Campfire - Chapter 4

-
Campfire

_4_

She sits on the stairs at the back of her classroom.

Tears sting in her eyes but she refuses to let them out.

She is a strong  girl.

Too strong that sometimes people think that she cannot feel sad, that she never cries.

And she intends to keep it that way.

Because, the last thing she wants to do is to bother someone for her nuisance. And she would rather bottle it all up until she explode than letting some “sympathetic” fakers look down on her with pity.

But, however strong she is, she cannot help to feel lonely sometimes. And right now, she wishes that she hadn’t kept her façade for so long that nobody ever cares if she stops smiling. She wishes someone would come and hold her, sooth her, caress her and remind her that it was alright to cry because they were there and would protect her.

She wishes she actually had someone.

~o~

He almost has a heart attack (which he does a lot lately) when he sees her on the stairs.

Just the look of her says something is terribly wrong.

Her eyes are downcast.

Her shoulders slumps as if a tremendous weight is crushing them.

Her nails dig into the skin of her palm where she curls them tightly to prevent any shaking,

All her body screams tension that threatens to break her into million pieces.

Something is definitely very very wrong.

For a moment, he stands frozen, urgent thoughts running through his brain. Should he say something? Should he leave her alone?  He is not sure if she wants any disturbing right now. But then, she looks so lonely and sad, a look that he never wants to see her in. He really doesn’t know what to do. Therefore, he just stays there, fluctuating between leaving and coming closer.

Then, he hears it.

A muffled sob tears its way from her lips.

As subtle as a butterfly wing fluttering on a still lake.

Before he has time to register his action, he finds himself touching her shoulder.

She turns around and looks up with those big blue eyes that is as clear as the sky. The only thing there is is that sky is filled with unshed tears.

- What’s wrong? – He asks.

She averts her eyes and shakes her head,

- It’s alright. You can tell me. It’ll make you feel better.

He sits down in front of her.

Suddenly, like a dam broken by the force of water, she breaks into tears. Clear salty drops of liquid spill out from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.

He almost freaks out.

Oh God, he doesn’t know how to deal with this situation.

What should he do? Think! Think!

Reluctantly, he reaches out and pats her hair.

He sees her eyes widened in shock and jerks his hand back, blushing violently.

Oh gosh, he totally screw up.

He mentally maligns himself with every epithets he knows of.

And then, she proves to him that she is full of surprises.

She laughs.

It is weird when a girl can cry at one time and laugh so melodically five seconds later.

Wait… What? She is laughing?

He looks up and catches her eyes looking bear straight into his.

They are still red and shiny from crying, with some leftover tears that she is trying to wipe away with a white handkerchief. However, the dimness he sees earlier has all but vanished and replaced by her normal clear sapphire colour.

And a genuine smile is playing on her lips. A vibrant smile that brightens her face and lights up her eyes like too brilliant stars.

She stands up and scares him half to death (again) when she leans down and gives him a butterfly kiss on the cheek.

Thank you.

She whispers. And walks away.

He sits there, his brain short-circuiting.


Did she just kiss him? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reassurance

-
Reassurance “I just want to help people, you know”. Jeni told me when we were sitting on the lawn in front of our dorm. The rain that plagued the spring semester had finally let up, leaving behind a clean smell of grass. The sun peaked out from the light grey clouds, bathing us in the toasty warmth of its light.   Jeni and I were curled up near each other under the big tree, our backs on the rough trunk. Beneath us, the ground was firm, a light, almost greyish brown – walked on too much to grow any grass. I had propped my sketchpad on my knees, trying to capture the shadows of the leaves on Jeni’s brown skin. She tilted her head up and closed her eyes, eyebrows pinched in thoughts. “I just want my friends to be happy”, she sighed, slumping into herself. I shaded the drops of sunlight on Jeni’s lashes, the shadows of which long and slender on her cheekbones. Broad strokes for her jawline. I hummed to let her know that I was listening, pencil moving onto her neck. D
Read more

Something Different

-
Something was different. The bus stood stationary on the right side of the street. No vibration. No sound from the engine. Only the strong smell of gasoline.   The doors were closed, trapping inside the sweaty and exhausted passenger of the 5-pm route. Noises from the street became a muffled murmur behind glass windows. The air-conditioner was off, and the driver’s chair was empty. The ticket man, always perching on the railing near the doors, also disappeared. It was in this silence that Lan jerked back into consciousness. She had a kink in her neck and a faint red mark on her right cheek. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. Her joints didn’t pop like they did in the movies, she could never do that, but it did make her feel better. Her legs were numb, and her hard-cover dictionary was probably poking at her thighs through the thinning bottom of her backpack. She pushed it not-so-gently onto the seat next to her and crossed her legs. ‘Ugh! Annoying!’ – From the chair two row
Read more

[ 30-DAY WRITING CHALLENGE] PROMPT #3: Adultery

-
Prompt  #3: Adultery The 1500 th day They fall in love on a hot summer day. I met you in the dark You lit me up You made me feel as though I was enough When cheerful guitar permeates the air and fresh breeze caresses sweaty skin. When tangy booze burns their tongue and they toss their hair back and dance without a care. We dance the night away We drank too much When Jade’s green eyes meet with a pair of brown that twinkle in the bonfire’s light. When thin fingers grasp at their hands and soft touches trail hot and cold on their shoulders.  And they know they are screwed.   I knew I loved you then But you’d never know ‘cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go It has been years ago, when Jade has been young and naïve. For the longest time, they have been happy with Andy. They have believed that good things will always last and that as long as there is love, a “happy-ever-after” is attainable. They laugh. Ho
Read more