Work in Progress

Chapter 26: Second Step

*ELI'S POV*

"Ugh, we barely get to see each other!" Sam complains as we walk together to my bike. I insisted on letting me keep biking to school since it was the only cardio exercise I got. But I'd still bring breakfast we could eat in her car.

It was a Friday so I asked her, "Do you want to go on a 'date'?" I drew imaginary quotation marks in the air.

"Really?!" She asks, jumping up in joy. "Yes!"

"I'll be at your place in thirty minutes."

***

I bike up Sam's driveway and secured my bike at the side. I rang the doorbell and heard some shouting then the door opened to Sam's excited face.

"Let's go!" She shouts walking past me and pulling me by the hand.

"You don't even know where we're going," I laugh.

"Where are we going?"

"Give me your phone." I stick out my hand.

Sam narrows her eyes, "Are you going to kidnap me?"

"Yes and no. I forgot my phone so let's just use yours for navigation."

"You do know cars have navigation systems now?" She laughs at me.

"Oh, umm... It's been a while since I handled a car." I say as we got in.

"Does it have something to do with the accident?" Sam asks looking at me.

"Yes..."

She takes my hand then gives me a smile, "I love driving for you anyway. Plus, riding on your bike means I get to hug you!"

I squeeze her hand, "Thanks."

I entered the address in the navigation then we drove off. It was a small forest cove I found while looking for hiking trails. I thought maybe we could have a nice picnic.

*SAM'S POV*

"Ok, I am now definitely sure you're kidnapping me and possibly murder me later." We had been walking along a hiking trail for ten minutes but had diverged from it and now were going through rough terrain.

"It's only a few more meters ahead," Eli says looking back at me and offering her hand. I take it, quickly feeling better at the chance of touching her skin. Aside from the occasional arm drapes, Eli would keep her distance from me especially in school. I watch her as she leads me forward, thinking about how she's changed in the past couple of days. She was still mostly quiet and reserved but whenever I see her struggling to tell me something, she would almost always tell me. I knew that letting me in was making her feel vulnerable but she wasn't the only one feeling that way. I'd find myself thinking about her and worrying about her in the most random times. I'd think back at the time I misjudged her just because she bumped into me. And looking back now, I think I reacted the way I did because she irked me so differently than the others with that smug smile of hers, which she's giving me right now.

"Don't look at me too hard. You might burn a whole on my chest."

I blush not realizing we had stopped and Eli was looking at me staring at her. Then my eyes wander to the space behind her and I'm overwhelmed by the most beautiful field of wildflowers. I walk towards it and, feeling like a child who just found an amazing treasure, run to the middle laughing. Then I noticed it sloped down to a cliff with the most amazing view of the sky hovering above it.

"It was prettier when I first got here. The leaves were different shades of brown and red and some of them had fallen to the ground."

"It's beautiful," I tell Eli even though the trees were only just beginning to come back to life again.