BUBBLE POPPER

HAVE A SKITTLES

The uber arrives and the two of us get in and sit in silence the whole ride home. The uber driver drops us off and Dez pays with his own money then returns mine. We exit the car and stand in silence, outside Dez's house.

"Can we go to the store first...."

Dez breaks the silence. {There is a convenience store four or five blocks away from Dez's place. }

"You can go to the store... I'm going home."

I turn towards the direction of my house but before I can even take one step, I feel his hand wrap around my wrist.

"Please...."

I heave a breath of frustration and turn back to face him.

"Fine..."

This boy really is my absolute weakness... if it were anyone else, I would've already been gone.

We walk to the store without saying a word to each other. When we get there Dez buys himself a 2 litter water bottle, a pack of gum, a chocolate bar and something else I can't really see. We sit outside the store, on the pavement and both just stare into space.

"so... if you had your own money... why'd you take my uber money?"

I start

"Because, I would have to return it to you so, I'd have a reason to talk to you that you can't say no to..."

Dez explains

"Fair enough."

He takes out the chocolate from his plastic bag and hands it to me.

"Here"

I gaze at the chocolate, look up at him the slowly take it from his hands.

"You got me chocolate?"

I arc my brow.

"Yeah... I didn't know what else to do so I got you chocolate."

I scoff and face my head up to look at the stars.

Eli lets out a sigh and I hear the bag rattling once more.

"I'm just kidding... here..."

He says after the rattling stops. I look back at him and in his hands holding a big red packet with the word Skittles printed on. My eyes light up and I can't help but smile. I love skittles. I scoff once more and take the packet from his hands.

"Thanks..."

I put both the chocolate and skittles in my bag while Eli pops two pieces of gum into his mouth then effortlessly opens his water bottle.

"you know... my mom sent me to the party to take care of you and Erica..."

I let out

"Is that why you asked us to drink water and go home?"

"No... I wanted to leave you both there to waste away...."

"...Ouch.. but fair..."

I turn to face him and examine his face in search of something to explain the reason behind my next words.

"But for some reason... I couldn't."

Eli turns to face me and our eyes meet. He lifts his hand to my face and rubs my cheek with his thumb. He inches closer but stops briefly to check if I'm okay with what he's about to do. Part of me is screaming at me to stop and leave him there but... I can't. I draw closer to his face until we meet in the middle and kiss. A single tear falls from my eye as the pain in my heart is temporarily healed. But the moment is short lived. A memory flash of the nights events invades my mind forcing me to re-watch the scene that caused tonight's train wreck in the first place. I reluctantly pull away and fold my lips in as bitter liquid trickles down my face. I open my eyes to see Eli still watching me with a gentle gaze. I grab hold of the hand he still has placed on the side of my face and gather all the strength I have left in me.