Stories Based On Taylor Swift Songs

DEBUT: 5. Cold As You

5. Cold As You (1/3/21)

First it was the homework. Then the test answers. Then job and scholarship applications. And when he finally stopped asking for help with school, he wondered if Delilah would listen to how he was feeling. He would come over on a Friday night and vent to her, and by the time he left and she headed to bed, her whole body felt numb. Even if she had a good day, everything would shatter by the time David left her house and left his dirty laundry and emotional turmoil all over her bedroom floor.

Delilah tried to ignore the signs early on. Some of her friends would ask for help with homework assignments from time to time, but then she found herself completing some of David's work. She would slip him the test answers in between classes, just because he had asked. Even though she loved him, Delilah had a feeling that something in the relationship just wasn't right. She couldn't put her finger on it.

On Friday, Delilah left the school building with a smile on her face. She had enjoyed the lesson on Jane Eyre in English class, and believed her science test had been a success. But then she saw David sitting in his car in the parking lot, and suddenly, her stomach was twisting into a tight ball. The beginning of the relationship had been happy, but now whenever she laid her eyes on David, her body went cold and numb, as if she was suffering from hypothermia.

Despite her muddled feelings, she climbed into the car and threw her backpack in the backseat. David was leaning his head on the wheel, and Delilah was surprised that he hadn't bumped the horn by accident.

When she didn't ask what was wrong, David let out a sigh and said, "I had the worst day."

Delilah didn't have the strength to reply, so she let David continue speaking. "My math teacher hates me. I asked her for help after class, and she refused. She said she was too busy!"

Delilah used to be sympathetic for David, who always seemed to struggle in school, but those feelings were drifting into nothingness. Most of the time, it was David's fault he was a terrible student, and he would refuse help from his teachers. Delilah wondered if David didn't have the whole story, or was even lying to her.

"Can we head back to your house?" He asked, and his words came out as a plea. A small part of Delilah's heart was yearning to help the boy she loved, but she pushed that feeling aside and just nodded. She knew what she needed to do tonight, and it would be best if they were alone.

David drove to her house and parked in the driveway. Both of her parents wouldn't be home until five, so the house was empty, save for their pet dog. Once Delilah unlocked the door, she slung off her jacket and dropped a cup of dog food into the dish in the kitchen. When she stood to her full height, she saw David standing near the door, his eyes on the steps. She wondered how she would go about the breakup and what she would say.

The two headed upstairs and sat in Delilah's room. As David complained about his day, she stared at her bedroom wall, her eyes glazed over out of boredom. She wondered if David's words would one day splatter on her walls, turning the light pink color gray. She wondered if David would ever stop complaining about stuff. She wondered what she would say when he finally stopped talking.

The end wasn't in sight just yet, so Delilah thought back to how she and David started dating. They had English together sophomore year, and David had asked her out at lunch around the middle of February. Delilah was charmed by his good looks and lopsided smile, so she agreed. At first, the relationship was great. She felt enchanted every time she came home from a date with David, and her mother would smile cheekily and ask about the evening. But then, when the two entered junior year, Delilah started to notice a shift. She suspected that other people went through a similar occurrence, called "the honeymoon phase," in their own relationships. The first few months or dates are great, but then something changes. For Delilah and David, it was David's overreliance and codependency. He would ask her for favors and promise to pay her back, but he broke that promise every single time. He wanted to spend every single day with her, and sometimes, Delilah found herself faking an illness or headache just to get out of a date with him. He could be sweet on some rare occasions, but she almost always felt miserable after seeing him. His sour mood and the fact that he didn't care about her feelings weighed her down.

"Delilah? Are you listening to me?" David asked, as the feeling of numbness returned to her body. She needed to feel something, or she worried she would slip away.

"I wish you would stop talking," she said in a flat voice. She didn't meet his eye. "You always find something to complain about, and I'm tired of it. Maybe we should break up, David."

She finally turned to look at him and was greeted with a pair of fiery brown eyes. David rose from the bed and asked, "Are you seriously breaking up with me?"

"Yes," Delilah said. "The relationship is unbalanced. All we do is worry about you and how you're doing in school or how you're feeling." Something began to bubble up inside of her, and finally she stood up to meet David. When she spoke again, her voice came out rough and loud. "What about me? You never ask me how I'm doing! Maybe I don't want to spend every waking moment with you!"

David took a step back, pain in his eyes. Delilah tried to ignore the pain in her chest.

"Fine, if that's what you want," David said.

"It is," Delilah replied.

She watched as David grabbed his jacket and opened her bedroom door. He stormed down the steps, frightening the dog, and slammed the front door behind him. Even though Delilah felt a small sense of pride, she couldn't help but weep.