Backseat Drivers

Temptations

Cindy stared into the bathroom mirror, her eyes soft as they glazed over her reflection - just highlighted in the dim light that hung from the ceiling. Something melancholy rested in her contemplation, and now she was studying the blueness looking back at her as if trying to see if it was noticeable. Her eyes traced her outline, from the twisted curls to the porcelain cheeks - neither a dissatisfaction or pleasure in what she saw, just a mere curiosity. Then she briefly widened her eyes to re-assosciate, and returned to tipping the purple solvent onto the make-up wipe. Raising it to her eye, she slowly pulled at the dark ink on her lashes, watching it come away clean through the mirror - a knock on the door jolted her out of her trance.

"One second!" she called, quickly wiping off the rest of her make-up and putting her bag back into the cupboard beneath the sink. There were a few other girls sharing the bathroom in the youth hostel, and though the rap at the wood had sounded lazy, she knew the irritation that arose when having to wait for the bathroom to free up. Stealing one last glance in the mirror, she tucked a curl behind her ear before turning and opening the door; her breath caught mid-motion when she saw who was outside. He was leant against her room door, which was just opposite to the bathroom, his unintentionally brooding expression dimly lit by the yellow light seeping out behind her. A number of potential words crossed her mind, before she actually spoke, trying her best to ignore the mild exhilaration his gloaming eyes provoked within her. 

"What the hell happened? Where are Sean and Aika?" 

Calum answered unchanging, keeping his hands in his pockets, and his face introspective. 

"Sean's fine. So's Aika."

There was brief silence, before Cindy finally pulled the door to behind her and stepped forwards to address him in hushed interrogation. 

"Okay, cut the shit Romeo, why do you keep staring at me? I won't even ask why you're knocking on the girls' bathroom door." 

In spite of herself she laughed at what she'd said, but he didn't - he just kept looking at her. The smile on her face faded, not familiar with this reflective air he was carrying; he was supposed to have said something stupid, or at least amusing by now. Confused by his behaviour, she raised an eyebrow, but anything else she would have said was interrupted by Calum suddenly leaning forwards and kissing her, his hand moving to her waist. For a moment she didn't even reject it, drinking him in as their silhouettes collided in the shadowed corridor. Then her judgement kicked in, and she pushed him away, drowning out the conflicting thoughts in her head.

"Hey, I'm not gonna be a part of your stupid game, Calum," she whispered angrily, but his eyes were studying her face with a depth she hadn't seen before.

"It's not a game," he replied quietly, his voice rough against her silky accent. 

"Then what is it?" she pressed, cynicism in her tone as she waited for him to respond. That contemplative look was still on his face, starkly different to the confident humour he carried around. How could someone be so unlike their usual self and yet so familiar?

"I don't know," he finally answered, his eyes flicking from her lips to her eyes with an honest hesitancy. "But aren't you curious?"

"About what? How much you can fuck me over? Sounds fun," she retorted, but something deep in her mind was urging her to close the gap between them. 

"Or you me," he replied simply, shrugging. This made her smile, and she tilted her head unconvinced at the prospect.

"Don't be silly."

It came out more of a sheepish rejection than a skeptical response, but it didn't matter too much, because five seconds later she was kissing him, her arm wrapped around his neck - succumbing to her temptation with an unbridled passion; he returned it with the same fire. He pulled her even closer, whilst his other hand fished for the door handle behind him, fumbling in the low light, but she stopped him with a smile.

"There's people in there," she murmured warningly. 

"Fuck 'em," came the reply and Cindy laughed lightly, before reaching across and nudging the adjacent door open with her foot. Her words were a soft murmur, speaking into him. 

"There's two girls that stay in there, but they're out."

Still locked in their embrace, the two of them stumbled into the room, and Calum flicked up his shoe to shut the door - it clicked behind them, sealing off the outside world as they fell against each other, their attention undivided.