My Colors are you

Chapter 7

Rory stared outside the window and up into the clouds beginning to loom over them. She wondered how the party was going. The skies looked like it was going to pour any second now. She was glad that she was at least inside.

A ceramic plate was placed in front of her by the waitress who brought over their food. Harley insisted they ate at some local diner. Her stomach was thankful that she would finally eat the pasta she ordered.

"Geez," Harley looked at her disgusted. "You didn't even hesitate, you just began digging in."

"I'm starving," Rory admitted, her cheeks flushing pink. Her appearance must have not been pretty.

"You look like a child," he stared at her, his elbow resting on the table as he propped up his chin.

She looked down at the coffee he ordered for himself. "Are you sure you don't want to get anything?"

"I already ate," he replied. "This is just to make amends, remember? So eat up, I don't plan on getting caught in the rain. I might just leave you here you know."

Even if it were a joke, Rory wasn't taking any chances and continued to eat her food. She felt his eyes staring down at her. She kept glancing up to check only to shy away and look back down.

Rory found herself in a strange predicament.

She looked at his wrist, lightly stained with charcoal. She grinned to herself. "You're an art major aren't you?" She pointed at his hand.

He furrowed his brows at her. "I am. But my real major is for an architecture degree."

"You're a double major," she gawked at him. "Isn't it hard?"

He scoffed. "I've always had a knack for math and engineering. I'm just cruising along."

Doesn't that sound nice. It almost angered Rory and her restless nights of stressing for an exam. She was an English major.

She felt a flick on her forehead. "Oh," she yelped.

"Will you stop," Harley glared at her. "Comparing yourself to other people isn't going to do you any good. If anything, you'll just waste your time worrying about others other than yourself."

Rory remained silent.

"There's nothing wrong with being an English major anyway." Harley examined her face, grimacing at how easily she became melancholic. He took one deep breath before scooting out of the booth and walking to the counter where the cash register was at.

Rory's appetite had gone just as her guilt had arrived. She didn't understand why she was so mopey. It's frustrated her that she couldn't come to her senses and at least try to be anything other than the grey. She was so bizarre. She couldn't even fake it.

She felt something lightly hit the top of her hood. Flinching, she frowned at Harley.

"Are we going to go, or should I just leave you here?" He asked pointing outside. "It's about to rain so I'd make it a quick decision if I were you."

"I'll go," Rory didn't even hesitate to stand up and slide her coat back on. She followed him like she was his shadow. He guided the way outdoors into the chilly night.

Rory looked down the street ahead of them. The streetlight brightened the drizzling rain that had begun to fall from the skies. She breathed in a fresh breath of wet pavement, the smell instantly calming her.

"Should I call for a ride?" Rory asked.

"If you'd like," he replied, still ahead of her. "However, I'll be walking on my own. Enjoy your ride."

Rory frowned. She jogged up to meet him at his side, his pace quickening.

"My apartment is close by here if you want to wait out the rain," she told him sincerely. "I don't mind always. I wouldn't want you to get sick. Unless you want me to be a pain like the other day."

Harley stopped dead in his tracks. Rory having not noticed it immediately found herself a few steps ahead of him when she turned around, his eyes staring her down. Rory didn't know how to react. She was sure her eyes had widened as she began to ponder what sort of reaction Harley was bound to make. Most likely not a good one.

The rain began to cascade down them when Harley finally shut his eyes. "I don't need anyone looking out for me. I already told you my intentions for buying you your dinner. After that as of tomorrow, you and I go back to being strangers. Got it?"

Rory was taken back. Had she done something wrong? She couldn't begin to understand why the sudden change had occurred in him. For a second Rory thought they were getting along. He had gone to the party for her after all, hadn't he? To save her...

"Why'd you go to the party then?" She found herself asking. She didn't care if she'd regret it. She had to know or else she would never stop thinking about it.

Harley, to her surprise, began to sneer. "Stop that. I know what it is you're doing even if you don't realize it yourself."

"What?" Rory didn't know what he was talking about.

"I gave you hell when you tried to nurture me and all it took was for me to give you my hand and return a simple favor, for you to expect something more?" He laughed. "How broken is your self-esteem that you succumb so easily?"

Rory remained silent.

"I almost feel bad for you."

Something inside Rory snapped. The vault that concealed all her emotions had been broken into. Her control was replaced by pure wrath. If anyone could survive being a victim of her words, maybe he could?"

"So then what about you? Even if I act like everything is alright, at least I have people who pretend to be my friend. People can't even deal with you. They wouldn't dare surround themselves with you much less be associated with you. But I'm sure you don't care. You're probably used to being alone and isolated. So enjoy your lonesome little world stuck inside your miserable thoughts. You can't even sanction someone trying to be nice and reach out to you. If you think I'm pathetic, look at yourself."

If rage could boil one's blood, she was sure she would be leaving steaming steps as she stomped away. It seemed like she wouldn't be needing to call for a ride after all.