggers made my attire look normal.
"What would you like?" Azton asked.
A rebellious hair flopped in front of his face, I held back the temptation of fixing it.
"Don't know. Whatever you're getting, I guess."
"Alright," He smiled and waved over a waiter.
He spoke with kind words, never fraying from the eye contact he held with the waiter. It's not much of a big deal, really, I just take it as having confidence in what you're doing. And he did. His back was perfectly straight as he walked, his legs moved precisely along the ground, even his hands moved in a wave like motion that would provide comfort to a confusing situation.
I gazed in amazement at how I hadn't spoken to him sooner. Azton caught my admiring his charming ways and grinned.
"So," He sipped the water that was given to us when we first arrived. "Why did you text me to begin with?"
I froze. It could be a prank, Sheila. Someone could've dared him to. Don't share too much. I cleared my throat.
"Not sure, really, I was just depressed. My mother has been taking her anger out on me. For no reason may I add." I huffed.
Explaining my home life is hard because it comes out in such words that make it seem as if it's less than what it is. No one would understand what I've been out through as I've grown up, that's why the little things set me off. Through text no one really knows my tone or emotion expressed on my face. That's why he was right, I should've gone to his door instead text him.
"I bet there's more to your story. There always is." His eyebrows arched in curiosity. His elbows rested on the table as he leaned in closer. I could almost smell the perfectly minty breath that came from his mouth when he spoke.
I nodded. "Well there is. So much so. There's parts of the story that if I were to tell someone, it'd be considered abuse. Verbal and mental abuse to a child under the age of eighteen."
Azton paused and thought about the few words that I'm allowing myself to tell him. I noticed his eyes following some railroad that carried his train of thought. It was interesting to watch his again, to see him as a friend or whatever he was to me in person. And not at some school lunch table as charity work for the sad girl that needed support.
"Sheila, I think you're probably the most interesting person I have ever met. From the stories you told me when we were younger to the way you make me like you more every day, I just don't get it." The waiter came by and spoke quietly to Azton, he nodded as I watched the stranger fade off into the kitchen.
"I hope you know that you can tell me anything," He smiled once again.
A tear threatened to roll down my cheek but I stopped it. I don't know how long I sat there shaking in my own fear of what was to happen next but it was clearly long enough until a cake came out with pink frosting and a fortune cookie sitting in the center.
I stared at it silently until Azton began to chuckle under his breath.
"I mean it's not really a prank but it's something alright. There's no one else to serve so they were kind of down for whatever." He shrugged.
I shrugged.
I spent the rest of the night shrugging until the cake was completely gone.
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a/n
so. what'd you think?
