Becoming (INSECURE SEQUEL)

Four: Crazy Catalina

AUGUST

Ashton sighs heavily and attempts to press the button again. Accepting defeat and awful awkwardness, I lean my back against the elevator wall. Melody looks at me like I'm supposed to know what to do, but all I do is shrug. I wait for it to start working again in a few seconds, but nothing happens. Ashton is still standing by the door and sporadically pressing the button like it'll magically start moving again; he avoids looking at us and I try to pretend that we won't be stuck for long.

"Call Lily." Melody quietly suggests.

"What is she supposed to do?" I sigh.

"Well I'd like to know if one of the elevators in my hospital stopped working. Plus, we can't just be stuck here and not tell anyone." She shrugs.

Melody huffs loudly before she decides to take a seat on the floor with her back against the wall and her body facing the door. The worst that can happen--besides us killing each other- is the elevator hanging by a wire and us falling to our doom. Hopefully, we're not on here long enough for us to be forced to talk to one another. From the way he's standing next to the door with his hands in his pockets, it's clear that Ashton would probably rather the elevator fall than talk to Melody and I. The only thing I'm thinking about though is something bad happening to us and him just letting us die because he hates us.

"So, uhm....hypothetically, if for whatever reason, my body started to shut down, would you help me?" I ask him and he slowly turns his head to me. "Being that you're a doctor and all, and if I was stranded with anyone I'd want it to be a doctor. So, would you let me die or?"

"It's called willful negligence and it's very illegal." He sighs as he presses the button again. "You could sue me, so no I wouldn't let you die."

"Oh, okay. Just making sure." I nod my head.

"Wait....I can sue you?" I speak up again.

"And then my wife and children would be living in a box, so I wouldn't let you sue me." Ashton accepts that the elevator isn't opening anytime soon and he leans against the wall, taking a seat just like Melody did.

I decide to do the same thing, sitting across from here. I assume that this must be some kind of metaphor for something. I can't think of any good ones off the top of my head, but I'm sure if I google it one will come to mind. That's besides the point, metaphor or not, three people who borderline despise each other and have clashing personalities can only stay in a confined space for so long.

I don't want to talk and say random things to annoy them, but the only thing that stops me from having crazy thoughts when I'm nervous is talking to soothe my nerves. I tap on the ground and hum a song in my head.

"I think we could all be friends, really." I speak up, breaking the silence.

"What?" Melody furrows her eyebrows softly.

Ashton ignores me and keeps his eyes on the stuck buttons like he's waiting for it to change colors and move.

"This isn't going to work if you ignore us."

He turns his head only slightly to glare at me, but he doesn't say anything. I huff and turn to look at Melody. She shrugs her shoulders and smiles at me; it makes things feel less tense when she does. I instantly start to worry about what's going on outside of the elevator. Elevators don't randomly stop, what are the chances of that anyway? How often does it happen?

I start to say something else that'll make the anxiety go away, but before I can, I hear Melody sniffling beside me and wiping her face with the sleeves of her sweater. My eyes widen slightly and I find myself staring at her like I've never seen anyone cry before or something. I want to say something but in between the worrying about why the elevator stopped and not knowing what to say, my mind goes blank.