The Jock, The Nerd and The Geek

23

When they were done with the dishes, they cleaned the kitchen up, then returned to the sitting room.

As he wiped off the dust around, he realized there were no pictures around the house. He had no idea if that was how it always was, or she had gotten rid of it but he didn't ask.

The only time he did speak was when he spotted the CD player in a corner of the living room. "Does this still work?"

She stared at it for a few seconds, a blank look on her face before she replied, "I don't know." And returned to cleaning.

As soon as they were done, he told her to go clean up in her room while he arranged everything back to her place, and surprisingly she agreed.

As soon as she was gone, he ordered for a box of pizza and chinese food, spending the next free seconds trying out the player.

When she returned, she sat beside him, legs crossed as she said, her voice small, "Does it still work?"

She smelled different. Like lavender. Wearing a wool sweater that stopped at her thighs and white socks.

Paris stared at the CD's stacked up in a corner. "I've cleaned it up, but I'm not sure yet," He turned to her now. "Do you have a favourite?"

Alex stared at the racks. There was a look of recognition on her face as she did so, before she reached out for one and showed it to him.

He stared at it, then her. "Classical music?"

She nodded, her voice still small. "We used to play it all the time when he came back... To stay. He said listening to slow songs made him think less, and then—" The corners of her lips moved a bit. "Then she'd dance with him, because he liked doing that too. He liked dancing..."

Her voice trailed off, her lips pressing into a thin line now. Her eyebrows were knitted together, her cheeks looking pinched. "We shouldn't—"

"We should," He cut in, turning back to the player. "You're overthinking again. Maybe it would calm you down too,"

Alex stayed silent again.

As he pressed the open button and the CD compartment slid out, someone knocked on the door. A panicked look crossed over Alex's face, causing him to quickly tell her he ordered for something before she relaxed and he walked to the door.

After he paid for it, and turned, he caught her staring at the player. Slow music was playing from it now. A violin, and a piano harmoniously going together.

She sat there, unmoving as it played. Eyes remaining on it. He could see the tears in her eyes though she didn't let any fall as she quickly brushed them away before they could.

"Hey,"

She turned to look at him. She looked so little in that sweater. Easy to break.

Paris nudged his head at the couch, holding up the pizza box with one hand and the takeout noodles boxes in the other hand. "Come eat,"

He walked to the table and the put the things in his hands on it before sitting on the floor and staring at her.

She hadn't moved an inch.

"Alex,"

She kept looking at him silently before slowly standing and walking over to the table. He had expected her to stay over at the other side but she didn't. The female plopped directly beside him, opening the pizza box and taking out a slice.

Usually, Paris hated it when people did that. It seemed... Mannerless, to just eat when there was someone else beside you, but he didn't say anything as she did so.