Human

Ch. 5 - Adrian

It wasn't like he wasn't coordinated enough to catch or throw a ball, but the minute he felt that familiar tug pull him into the direction where the football was going, he immediately knew that the flying projectile was now dangerous.

Not a second later, that same football collided against its unintended target.

"Aria!" Mira immediately ran toward the fallen girl in a burst of panic. "Aria!"

Adrian didn't know what to do. The tug he felt that led him to the girl who fell was unmistakable. It was the same type of tug he felt at the mall and when he first met Mira.

The girl on the ground must have been his soul mate, and the sensation he felt was unreal. He didn't know whether to run around in joy until his adrenaline wore off, or call an ambulance.

Nick moved before he did, and Adrian realized that the girl who fell was still not awake.

"Aria." Mira shook her friend's shoulder. "Aria? Wake up, Aria!" she called out.

It didn't take long for Adrian to realize that he had unintentionally hurt his soul mate, and soon enough a sense of panic immediately settled in.

And to think, they hadn't even officially met yet.

He quickly dashed toward the three in a matter of seconds. His thoughts were in a frenzy, and he was trying his best to calm down.

What if he just killed his soul mate?

He hurriedly pulled his phone out of his front pocket and was ready to call the ambulance until Mira cried out, "Aria! Oh my God, Aria. I thought you died!"

The girl's expression had a mixture of bewilderment and something else he couldn't quite place. She didn't speak right away and looked like she was still trying to process what just happened. She glanced toward Mira, who quickly explained the situation.

"You were hit with a football," Mira explained. "Because this dipsh*t . . ." She shifted her ire at Adrian. "Can't catch."

Aria then turned to look at the two of them, and Adrian noticed that his heart rate wasn't going to slow down anytime soon.

"The hell?" Aria groaned.

Adrian couldn't speak. He was stunned, and his mind was in a flurry of chaos.

Is she gonna say something? Does she hate me? Will she think I'm incompetent? Why isn't she saying anything?

Even if she was angry at him, he would appreciate it if she said something—anything.

"We're getting you to the ER." Mira grabbed a hold of Aria's shoulder before she slowly sat her up. "You were out for a minute. We have to get you checked."

Aria blinked in confusion. "Really?"

"For a few minutes at least." Mira then grabbed Aria's backpack and handed it to Adrian. "Nick, can you help with the other side?"

Adrian didn't complain and simply followed orders because he wasn't sure if he could even trust himself to help her. A part of him wanted to grab the opportunity and say, "I'll do it!" and be completely confident with what he was saying, but he couldn't even convince himself that he was reliable enough.

He watched as Aria stood up and walked with a little sway to her step. The guilt began to eat at him, and he couldn't help but hate himself.

"I'm fine, really," she insisted.

"No, we're taking you to the ER," Mira said.

"No, seriously." Aria walked over and leaned against Mira's car. "I'll be fine."