1.1 | daunting medleys

twenty-three | edge of seventeen

Tabitha was frazzled.

It wasn't because Erica heard Oliver, but because she heard Oliver, because his warm hand was holding to her fingers and the burn scar that'd spread from her palm to her wrist was visible to him. He let his fingers roam the discoloured flesh tenderly, she couldn't see his expression and she didn't want to, because she wouldn't know how to deal with it. Tabitha pulled her hands from his, because the entire table seemed to be looking at them. She cleared her throat, the sound came out disgruntled and she looked down on her plate to avoid anyone's eyes. The chatter continued, although Oliver didn't say anything and his quietness was like an invisible barrier that made it hard to breathe around him.

Tabitha wondered what made him so angry. Was it because of her? Had she done something wrong? She wondered and wondered but nothing came to her mind. The platter of pancakes reached them and Oliver left his plate bare, instead handing it to her.

When she'd caught his eyes, she tilted her head and asked him softly. "Are you okay?"

Oliver looked at her and smiled, her fingers brushing his when he handed the plate to her. "I'm fine. I just don't like seeing-" He took a long look at her face, his eyes softened. "I'm fine, I promise." She took three pancakes and drizzled maple syrup on them. Tabitha didn't eat as much as she liked, her mother created a food ration for her and overtime, her stomach had grown used to less and less portions. Oliver looked at her with concern dimming his grey eyes until his eyes turned murky.

"Is that okay for you?"

She nodded, glanced at her plate and compared it to other's overflowing plates of food. Even Oliver had bacon, and eggs, and a breakfast sausage accompanied with pancakes, it spilled onto the plates but he didn't seem to mind. He took a slice of bacon from his plate and dumped it on her plate.

"There." Then he began shoving the food in his mouth, something Tabitha found very adorable. She took another look at her plate, and sighed, taking her fork and eating the pancakes. They tasted amazing, and she couldn't help but eat a tad more hurriedly. Chatter flew over her head, each topic lighter and more amusing than the last.

Erica looked between Tabitha and Oliver with a big smile. "So, how long have you both been dating?" Her voice wasn't loud, and asides from them, only Evie, who sat at Erica's left, heard her. Evie looked at them with a silly smile, her youthful face brightening with the action.

Tabitha coughed, seemingly choking on air, considering that she had paused to look at everyone. Her chest burned and her eyes watered, Oliver sprung in action and handed her a glass of orange juice. She drank, soothing her throat and then looked to see everyone looking at her with concern. Through her quickly clearing yet blurry eyes, she could see Brittany laugh a little, then bury her face in her plate.

"Are you okay?" Someone sitting multiple seats down had asked. His shaggy hair was light, catching the rays of light, causing a halo around him.

Tabitha nodded, then turned to Erica, her eyes struggling to hold the older woman gaze. "We... I... We aren't dating. Oliver and I are just good friends."

"Oh." Erica nodded understandingly. "That's okay. You too would be cute together if you did." Oliver didn't say anything, and when she finally put her attention on him, Tabitha noticed the tips of his light skin flushing red. His cheeks were red as well, and she looked away from him to prevent the apples of her cheeks from burning.

She didn't say anything again. Just let her thoughts run wild. Her and Oliver were not possible, Tabitha was like the moon and he the sun. He was untouchable by the world, each action did not matter, he remained unscathed while she was broken down until she was a shell, a perfect doll that didn't speak her mind or acted exactly how she was trained to. There was a barrier between them and it only allowed friendship, anything else would break it, and Tabitha was scared of any other big change, because she feared she would lose her mind.