Dare You To Move

Chapter 17 - Photograph

Rushes of anxiety crash through Elli's veins as she knocks on the door to the apartment she called home. Music was playing from inside, now too loud but just enough for it to be heard and she knew Parker must be in the living room. And there's this part of her that's tugging on the strap of her backpack, looking down the hallway, ready to take off and run back to Collyn's place. But, she's frozen in place and the door creaks out, revealing Parker is his usual t-shirt and jeans that hang too low, his hair messy from the day.

Parker's eyes widen at the sight of her and it's been two months and it's like a hurricane just hits him. He wants to hug her and smile and just tell her how much he missed her. She's his best friend and he's missed every second they haven't spoken or see each other. And he wants to kiss her and tell her he loves her because butterflies are just swarming through every part of his body, fluttering and electrifying his bones. But above all that, he wants to scream and yell.

Elli ignored him for two months. He might have ignored her when she said she loved him the first time but he ignored her for a few minutes, not two months and that's the difference. Two months is a long time and it's been a rough two months. His feelings remain but the anger and resentment he feels towards her are hot through his veins, screaming in agony. His best friend didn't have the decency to speak to him. She couldn't even give him the rent. All she did was stop by while he was at work and leave it on the table. Elli went to great lengths to avoid him and now she's knocking on her own door.

But, she meets his eyes for the first time and she's the calm in the pouring rain. He's pissed, he's broken, and hurt, betrayed but he opens the door for her to come in. He keeps his anger and every loud emotion to himself and chooses to be calm, he shuts the loud off. If he can shut the loud off, he won't snap because he doesn't owe her anything. If he lets the heartbreak and everything he's wanted to say start flowing from his lips, they won't get anywhere. She left and ignored him, it's up to her to talk. Parker is just going to let her inside and let it be. As roommates.

"Hey." He says and he keeps his anger and heartbreak at bay while she comes in.

"Hey." She says, voice quiet as her eyes are on the floor and then there's just silence.

She walks inside and looks around, the kitchen clean and same for the living room besides a few pieces of paper laid out on the floor. But, it's quiet. Parker's shut the music off and it just feels like the shell of two people, two ghosts who used to live happy and carefree lives. It's the shell of what could have been and what was. Maybe that's it's own form of heartbreak.

"Are, uh, are you home?" Parker asks, clearing his throat.

Elli nods, eyes barely glancing to him and she didn't expect seeing him to hurt like a ton of razor blades to her chest. "Yeah, Collyn, um...." Elli sucks in a breath and she's trying to find something to say. "He buys the wrong chips."

Parker scoffs and he can feel the loud and red of emotion start to pound against his skull and chest. "Really? You're here over.....chips?"

Elli's eyes are still trained gets upon the floor, not wanting to see the disgust and disappointment in his eyes. "No...." Elli says quietly and then goes silent.

Parker states back at her before he shakes his head with nothing else to say. He goes to the living room and starts to putting the record back before moving to the floor to clean up the sheets of paper that are covered in mismatched lyrics. He doesn't even glance to her but Elli's eyes are trained on him the entire time, and it's about to send Parker into a downward spiral.

"Right." Parker gets up and he finally meets her stare only for Elli to divert it back to the ground. "Be in my room, rent's due on the first but you know that."