The Falling of Lauren Johnson

Chapter Seven

I wake up with a sensation, as if I'm falling. Sunlight streams in from a cracked window. Oh no. This is not good. Where am I? I look around the small, cramped apartment. The apartment is well furnished with a couch, a kitchen table, amongst other things. Clothes line the floor and stacks of dirty dishes sit unkempt on the table. A man must live here.

Just as I thought that, a man steps out of a room with his nose stuffed in a book. He walks over to the couch and gets comfy, not noticing me at all. It doesn't take me very long to realize that this man is very attractive. He has clean, unkempt hair sitting atop his heard, and some stubble from not shaving. He must have heard my thoughts or felt me staring at him, because he looks up at me. Oh my goodness, his eyes are so beautifully blue.

"Uhh... hi." I say quietly.

"Well good morning, do you know where you are or what happened?" He says. His voice is raspy and firm, and it sends chills down my back and puts goose bumps on my arms.

I try to remember to last night. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I remember taking some relaxer serum, following Melissa and Katelyn to a party, getting caught and being left on my own, and the man who attacked me.

I look up into his eyes, and they're warm and inviting. "Are you the one who saved me last night?"

He nods and stretches his arms, which pulls his shirt taut against his chest. Oh my goodness. "I don't know if I'd go as far as using the word 'saving', but I did get that guy off of you."

A confused look spreads across my face, and I'm a little taken aback. "You're the one who beat that guy up," I ask, to which he nods, "Well, then of course you saved me! He could've done bad things to me if you hadn't stepped in." I see him begin to chuckle when I say "bad things", which makes me a little angry.

"How can you laugh at that? It's a serious matter!" I shout.

The man looks up at me and continues his chuckling, "You know, you're a little sassy."

I can feel my face getting red and am prepared to defend myself. Lauren, relax, you can't pick fights with strangers. Even though he's a stranger, he doesn't feel like one, but rather someone I've known all of my life.

"What's your name, Sassy Pants?" He says with a smile.

His smile is contagious, because I feel myself smiling. "Well, its definitely not 'Sassy Pants'. My name is Lauren."

"Ah. Lauren. Well, Lauren, my name is Elliot." Elliot. You're extremely attractive, Elliot. "It's really nice to meet you, Lauren, unfortunately, I wish it hadn't been under last night's circumstances."

I don't say anything, but my breath hitches when I remember what happened last night right before I passed out. I instantly reach over to my arm, but I stop myself. Does he know I'm a human?

"Uh, is there anyway I could freshen up?" I ask quietly.

Elliot nods, shuts his book, walks over to me, and holds up his outstretched hand. "Here, I'll show you to the bathroom. There are towels underneath the sink, so you can shower if you'd like." I don't say anything, keeping my left arm at my side, and I reach out with my right and grab his hand. Something feels intoxicatingly right as I grab his hand, and it takes all of my willpower not to completely collapse into his arms. When I stand, I remember the dress I'm wearing and feel immediately self-conscious. My knees, some chest, and a lot of leg are being exposed and it makes me feel like I have to say something.

"I don't usually dress so..." I blurt out, searching for words to describe my outfit.

"Trampy?" He suggests.