Pedestrian |✓

|19| c u p c a k e

"Anna!" I heard Austin shouted my name loudly and the sound of his frantic footsteps nearing me, but all I managed to do was wince from the pain of landing harshly on my side, onto the pavement.

The impact was horrible and I can feel my knee and hip, throbbing from the pain. It was like I just got hit by a baseball bat. Worse than a Lego-foot moment and a side-edge of the table scenario too.

"Ah shizzles," I groaned loudly as I feebly tried to push myself up with the palms of my hands but failed and dropped limply back onto the ground, as I felt the pain shooting through my palms in a tear-worthy extent.

"Hey, hey can you stand?" Austin hurriedly asked in a frantic voice, upon reaching my side. Kneeling down with one knee, his worry-filled eyes roamed over my face for a moment before he swiftly grabbed my waist and carefully tried to pull me up.

I took a sharp breath, feeling the pain shoot though my hip and knee. "My knee!" I continued to whine, gripping at the hem of his blue shirt in a tight fist.

"Careful, I'm gonna hoist you up," he softly muttered into my ear, and pushing back the scattered mess of my hair that got onto my face with his hand.

I nodded stiffly and tightened my grip at his shirt as I shut my eyes close, waiting for the pain that will spread throughout my knee and body. But with my eyes closed, I can't help but let my crazy imagination run wild.

This could be a perfect chick-flick moment with all the sparks and "aww's", where he would slowly drape his arms underneath my legs and behind my back then carry me bridal-style. That would be just perfect. It's like I am the damsel-in-distress and he would be the prince, well more of a snobbish prince, but he would do.

It would literally look like a fairyta-

"What are you doing?" Austin suddenly asked dementedly, causing me to abruptly snap open my eyes and to glance around, only to see him, holding onto my waist in difficulty with my arms, unconsciously draped around his neck.

My eyes widened and I quickly retracted my arms and held onto his shoulder instead to support my weight, as I look anywhere but him out of embarrassment. Oh heavens. "I- uh...uh... gosh my knee hurts!" I cried out, crouching down a little and placing one hand lightly over my scraped knee, just a few inches above the sore wound.

Whoa. I am smooth.

Austin sighed and grabbed my arm to slowly drape it over his shoulders again as he held onto my waist tighter to assist me in standing up. I knew this could be a fairytale moment! "You shouldn't have stopped pedaling!"

Or maybe not.

"Well you shouldn't have let go of the saddle!" I retorted sharply, struggling to lift myself up. After a few minutes of bouncing, wincing, grabbing onto his arm and staggering, I finally stood up properly. Well if you consider standing lopsidedly, proper...

"I was supposed to let go! That's how I teach someone to ride a bike!" He yelled at me, his face close to mine.

"Ugh! Just help me," I said tiredly. Completely giving up and tilting my head to the direction of the nearest bench, motioning for him to bring me there.

He let out a frustrated sigh and nodded begrudgingly as he slowly ushered me towards the bench. Plopping down, I leaned my back flatly against its wooden surface. Lifting my leg up to scan my throbbing wound, I let out a hiss upon seeing a deep cut and some blood, oozing from the wound in my right knee.

"Here, let me have it," Austin said and knelt down in front of me, unexpectedly grabbing my leg to prop it onto his thigh and to scan my knee, causing me jerk away from his touch that's warm against my bare legs but he held it firmly in place.