seventeen ☾mgc

one : the liquor store and paradoxes

she said she'll run until her feet don't

touch the ground, and as the waves

carry me out, keep listening she'll never

make a sound. so keep it coming and

the details quiet, she's like a ghost that

keeps you up all night and she'll be a

secret you can keep

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

she pushed open the heavy door of the run down liquor store, bracing herself for the oncoming smell. she quickly walked towards the back of the store, letting her short, faded purple hair cover her face. he watched her bashfully from across the store as she stood on her tiptoes to reach to cheap bottle of vodka on the top shelf. her well worn black converse squeaked across the dirty tile floor as she grabbed one more item; a pack of cigarettes. he was mesmerized now. it might have been how she walked or talked or the way her band tee advertising some band called pierce the veil or something fell over her hips or her ripped jean shorts with the striped tights underneath but if he knew anything, it was that this broken girl in front of him was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. she was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines or books, for something so temporary could only contain physical looks, not her. he might've been drooling at this point. which was rather embarrassing.

"you'll catch flies," she smirked. she held a brown paper bag against her hip. she pushed through the dirty glass door, letting the cool, crisp night air hit him.

"I uhh... I mean.." he stumbled over his words, feeling confused as usual. he struggled to talk to people sometimes. or most of the time. no matter how hard michael tried, he just couldn't get the words out. he pushed his pale blue hair out of his eyes before looking at her again. "I'm michael."

she gave him an uncertain glance. "stella. nice hair by the way."

"thanks. I uhh like yours too." she gave him a small smile, almost shaking her head at how adorably nervous he was. wait, what? since when did she feel? not since the accident. she had to get out of there, now. running may not be the best way to fix anything but it was all stella knew how to do. stella began to walk away, lighting a cigarette to calm herself down and sticking it between her teeth as michael called after her, not willing to let her slip away this easily.

"wait!"

she shook her head. "goodbye michael."

"why?"

"because I am not the type of girl to fall in love with."

"I can try."

"don't waste your time on me." she broke into a run.

"you can't run from everything."

"I can sure as hell try." and with that she was gone, a phenomenon in herself. he stared at the spot where she once was, as if longing could bring her back. stella was as unpredictable as the fiercest storm, to which he was merely a drizzle. she was a ghost but more real; she was full of secrets and mysteries that michael wanted nothing more than to unravel. the more he tried to convince himself that it was stupid, the more he thought about her, permanently sticking him in an infinite paradox of yes's and no's and too many maybe's.