Atelophobia (Kellic)

10

Vic let go of me as I started to calm down, his hands lingering on the sides of my arms for a short moment. I didn't want him to let go of me. I wanted him to pull me in for another hug, to feel his body against mine again, to feel warm and comforted and stay inside that little bubble for just a little longer. But his hands disappeared from my arms and I couldn't help but to shrink in on myself a little bit.

My gaze was lowered but I knew he was looking closely at me. He probably noticed my swollen, red eyes I so desperately didn't want him to see or the leftover tears that hadn't completely dried yet. All in all, I probably looked like a mess and I felt so embarrassed all of a sudden, because I allowed myself to break down like that in front of him. I should've known better. It was one thing if he noticed I had cried, like the day before, but a whole other thing for him to not only witness but getting involved in it as well.

"I would ask if you are okay, but that's a stupid ass question." He said, trying to break the tension. I heard him letting out a sigh as I still didn't look at him.

"I'm sorry" I mumbled.

"What are you sorry for?" I could hear the confusion clear in his voice and I didn't know how to explain it. Or maybe I did, I just didn't want to say it out loud. I didn't want to say that I was sorry we were too late for class because of me. That I was sorry for wasting his time. That I was sorry he had to put up with me out of pity. So I just shrugged my shoulders instead.

"Let's go." Vic said after a few more moments of silence, his tone changing from empathetic and careful to optimistic and determined. He took ahold of my wrist and started walking. I finally looked up in surprise, causing him to smile at me. I looked around the empty corridor and furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Vic? The classroom is that way."

"I am well aware."

"Bu-"

"We're going to my place."

My eyes were about to fall out of my head and I stopped in my tracks. Vic took a halt as well, letting go of my wrist. "But we have to get to history."

Vic furrowed his eyebrows as if I just told him the earth was flat. "And let you get lost in your own thoughts again for the whole period? Nuh-uh. I don't think so." He shook his head slightly and continued with a smile: "Come on, it will lift your mood, I promise."

I bit my lip in thought, looking behind me at the classroom we were supposed to be in. Then I looked back at Vic, his dark eyes staring back at me, a mischievious smile on his lips. I let my shoulders relax, took a deep breath and slowly started walking again. Vic's smile grew as he began to walk with me. He took my hand in his and we walked right out of the school.

I looked in awe at the two story building we stopped in front of after a rather short car ride. We had driven through some nice neighborhoods, with big, white houses and yards and trees, which leaves shone in a bright, fiery orange. Vic's house was one of them and even though I didn't want to, I could feel jealousy coursing through my body. It must feel nice to know you had enough space to have more than a bed and a closet in your room, to invite friends over, with enough food in the fridge to offer.

Sure, Vic didn't seem extremely rich, he couldn't just throw around with money, but it seemed as if he had enough to not worry about how he was going to afford dinner. I should've felt happy for him but in that moment it just felt unfair. Why was he lucky enough to be born into a family in which he could be a normal teenager and I wasn't? Why did I have to take a job and take care of my siblings, and rent, and water and food and basically anything I wasn't supposed to worry about at that time anyway?