Pity [discontinued]

.4.

-Song for this chapter: No Roots // Alice Merton-

Italics indicate their thoughts.

15.10.2018

Her feet felt heavy with every step she took, inching closer to her favourite spot on the beach. It was a blissful afternoon, nothing like the previous days October offered. She looked around her to see if she could spot any familiar faces – one familiar face. He wasn't there. She could feel her heart sink as she tried to shake away that feeling and start a drawing. Her art class assignment was due in two days and she had procrastinated doing it for a week and half. Now that she had finally found the time and energy to, she had lost all hope to start.

She sat there staring blankly at the angered water in front of her. To some it wouldn't have been a pleasant sight to look at but to her it was much more beautiful than a typical summer day. She cursed to herself when she noticed she forgot her headphones at home. Who the fuck forgets their headphones? She stands up, feeling defeated that the universe hated her that much and was almost going to pack her shit and leave home when she spotted a familiar black beanie walking towards her. Her heart started to race and her breathing became irregular.

He smiled towards her and her natural instinct told her not to smile back. No, instead she frowned while looking behind her to see if that smile was meant for her or for someone else. As she turned her head back towards the boy, he chuckled. She didn't notice how close they were until she looked him straight in the eye and felt his breath hot against her face.

"You're that girl that left her calculator in the library, right?" he flashed her a grin, showing off how deep his dimples are.

"Yeah, I thought I'd seen your face somewhere," she replied mentally high-fiving herself for replying smoothly.

"Erling," he shot his hand out towards her and she smiled at the gesture.

"Anaïs," She said almost inaudibly due to the big-ass smile on her face.

He eyes her surroundings as he shoots his dazzling, chocolate brown eyes on hers.

"I think I've seen you in my art classes before," he mumbles trying to keep the conversation going.

"You draw?" She said as she started getting uncomfortable standing up.

Before he could reply, she cleared her bag off the bench and sat, leaving an empty space next to her. As if on queue, Erling sat down in the empty space and now they were closer than ever and she could make out his features a little better. He was a few inches taller than her and as he moved his head backwards, his adam's apple popped out.

It's like he was carved by the gods.

His face was symmetrical; his jaw – unclenched – was still prominent, showing a clear distinction as to where his neck stopped and his face started. His round glasses sat perfectly on his nose and from the side, she started to envy the fact that his eyelashes were longer and much thicker than hers.

"Yeah, I do... and I play music as well," he replied nodding her way.

She was too fascinated by his beauty to notice that he replied and so she continued to stare at him in awe. He chuckled as he waves his hand in front of her face and that's when she noticed what she had done. Almost instantly her cheeks turned this dark shade of red and tried to hide it with her hair. She hated that her skin was so damn sensitive.

He broke the awkward silence that was forming around them.

"I've seen you hang out with that Jules girl and she's cool, so I thought that someone that cool must have cool ass friends," he rambled on.

Her eyes widened at his words and that's when her snarky side came out.

"Well, you got that right," She flipped the few strands that were lying on her shoulder in a sassy way, "Wait so you know Jules?" She questioned slightly confused.

"Yeah, we used to go to guitar practice together when we were younger and now she goes to our school so we kept in touch," He shrugs, pulling down the sleeves of his hoodie, hiding away his bracelets, "She's got a crazy ass personality but she's the sweetest girl I know," he smiles.

"It runs in the family," Anaïs shrugs nonchalantly as she continues to explain, "She's my cousin, like the only cousin that's around my age"

They fall quiet neither one of them knowing exactly what to say but it was comfortable silence rather than awkward. They both looked out to the sea with small grins on their faces. Anaïs pushed her glasses a bit further up and Erling looked at her actions.

"Did you do the art assignment?" She questions after the few minutes of silence.

He looked over at her, back at the ocean in front of them and then down to his hands that where covered by the sleeves of his hoodie.

"No, not really," he pulls a face at her making her laugh, "Let me guess. You haven't either?"

She shakes her head and takes out her drawing pad.

"I find it really fucking hard to focus and think of something to draw. Like, it used to come so easily to me and now it seems as if I force myself to draw something... so they don't really end up how I want them to,"

"That's what happened with my music. I would play every fucking day and I wouldn't get bored of it, ever. But then, I seemed to grow out of it, I guess?" he rubs his right thigh as he continues to focus his gaze upon her.

He tried so hard to make eye contact with her so that he could take in how beautiful her pupils were but she kept hers down onto the sketchpad.

"I know it's weird and shit but would you like to work with me on the assignment? Like, we would meet up and help each other brainstorm ideas and stuff..." She trailed off, unsure of her offer.

"Yeah, sure. I wouldn't mind a little company every now and then,"

Their eyes met and they smiled at each other.

What had felt like the hardest and longest week to Erling was fixed in an instant after he finally grew some balls to talk to her. He had seen her around before many times and then he found out that they go to the same school.

He scanned his eyes over her battered drawing pad she held tightly in her hands. It must have meant something to her. Even when she talked about her drawings, you could hear how passionate she felt about it.

"So what do you enjoy drawing the most?" He asked out of the blue.

She looked up at him and then back down at the book I between he fingers and smiled. She crosses her legs and moves the book in between them. As she flipped through the pages he gasped audibly.

"Dude, these are amazing," He said in pure awe as she giggled at his response.

"I'm my own cat's fan, basically," She jokes as she continues flipping through the book, "It's mostly sketches of her and sometimes of my friends, well, the few I have any way," She moved a strand of her hair behind her ear.

He looked up at the sky. The sun was setting now, making it even darker than before. Anaïs closed the book as she looked up to and started packing her bag.

"I should get going or I'll never make it home," She smiled at him as she picked up her belongings and stood up.

He grabbed her wrist and she looked to where he was touching her.

"Here have my phone number so we can meet up for that assignment," He smiled.

She handed him her phone and he inserted his details, locking the phone and giving it back to her. They smiled at each other before parting their ways, both of them oblivious by what just happened. This might have been the best day of the week for both of them. 

_________________________________________

Bless my damned soul this chapter was a bITCH

I know, I know... this chapter is shit but idgaf it's gonna stay

on another note, THEY MET THEY FUCKING METTTT

anywho, i love you,

-M