The Stranger I Met

The Elevator

It was Monday morning and everyone in school had been talking about our party. But something was not right. Molly had been avoiding me since morning. She didn't answer me back in bio class, neither did she sit next to me in chemistry lab. It got me really worried. Was she mad at me about the dance? I had to find out.

" Hey, Aurora?" Adrian whispers from behind me and taps my shoulder. We were in the middle of a history lecture and I was about to doze off any minute. I turn around slightly." What?" I whisper back." Could you, by any chance, give me Naisha's number? I forgot to ask her this morning." I face palm myself." Seriously, you are asking me my best friend's number in the middle of a history lecture?" I glare at him." Yeah." He nods, nonchalantly. I roll my eyes.

Adrian was Naisha's party hookup and like every other, he was tormenting me." Look, if she wanted you to call her, she would have given her number to you. Now please, let me concentrate." I sit straight and go back on the verge of dozing off.

~~~•

I slam my food tray on the table where Molly is sitting alone." Care to tell me why you are avoiding me?" Everyone around us looks in our direction. There are not many students in the school cafeteria right now." What are you saying?" She says with a plain face." If something is bothering you, please tell me." I almost beg her.

She puts her coke down and sighs, making no eye contact with me." It is nothing, really. I'm just a bit stressed out." She says." So tell me what is it , Mols. Since when have you started hiding things from me?" She looks up at me and I see guilt in her eyes which takes me aback." I can't, okay. Please, stop hovering over me." She replies furiously. Caroline and Stella come to the table." Fine, tell me when you feel like." I try to make it sound assuring but it comes out as a reprimand.

I pick my tray and leave the table as I know she'll be ignoring me throughout our conversations. I keep debating over what I saw in her eyes. Why was she remorseful? What else happened on that party night?

~~~•

" Here you go sweety, have a nice day." I give a chocolate bar to a little boy who opens it as soon as he gets it and leaves.

" That's it! That's all she said!" Jason exclaims." Yes. And now that I think about it, she hadn't been picking up any of my calls all weekend." I help him shut down the popcorn machine.

" Do you think it is, maybe, because she saw us dancing?" He asks and creases his nose." No, I don't think she saw us dance, first of all and-" I rub my forehead,"- even if she did, she wouldn't react like that. She isn't that possessive. Something else is bothering her."

We come out of the stall as our shift was over." I'm sure she'll come around, she loves you." He assures me. " I know." We head towards the elevator.

I enter after him and press the button for ground floor. It descends towards its destination." By the way, why was Adrian talking to you in history today?" He asks. " Oh that!" I chuckle." He-" the lift suddenly comes to a stop between third and fourth floor. The bright light is replaced by an emergency dim one.

" No, oh no! This can't be happening." I panic and push myself against the steel walls, searching for something to grab. I feel like I can't breathe anymore. My vision gets blur." Shit" Jason shrieks. I look at him and see his eyes mirroring my horror.

He slowly comes towards me," It's okay, no need to worry." He says like an adult trying to calm down a frightened kid." No!" I shout. " You don't understand." I grab my head as it starts spinning. I feel as if I'll fall, like the ground is shaking beneath me.

Before I collapse, two strong hands embrace me. I try to pull away but they keep me in place." Leave me, you don't - huh- understand." Every ounce of oxygen has left my lungs." I know, you are claustrophobic. I know." He runs his hands through my hair." Just try to breathe with me. In- out." I bring my hands around his waist and hold him tightly.