Now, Then and Inbetween

11

out here
barely see my breath
surrounded by jealousy and death

R U T H P O V

"What if you just talked to her and tried to be friends or something?" I questioned Elias as we were still seated at the diner table. It was getting darker and darker outside, the sky turning all kinds of colors as the sun dissapeared beneath homes and trees. I had finished my food and now we were just sitting around, not doing much.

It briefly occurred to me that I was in fact spending my time with Elias voluntarily. But for some reason, I didn't much mind. I was actually enjoying myself.

Elias laughed. "I wouldn't even do that for the person I care about the most, let alone for you."

Okay, jeez.

"Seriously?" I raised my eyebrows, looking dissapointed. "You don't have to remind me we hate each other every two seconds. Trust me, I'm well aware."

"Good," he smirked, sitting back and spreading his legs a bit. "But who even said I hated you?"

I deadpanned.

One of his hands came to rest on his thigh. He had an weirdly interested expression on his face, like he was particularly enjoying this topic of conversation. Like he got a thrill out of it somehow.

He grinned. "I don't hate you. I'm just... indifferent to you."

I scoffed, smiling. "Indifferent my ass."

He smirked again. "Well that is the one thing I'm not indifferent to."

What?

Wait, what?

My eyes widened involuntarily and I felt myself resisting the urge to blush. I could feel him observing my reaction as I kicked him in the shin from underneath the table.

"You're gross!"

"I don't know why you say things like that," I shook my head, trying to appear nonchalant.

He shrugged. "They do say honesty is the best policy."

"Stop," I blushed, trying my best to avoid a heart attack. It was beating out of my chest so loud.

As I was looking anywhere but his face, I glanced outside the window again. Across the street, I noticed two girls stalking across the pavement. They were animatedly talking to each other in their hands were snow cones. I didn't think anything of it, at first. They were far away so I couldn't really see their faces.

Only when one of the girls looked up into my direction and started nudging the other girl, did I realise who they were.

Michelles friends.

I'm fucking fucked. Deep. In the ass.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed, ducking down so my face couldn't be seen by them. I hid my face behind my hands, as if that would make a difference.

"What?" Elias chuckled lowly. I could practically feel how his mouth quirked up in a shit-eating grin from my weirdness.

One of my hands popped up over the table and started wildly pointing outside, in the direction of the girls.

"Oh fuck."

"Yeah!" I whisper shouted, freaking out.

"Did they see you?"

"I don't know. Tell me when they're gone."

About thirty seconds later, Elias gave me the all-clear.

I began gathering my stuff and grabbed my wallet out of my bag, reaching for the cash. I pretended like everything was fine. "Okay, that's it. We're leaving."