FLAME

Financially Lucky

I sigh as I pull into the parking lot of my dorm. Some one had parked in my spot. Two people actually. The reason I knew this was because they were still in the car... having a great time together, shaking the sleek BMW so hard that I was surprised it was still attached to the wheels. I groan inwardly. 

Damn it, I really don't need to deal with this right now. I am utterly drained of all energy. I can't do this.

I hop out of the car and swiftly walk to the car door. By swiftly, I mean I stumble a couple of times and scuff my brand new shoes. I rap my knuckle on the tinted window. My heart drops with the window, when I see a pair of familiar green eyes. The window stops, blocking the rest of his face from view.

"What?" He quips.

"You are in my p-parking spot." I stutter back, unaware of how to handle this situation.

"Am I supposed to care?" He raises an eyebrow.

"O-oh... umm... I g-guess not. S-sorry to bother y'all." I say quietly and turn to leave. I run into a familiar smelling wall of flesh.

"Abe, get the hell out of Ember's parking spot and go fuck your bitch somewhere else." The chest vibrates with sound waves. I feel arms wrap around my waist and pull me in. 

I look up into Zeke's beautiful green eyes, and realize that they are lighter that the ones in the window. I turn back to the car a little, and the window is rolled all the way down, revealing a face that was similar to Zeke's, but it was harder, colder, and meaner.

"Whatever little bro. Who the chick anyways? Is she new? I've never seen her around here before. I like her." He winks at me. I cringe in disgust and his face turns into one of discontent.

The lovely specimen beside me chuckles.

"It doesn't look like she likes you very much, Abe. Why don't you just move your car and go back to your slut." Zeke spat.

"You know," says a shrill voice from inside the car, "I used to be your slut." The back door opens and a tall and curvy girl steps out. She wears tight black leather pants, the kind that for a normal girl, would be impossible to get back on after having sex in a car. Her busty chest and toned torso are covered with nothing but a lacy black bra-let. I feel myself subconsciously shrink back in self- disgust. Her smirk grows. "Ezekiel, last time I checked, dating a twelve year old is illegal." she said, looking me up and down.

I cringe, looking down at my new shoes, my eyes are immediately drawn to the scuff. The imperfection on a canvas of beauty.

Just like me.

 I quickly look away, and study the handicap sign painted on the ground a couple feet away instead.

"And last time I checked, being a prostitute is illegal." Zeke glowers defensively, pulling me closer. "Besides, she's 18, Alexis." 

My mouth drops open in shock. I tilt my head up to peer at Ezekiel's face. His eyes are cold jade as he looks at Alexis. His face is clouded in a mask of hatred. For a moment, I'm scared. Zeke senses my change in emotion and he gives a quick glance to me. His eyes melt when they meets mine.

"Alright, Abe. Move your car." Zeke says, still looking at me.

"Anything for my little bro's princess." Abe chuckles when Zeke glares at him. He turns the key in the ignition and backs his car up out of my spot. He parks it in a spot a couple of spaces down the aisle. I turn slightly to Zeke.

"His little bro? You have a brother?" I ask quietly.

"Sadly, yes. I don't know how we are related. We look and act nothing alike." He responds, glancing back at his brother, who was walking towards us now.

"I don't know about that." I nearly whisper.

"What do you mean, little bunny?"

I hide my face, feeling it blush scarlet. "You have similar eyes, his are just a little darker. And you have the same bone structure, but his scruff makes him look meaner. Plus, from my interactions with you, you seem to think of women the same way." I shrug, avoiding his eyes.

He gently grabs my chin and tilts my head to meet my eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but is rudely cut off by Abe.

"OK, little princess," Abe interrupted, "go park your car."

"Umm," Alexis starts, giggling. "That's not a car, Abe. It's obviously a classic. A classic rust bucket to be more specific. What even is that thing? Besides scrap metal?" Abe joins her in her laughter. Zeke says nothing. I stumble to my drivers side, with tears in my eyes, because I couldn't afford a new car. I could barely afford to keep this one running. 

I can still here the laughter of Alexis and Abe with the door shut. I pull into my spot and hop back out of the car, quickly grabbing my phone, jacket, and purse, before I swiftly walk away from the trio, trying to ignore them. As I walked away, I heard Zeke softly speaking with his brother. I walked a little slower in effort to catch what he was saying.

"Some people aren't as financially lucky as others. We need to be be aware of that, and act accordingly..." Zeke's voice faded as I started walking fast once more.

His words echoed in my head. Tears welled up once more.

Some people aren't as financially lucky...

It was the truth. I wasn't rich, and I knew that. I just thought that I could cover it up a little. I tried to buy nice clothes at thrift stores, and got new shoes to wear. I wanted to fit in. I thought I could hide it, and the first people that I met at Stonewell saw through it. I just wanted to go to bed. 

"Ember!" Zeke calls from behind me. "Ember, hey! Wait up!"

I walk faster in response. I feel his hand close around my arm, just above my elbow. 

"Hey there, little bunny," He pants. "Dang, you really were captain of the track team, huh?"

"Yes." I reply, coldly and shortly.

He immediately notices my change in attitude, and a concerned look clouds his face.

"I'm sorry about them. Alexis is my ex, and she's still carrying a grudge from it. She thinks that I still belong to her or something. It's gross." He grimaces and rubs the back of his neck. "And my brother is just an ass."

"It's fine." I say, continuing to keep my eyes ahead. Don't cry. Don't cry. DON'T cry. DON'T CRY. DO NOT CRY.

"No, it's not. I should have said something to them about it. It's not fair for them to be asses to you." He responds. I glance over to him. He is struggling to keep up with me.

"You did say say something to them, though. I believe it was something along the lines of 'Some people aren't as financially lucky'." I deepen my voice to mock him. For a moment, I wonder if I read it the wrong way, and I was being to harsh, but talking my financial situation was just like talking about my body: you don't. We enter the building, and turn down our hall.

"That's not what I meant by that," he said, his voice lowered because we were indoors, "I was just trying to help you."

I quickly turn to him, finally showing the tears in my eyes. "I don't need any help. I don't know you! Why do you act like I belong to you or something?!" I throw my hand up in the air and let them fall, slapping against my thighs loudly. 

"You could get to know me." He mutters. 

"Look, I'm sorry, Zeke, but-"I stop because he perks up at his name, eyes wide. "What?" I ask him.

"Nothing." He looks at the ground. 

"Right, whatever. Just give me some time or something. This is already so much for me to handle."

"Ok. Well, I'll be here." He says, then chuckles, "Like, right next door."

I roll my eyes and turn to unlock my door. I walk inside and begin to close the door.

"Goodnight, Zeke." I say. Just before I close the door, I here his response.

"Sleep well, little bunny."

I lean back on the door and listen as his footsteps fade. I hear his dorm room open and close. I slide down the door frame, and rest my head on my knees, breath deeply, and let my tears fall.