Hot For Nerd ✓

19 | dust

RAINE

*

I had requested to move seats, and after a bunch of nagging and annoying, Professor Fleeman finally submitted and let me change seats. I was seated next to a funny, handsome guy named Keith. Sitting next to Arrow would be unbearable.

Whenever I spotted him, my insides would shrivel up into dust. His eyes, like when I first met him, were dull and the dark circles under his eyes were like black holes. He was always drinking coffee, but not his usual bitter one- a caramel apple latte. My order.

Keith had become a distraction from life- he asked to go out for coffee once and without thinking, I said yes. He was a nice guy, and very attractive too, but I never got the churning in my stomach around him.

A week had turned into a month. It was four days away from Christmas.

There was a gnawing feeling clawing at my gut that I just couldn't seem to get rid of. Lilah had apologized a countless number of times for the night of Arrow's birthday when she had coughed. For a moment, I thought he would go through with it. I thought he would kiss me. But he left, just like everyone does.

I wasn't mad at Lilah, but we hadn't talked as much as usual. We skirted around each other, sometimes waving hello or goodbye whenever we left the dorm. I hated it, and I think she did too, but I didn't have it in me to fix everything. I didn't have anything in me.

After classes, I decided I would drive around for a little while. I didn't have much homework since we just wrapped up a project, so I just admired the soft, white snow that was so very unusual back at home.

Luckily, there wasn't any snow or black ice on the road. I saw a couple people shoveling some of the snow off before.

My eyes caught on to the hospital. I remembered that night so distinctly- it was the first time I saw Arrow so distraught.

And then suddenly, I was pulling in to the hospital. I had a sudden urge to check up on her- see how she was doing. I vaguely remember her face- she was pale, but had petal like lips and the same long, thick eyelashes and dark hair. Just like Arrow.

My stomach is bubbling with nervousness as I walk the halls of the hospital. I bump into Valentina a floor below Primrose's room.

Her kind smile lights up the room. "Hello, dear." Then, she frowns. "I'm afraid Arrow's not here. He should be here in thirty minutes, though." Well, Valentina didn't know about our falling out. I wondered if Arrow told anyone.

"Oh, um," I bit my lip. "I'm actually here to visit Primrose. If it's alright."

Her brows shot up in air in surprise. "Of course it is! You know where her room is, right?" I nodded, giving her a close lipped smiling before waving goodbye. 

I scanned the room numbers until my eye caught on Room 400. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear soft, soothing piano notes coming from it. I softly eased myself into the room and listened. 

It was Primrose. Her long, wavy hair cascaded down her back, and her fingers glided across the magnificent ivory keys of the piano. She was singing along with her playing. 

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling

We could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hands
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)