strangers. mileven au.

forty one.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE:
COLLISION.

it was when she reached the parking lot when she realized she had absolutely no where to go.

the small girl kicked her heel against the pavement, wiping her glossy eyes before sinking down to the cement steps that lead up to the entrance of her school. honestly, running away from a situation like that probably wasn't the smartest decision in the world.

but she just couldn't stop herself. before she knew it, her little feet were from fleeing the scene, her body instantly jerking into flight mode the second she saw any glimpse of violence.

it was a force of habit for her.

unfortunately.

eleanor tugged at the dark navy fabric that cascaded around her, attempting to somehow salvage her gown from the ground beneath her. she already looked like a complete mess from crying so much. she didn't want to make it worse by coming home with a torn dress. this entire situation was going to be quite the story to explain to her father.

the brunette sighed before bringing her arms up to her face to rest her chin in the palms of her hands, her elbows situated on the tops of her thighs. in all honesty, eleanor wasn't even mad at mike for reacting the way he did. of course, from a logical perspective, it wasn't the most moral way to handle things.

but did jason deserve it?

considering all the hell he has put her through these past few months, he probably deserved a lot more.

it was the embarrassment of the entire situation that made her want to curl up in a ball and cry. it was the fact that jason basically ripped her vulnerability from her grasp and waved it around for the entire school to see... all in front of the one person she cared about the most. it was the fact that she couldn't even deny that the things her vile ex of a boyfriend said weren't true.

eleanor wiped her eyes again, sniffing quietly before the sound of one of the double doors opened behind her. she couldn't help but to slightly hope it was brandon that had the courage to come check on her first. at least he had the car keys to get her out of this hell hole.

but of course, things can't ever be that convenient.

she could hear him take a few shy steps before he lowered himself down to the cement step next to her, not uttering a single word as he ran on of his hands through his messy raven colored curls.

it was an oddly familiar setting for the two of them, sitting so close to eachother but yet so far. both of them too intimidated by the others presence to find the right words to say first.

so instead of talking, they sat in silence. each of them simply listening to each other's delicate breathing as the wind gently blew through the nearby trees.

they could have stayed there for hours just soaking up the darkness with the rest of the world. but it was when she felt mike's dark orbs drift over to her, studying her intently while she watched the night sky dance above them when she felt a familiar phrase bubble up in the back of her throat.

"if i didn't already know so much about you, i'd tell you staring is rude..." the brunette whispered sadly, a hint of irritation laced through her words as her doe eyes stayed focused on the twinkling lights above them.