A Collection of Short Stories

4

3 weeks later

Since, well, whatever that incident was. Marissa has resorted to mere small talk with me. Nothing more, nothing less. It's beginning to frustrate me with how hot and cold she is. We've been here for over a month now and haven't had one decent discussion.

As a sort of tradition, we find ourselves in a branch off of the promenade. A wooden partial enclosure that looks out over the tall grass of the dunes and out past the sand to the ocean. "Jasmine" I say and she, like all the times before, ignores me. "Marissa" I say and her head snaps to me.

She gives me a look that says 'don't' but I play her own hand back on her. "Cut the bullshit. We've been here for a while now, nothing is going to happen. Now with the time we have left before we're sent home, we are going to talk" I state. She rolls her eyes and turns away from me again.

"What is your problem with me, huh? I don't get it. I've been nothing but nice to you, unless you were a bitch to me and deserved it. So what is it? You act as though I'm the most intolerant person to be around" I scoff. "I don't have to answer to you" she replies.

"Well seeing as-" "as I'm the person who's keeping you safe, you do" she mocks me. "If you'd shut your big ass mouth, you'd know that's not what I was going to say" I remark. "Fuck you" she spits incredulously, "no, fuck you, Marissa. You've been an absolute cunt to me and I'm just trying to make this as bearable as possible" I say angrily.

She tries to get up and walk away as usual but I'm not having it. In a spur of the moment I move to straddle her lap. Effectively causing her to fall back to the bench but also grab my waist as support. "You're going to sit here and answer me, I don't care if I have to sit on you all night. I'm going to get my answers" I declare.

"You're very persistent. Like a mosquito" she says annoyed, "I'm not joking" I voice. Her tongue unconsciously swipes across her teeth before she looks away. "You can't avoid me while I'm literally on your lap" I remark. "Watch me" she replies defiantly, I grab her face and make her look at me.

"You start talking or I'll cuff you to this bench and leave you here" I speak flatly. "You don't have the balls" she claims, "would you really like to test that theory" I question. My handcuffs dangling on index and middle finger of my left hand. She glances between them and me before sighing.

"What?" She asks irritatedly, "do you have a problem with me?" I ask brazenly, "no" she answers. "Then why are you so hot and cold with me? One moment it's fine and then you're giving me the silent treatment" I point out. Silence. "Marissa" I warn, "it's irrelevant" she mumbles.

"It's not. Tell me" I command, I adjust my position on her lap. My knees were previously resting in the slots in the bench but they began to hurt. As if she suddenly realized, she removes her hands from my waist. Wait. "You do know what my job is right?" I ask rhetorically, "I study people. Behaviors, patterns..." I clarify.

She keeps her gaze locked on a distant spot to the side. "Are you attracted to me, Marissa?" I suggest and she doesn't reply. I push my index finger against her jawline until she's facing me. My hand pushing back to rest on the place where her head meets her neck. "Tell. Me" I order, "no" she answers but it's shaky.

"Marissa..." I say softly, "get off me... please" she whispers. I immediately remove myself from her and she grabs her bag and starts walking away. I stand there for a moment in shock which is rare for me. How didn't I see that coming? My brain catches us and I quickly run after her.

Once I catch up I spin her around to see tears in her eyes. She tilts her head down and locks her stare to the ground. I tilt her head back up and she keeps her eyes cast down. "Look at me, Marissa" I demand softly and she does as I ask. The tears start flowing down her cheeks.

Her lips parting as breath she must've been holding finally escapes. With it her walls crumble as she tries to hold my stare. "Come here" I say opening my arms and pulling her in. She weakly wraps her arms around my torso as she cries. I guide her to a little alley where a bench rests.

The same place this all started in the first place. I smile as I find it ironic that we're back here again. Seemingly coming full circle as the last time I was trying to convince her to pretend that she liked me. I rub her back, trying to soothe her while tears soak my black tank top.

Dampening the surface of my skin beneath as she buries her head in my chest. "Shhh it's ok" I whisper which seems to make her cry harder. I look up at the flickering light, the only thing illuminating the narrow passage as the sun has fell. As I stare at it I realize that, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I don't know what to do.