Elites

03

"Where did you go yesterday?"

Augustine looked up from her coffee that was warming her face rather than actually drinking it. Placing the ceramic mug on the oak counter, she let out a sigh.

"Can you not talk so loud, this hangover is killing me," she said harshly, holding her pounding head. She didn't intend to be so mean, but her head was thumping aggressively, and it felt like absolute hell. Roncos, the little cafe with the exaggerated prices was her favourite place to grab a bite with Lenox, but she couldn't think straight, considering the fact that her head felt like a ticking time bomb.

Lenox was used to this. Irritable Augustine made an appearance after every party, and he knew what to expect.

"Did you at least take some aspirin?" Lenox asked, pushing the tendrils of hair from her face. This sudden proximity between the two, coupled with her sleep deprived state caused her to jerk her head back.

"Sorry," Augustine mumbled, holding a head that was now pulsing. She put her elbow down on the table, supporting the weight of her head with it, "sorry for everything," she said looking up at him. She was truly sorry, but it was like the events of last night were following her, the anger she had for Rieu oozing out of her.

She grit her teeth, and bunched her hair up in her hand, attempting to push off this mood.

If you were looking for some pity for your situation, there is none here. I don't want to deal with you any longer.

Look, if this has to do with whatever went on at school or whatever, I don't really care. It's beneath me to.

"I was thinking we could get away, just the two of us this summer," Lenox said snapping her back to reality.

"Summer is over 8 months away," Augustine said back, slowly picking up her mug and sipping on the dark roast inside. The slight hostility in her voice was not lost on him, wondering what he did for her to be so passive aggressive towards him.

He was used to aggravated Augustine, but she was never like this.

Moving closer again, he put a warm rough hand over her small cold one.

"You're still for us right?" He said, leaning closer to her in the slightest bit, anticipating her response.

Augustine sighed and murmured an "I am" before looking up at Lenox with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, seeing the pure love he had for her in his eyes, and reflected on the pure hatred she had for herself. Stringing him along even though she could never really reciprocate those feelings.

Taking another sip of her coffee, she then thought back to Rieu and the way she screamed at him. Augustine jumped at the onslaught of the memory, and Lenox jumped as well, a bit of the now warm coffee spilling on his khaki pants.

"Shit," Augustine said, grabbing a tissue to dab on the stain that now ruined his pants, but all Lenox let out was a chuckle.

"Sorry, there was just a draft," she said, cleaning as much coffee as she could dab off.

"It's fine August," he responded, his trademark smile slipping through. Augustine would have been a puddle by now if it weren't for the fact that she wanted to be home just about now, contemplating why she was such a horrible person.

Sighing, she put the now damp tissue on the countertop, the coffee now on her fingertips. Grabbing another tissue, she attempted to wipe the residue off. Adjusting her legs under the table, she banged her knee against the table. Pain shot up her leg.

Augustine whimpered, her drunken falls from yesterday coming back with a vengeance.

"Shit," she said, holding her eyes shut and gritting her teeth, the pain even worse now.