Skin Deep ✔️

Chapter Three

Running away from my problems was definitely not the best thing to do considering there is absolutely no place of solitude for me here. The girls bathroom was full and there wasn't a single empty classroom in sight. I slowly slid down the wall and cried. Now I've cried a lot, in fact I cry all the time but I have never cried this hard. So hard that I think my lungs are about to collapse but for some deep and twisted way I hope they do so that it results in the end of my minuscule and unbelievably sad life.

I hear footsteps and immediately wipe my eyes because although I am insanely sad all the time no one has ever seen me cry. I look up and see Ezra walking over to me, I offer him a small smile and he sighs as he takes a seat next to me on the floor.

"I'm sorry." He says.

"For what?" I ask looking between him and my nails.

He shrugs his shoulders and turns his head so he's not looking at me anymore. "For that. People are disgusting."

"Not your fault I guess." I say.

Then I start to chew on my lip like I always do when I'm nervous. Ezra Buchanan makes me nervous.

"No I know but..." He stops himself then does that cringy thing that the tiktok boys do when they take a hand through their hair but when he does it, he just looks a million times more attractive. He starts talking again after that. "Do you want to do something with me tonight?"

There's an awkward silence. Not because I want to tell him 'no' but because I am genuinely confused on what he means by 'do something'. I want to know whether its on the scale of robbing a bank, not that he would need to, or watching a movie. Most likely the latter.

Before I can give him an answer he coughs and looks a bit like he's been punched. "Sorry. you don't have to. I just wanted to ask because... I like talking with you and I thought we could talk... more."

"Just us?" I ask, idiotically hopeful.

Ezra nods. "Um yeah. If that's okay."

"Oh."

It's as if my brain glitches because I can not comprehend why he would want to spend time with during school let alone outside of school. He's staring at me now and I know I should answer him but I don't know what to say. I don't want this to be some elaborate prank and then I'm left more alone than I was before.

Ezra suddenly stands up and extends a hand towards me, blowing a hair from out of his face. Although being slightly confused I take his hand and follow him as he starts to walk down the corridor.

His hand is warm and comically larger than mine so it kind of feels like I'm a small child hanging around the epitome of beauty but I also feel grown up because he's holding me in a way that feels like we were meant to hold each other that way and it feels normal as if we've known each other forever. I have to remind myself that we just met and I have no idea who he is. He could be a serial killer for all I know.

"I want to." I say, finally being able to answer him.

He stops walking. "Want to what?"

"Hang out." I shrug my shoulders trying to pretend like I'm not really bothered but i am bothered. It bothers me a lot. "With you."

He then catches me off guard by suddenly wrapping his arms around me and just when my brain starts to work again and isn't completely intoxicated by whatever expensive cologne he's wearing, he lets me go.

Ezra lets out a cough and steps back a bit. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine."

It isn't fine though because my stomach is doing somersaults and it feels like I'm about ten seconds away from throwing up last nights curry goat all over him. This is definitely one of the few times that I am thankful for my dark complexion because otherwise he would see me blush and that would kill me.