Cold Hearted August

Chapter 7.5 Crash and Burn Catalina

Wow.

The single word ran circles around my mind as Lara literally ran away from me and the others, what was going on within that head her?

First she's playing the white knight; helping me and Elizabeth get rid of Gunner and now she's literally running away from me?

I don't get it! I simply don't understand how to get through to Lara! She's like a double sided coin and no matter which way you toss it she always shows the same face.

"You good?" Elizabeth questioned probably noting my tense disposition.

"Honestly, I don't even know." I answered.

" Now I understand what you meant before; how Lara's hot one second cold the next. You do see what she's doing though right?" Elizabeth asked clearly seeing something I am not.

"What do you mean?" I answered.

"She's playing hard to get."

"What?Lara seems more of a chaser then being chased." I disagreed.

"Exactly. She wants you to think she doesn't care and for you to keep pursuing her." Elizabeth explained clarifying the situation.

"Huh,clever. But two people can play that game."

"But for how long? I mean Cat, Lara is a Pro at this sort of thing."Elizabeth expressed seeming concern.

"True.But Lara is used to playing this game with girls who are well; easy.Not someone who actually has standards." I expressed.

"Whatever."Elizabeth laughed rolling her eyes.

"You don't think I can handle myself?" I stated more then asked.

"Nope and you wanna know why?"

"Enlighten me." I spoke.

"Okay;you have such a wet spot when it comes to Lara, that the second things get heavy you're going to give in." Elizabeth declared crossing her arms as if her words were an open and end argument.

"I do not." I scoffed.

"Oh please Cat. You don't seriously think I didn't see the way you blushed when you saw Lara at the mall?" Elizabeth stated crossing her arms and shifting her weight waiting for me to answer.

I was at a loss for words; Elizabeth always knew that I felt a certain way towards Lara, ever since I saw her in our A.P English class beginning of sophomore year.

I can still recall how beautiful she look as she sat by the window; the light highlighting her side profile angelically causing her blue eyes to be almost clear like glass as they were complimented by the dark t-shirt she wore.

It wasn't just her beauty that had me awe, it was her mind too and how she expressed and vocalized her words with such passion when we were asked to read and analyze The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. How Lara explained the two personas seeming nothing alike; one a well-liked and respectable doctor and the second the hideous,depraved Hyde as almost opposite in type and personality.

The way Lara depicted the dominance of Hyde as a latent force within Jekyll, then as a tyrannical external force; subverting Jekyll holding various implications for our understanding of human nature was like poetry.

Recalling the memory sent a chill along my spin causing goosebumps as the fiction story seemed to be playing a roll in present life.

"Sorry about that. I should learn to put a leash on this one, tends to runaway." RayRay announced his Venezuelan accent engulfed in laughter while Lara rolled her eyes, her body language closed off letting out a huff of annoyance.