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SEEING BLIND
—33| Something Pretty Spectacular.
It had been four hours since the couple finally arrived at the annulment place. They were doing something with the papers in the back, way before Annie and Luke had even had the chance to sign them, which they still haven't. The waiting room was three chairs, a fake plant, a radio and the front desk with a grimy looking man sat behind it. The walls were painted an unsatisfying lime green, somehow matching the pastel yellow ceiling.
Luke had barely said a word since he had gotten back from the beach with Andre, and Annie was consumed with dread and worry for him. She felt terrible for yelling at him, and refusing to put off this annulment, but there was nothing she could say now.
Even if she did say something, Luke probably wouldn't hear her over his music, which he was listening too through his scrappy-almost-broken headphones. Annie wanted to ask if she could have one, sitting in silence was starting to become unbearable, but she noticed he was listening to 'Mockingbird - Eminem' which was famous for being depressing.
She let out a wavering sigh, her knee brushing against Luke's before he quickly flinched away. Rubbing at her eyes, Annie was glad she went against wearing make-up today, she just wanted to go home already and be in her own bed, alone or not, she didn't care.
Actually, she did care, she wanted to be with Luke. But she doesn't want to marry him. It doesn't make any sense, but Annie just couldn't do it, they weren't ready, she wasn't ready. She had seen the stress her parents go through, Annie had lost count for the amount of times they've nearly gotten a divorce over something petty and work related.
Luke tugged out his headphones, shoving them in his pocket and leaning back into his chair. He decided on wearing his sunglasses today, but Annie didn't question it, he probably wouldn't answer anyway.
"Get bored? Or..." Annie asked, whispering in the hushed room as she stared at his side profile.
"Phone died." He shrugged, picking at his nails as his leg rocked up and down, shivering with nerves.
"You can borrow mine if you want?" Annie started to dig out her phone, mumbling about how many songs she had and which ones he might like, a small smile on her lips.
"No, I'm fine, thanks." He ignored the rest of what she said, he didn't want to be rude to his girl, but she wasn't really the first thing on his mind right now. Not even the annulment... who was he kidding? They were getting divorced, not annulled or whatever that is, but divorced.
Divorce; it's like dropping a burning candle into the sea or a lake or something. The flame dies instantly, the candle sinks to the bottom where it lies, alone and cold for the rest of its life, never to be lit again. Instead, it'll just get hit with rocks and dragged across the seabed, broken down and ripped apart, forgotten and replaced.
Annie was the flame, and Luke was the candle; stuck at the bottom, cold and rotten. Annie could easily live without him, she could just be re-lit by the next boy to come along. Sure, she might be a little upset- heartbroken even- if her and Luke didn't work out, but she has friends and money and supportive family and eyesight. She has everything Luke doesn't and he's not so sure why she's even going out with him.
Luke assumed now was a better time than any to ask her, why not question her love for him while they're in the middle of getting divorced?
"Why are you even going out with me?" He asked, his eyebrows knitted together and his throat sandy and scratchy, an effect from his beach sorrows mixed with his present sadness, which was perfectly mirrored by the dismal weather.