The Art of Living

[19] Look How Cute

The slight whisper from beside her, startled her so much that she nearly hit her elbow on the wall again. "Gee Brian, don't startle me like that," she whispered loudly. "Good to know you care that much," she added before she lay down, purposely facing away from him. She got grumpy easily if she was hurt.

"I was just about to ask that. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, yeah." She pulled her blanket over herself and made sure there was enough space between her and Brian. It was a desperate attempt of getting away from him, really, because she could still hear Brian sigh quietly behind her, making her roll her eyes a little. He could be such a diva.

"Do you regret not going home with that guy?"

Ellie raised her eyebrows. What? Had she just heard that right? Did he really have the audacity to ask that? She turned around and glared at where she suspected him to be. "What's it to you? Why would you even care where I sleep? If I wasn't here you'd have more space." This was getting to very dangerous territory, very personal.

"Other than you, apparently, I'm not freaked out by people coming close to me."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe how much of a point he had, he wasn't supposed to know her so well. "And you think you know me so well." She was desperately trying to defend herself, to keep up her façade which was slowly but surely seeming to crumble around Brian. Which was surprising because Ellie hadn't expected him to figure her out.

"I think I know you better than you think."

What made him think he had the right to say something like that? Did he really think he knew her better than she thought he did? It was definitely starting to seem like it. But Ellie still tried to keep denying it. "If you know me so well, then why don't you tell yourself whether I regret it or now? It has to be really simple for you." She wasn't used to him being rather direct like this, around the others - when they were awake - he was always rather shy and quiet, polite. Which left her unsure how to handle it.

"I'm asking you because I don't know you as well as I would like to. You seem to have a problem with people getting to know you. I don't know why, but I'm not as naïve as you seem to think I am."

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't think he was naïve. Or did she? She didn't say anything in reply to that.

"I'm surprised that you were wearing the bracelet today."

He didn't seem to want to stop. But Ellie wanted him to stop. She turned around, facing away from him again. And that caused Brian to sigh yet again. Diva.

"If you think you can keep avoiding whatever makes you uncomfortable, then that makes you the naïve one of us."

Ellie rolled her eyes and pulled her blanket more over herself. She didn't want to deal with this, with him and his intelligence. She really seemed to have underestimated him in his ability to tell when she was being sincere and when she wasn't. But he was right when he thought she didn't want to deal with that. She didnt want to deal with it because it scared her.

"Sleep well, Ellie.."

And yet he never failed to surprise her, he was still being friendly, whether he meant it or not. And she didn't want him to think she was rude. Especially because he did make her smile a little, despite everything that just happened. "You too, Brian.." Despite all that was scary about him, there was something incrediby comforting about him as well. So comforting that it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

The next morning Ellie found herself pressed up against the wall, it was cool against her skin. Opening her eyes slowly, she tried to figure out which way she was lying. Her nose was almost touching the wall. It seemed as if she had been really desperate to get as far from Brian as possible during the night. However, those attempts seemed to have been in vain, because against her back was something warm touching her. It had to be Brian. Ellie was still half asleep and blinked quickly to try to get her body to work properly. It took a moment, but she was about to stretch a little before she heard hushed voices.