scene from an elevator

"Well, isn't this awkward?" he said, glancing over to her as she pushed the already lit number one button. It was true, it was. She forgot that he lived here in the same apartment building as Franco, her lab partner and her current crush. She didn't even like science, but one look at Franco, and suddenly she was a whiz at everything she had forgotten so well in high school chemistry.

She didn't want to see Sean again. She never expected to see Sean again. She wanted Sean to be hit by a truck. Right now here in the elevator. She wasn't sure how it would work out for her, but hopefully the driver would be precise enough to avoid her with minimal damage to her favorite peacoat. It was then she realized Sean was still talking to her and she was just staring at her black maryjanes with the scuff mark on the toe.

"Sara? Earth to Sara." She hated that saying remembering it so well from middle school, where she'd end up in the corner for nothing more than harmless daydreaming. When did daydreaming deserve punishment?

She turned slowly towards Sean. She forgot how much taller he was compared to her. A towering six feet four inches to her very grounded five foot five. she had always appreciated her small frame, reminded her of the faeries her mother told her lived under the mushrooms in her backyard. "Hello, Sean. Never thought I'd see you again."

"Maybe it's fate. I've been thinking of you lately. I found your scarf between the couch cushions. The skinny one with the..." He stopped suddenly. "I guess you found a suitable replacement, Sara. You were always very good with clothes."

Just then she remembered she was wearing Sean's favorite dress. The red and white checkered one that he said reminded him of picnics in fields of fresh flowers. He always teased her about wanting to lay her down on the bed and eat off of her. She would never let him.

Sara looked at Sean. He was wearing his jeans too tight again and they hugged his ankles, where you could see pink socks peek out from overworn slip-on checkered Vans. His shirt was pink too. He had washed a red sock with his whites again. "Much better than you, I see." Then there was a jolt and she found herself in Sean's chest. "What was that?" She said backing up away from him, using her hands to brush herself off, like she had been hugging the dog too tightly and hairs were clinging to her coat.

"This happens sometimes, um, use the batphone to message out for help," Sean said, shuffling his feet, pointing to the red phone.

Sara picked up the phone. Put the reciever to her ear and nothing. Then the phone fell out of the box with a loud thump, a mix of wires at her feet. "Fantastic. This is fantastic."

Sean scratched his head. "Well, that's never happened before," he said, almost chuckling, only holding himself back once looking at Sara. "Yeah, this is quite a fix, eh?"

Sara rolled her eyes, put her back against the wall of the elevator and slowly slid down, and hid her face in her knees. the reciever of the phone still in her hand. Sean wanted to touch her, stroke her hair, like he used to when she got like this -- frustrated. finally, she looked up and she surprised him by smiling. Laughing out, "What do we do now?" Sean laughed and shrugged his shoulders, then sat down next to her.

Sara put out her hand, and they waited. 
¶ 6:31 PM |