* 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

“   um ,   are   those   steps   doing   nothing ,   and   being   disappeared   forever  ?   ‘cause   if   so  …   hard   pass ,   miss   bedelia  .   ”   ava’s   flicking   the   lighter   as   she   speaks ,   attention   drifting   from   her   poor   companion’s   scandalised   face   to   the   pretty   little   ember   glinting   up   at   her  .

“   we   don’t   need   guns  .   lookit  —   i   have   this   lighter  .   let’s   grab   some   hairspray   and   make   a   flamethrower  !   light   that   clown   up  .   ”

it takes him a moment to process what’s just happened … then another to stop … and then a few more to decide whether or not to HELP. of course he should. fault is not a factor. the point is that she looks stressed , and the expletive only confirms it. and — she’s cute , in a way that makes guys like nick WANT to help. so he breathes out , slow , before squatting down and gathering the papers that litter the sidewalk before they can fly away. he catches one in his hand , another under his foot , before gathering them all up and fixing them into a uniform pile in his hands. ❛ are you alright ? i thought i was clear , i’m so sorry. ❜ he doesn’t know if he is , but he knows he’s supposed to be. or at least , he’s supposed to say that he is , so he does. boy , all this gentleman stuff is hard work !! 

              ❛ do you - uh …  ❜ he leans down again and snatches up her bag , holding out both to her. ❛ you look like you could use a coffee. my treat ? as an apology.  ❜

                                           everything had PASSED in a haze since patrick had left , she’d done nothing but study && develop a steady drinking habit since that day -- still , her heart ached , fingers seeking him out in the bed sheets when she woke in the middle of night && finding nothing but the cold . bag is re-positioned on her shoulder , gaze upon the papers held between thin fingers , reading over notes made on the latest essay ; not her best work , but a passing grade nonetheless . perhaps it was a mixture of her inattention , && the sheer melancholy that draped her figure that caused her to miss the fact that she was about to COLLIDE with someone coming the opposite direction ; bag hits concrete , papers scatter .                     ‘ shit ! ‘

                   ‘ do you ever get ... LONELY , will ? ‘                      gaze downcast , fingers clasp && twisting within her lap , a tell-tale sign of questions that would not let her rest , leave her be . she will not look at him , will not bring attentions up from her fidgeting digits , she could not stand the possible irritation she might find from question asked . a pause , && she straightens her spine , gaze flicking to the window , watching the trees blow in the breeze that just grew && grew .                        ‘ are we DESTINED for an eternal loneliness ? ‘

Delia can’t square up. She’d break a nail.

square the FUCK up, delia