one of them - j.flatters

xv. a song to you

"Why would I? You've written your perspective of the events and maybe I needed to read those words." Eliana said, recalling the sentences she had red as it played over and over in her mind like a melody creeping into the girl's ears. Trinity was about to say something else but was interrupted by Jack who frantically caught his breath as he had ran all the way back to join them. The girls amusedly chuckled at the curled up boy, holding his stomach while struggling to speak the words he meant to say. A few seconds passed by, Jack's forehead sweat had started to dry and his breathing had regained its normal pace.

"Man, you guys are slow. We're by the pier, there's a carnival with rides and fair games!" He excitedly announced to the girls while showing the red bracelet around his wrist as both of their faces lit up when they heard the news. Trinity and Eliana, her heels back on her feet, quickly followed Jack to where Jamie and Bailey had been waiting for them, entry bracelets already in their hands. While Bailey grabbed Trinity's wrist to wrapped the bracelet around it, Jamie timidly stepped closer to Eliana, the girl stretching her arm for him.

"What took you guys so long?" Jamie asked, his eyes focused on what he was doing while Eliana's longed to met them. Yet, she smiled at his question, her gaze flickering to the black haired girl before answering him. "We were talking, that's all." Jamie frowned to her vague reply, wanting to know more.

"About?" He asked, his hand now done with the bracelet and calmly resting on her arm like it was a familiar habit.

"Nothing that concerns you." Eliana smiled but her tone was cold, so cold that a shiver traveled along Jamie's spine before looking up at the girl. To his surprise, he couldn't read her thoughts like he had hoped to do. It was like she had coated her face with a protective paint, completely shutting him or anyone off. Jamie subtly frowned yet Eliana had seen the twitch in his eyebrows. The roles now reversed. The girl rested her hand on his, picking it up and sliding her arm off his slight grip. Earlier, when Jamie received that call in the car, it had submerged Eliana's heart in an ice bath, instantly damping the feelings she had let resurfaced. She shouldn't feel that way about a guy who had a girlfriend. She shouldn't touch that way a guy who had a girlfriend. It was against her values, never would she be the other woman. Indeed, Jamie and Eliana hadn't done anything, yet the heavy and growing tension already seemed like enough of a treason for the girl. Jamie eventually caught up with Eliana's reasoning when he noticed she hadn't sit with him a single time in the rides, almost ignoring him and making sure they were never the two of them alone. And Jamie had enough. Before anything else, Eliana was his best friend, the person who knew him as if they shared parts of the same soul. He had just gotten her back, he couldn't let her slipped through his fingers once again. So, as the group was about to embark on yet another rollercoaster, Jamie grabbed the girl by the arm, walking them behind the metallic structure and away from the people who waited in line.

"What the fuck Jamie?" She irritatedly exclaimed, yanking her arm from his grip. Jamie chuckled to her genuine reaction, relieved to see she could still act normal around him.

"Good, you're back." He teasingly sighed while crossing his arms tight around his chest like it could muffled the sound of his heartbeat who he swore she could clearly hear. To Eliana's frown, he responded, "why have you been ignoring me all night? I mean, I thought we were fine."

"We are." She yelled, surprising herself by the sound of her voice as she shyly cleared her throat before repeating the words in a more calm way.

"Then what's up, Lia?" The boy asked, his ring clad fingers nervously brushing through his previously perfectly placed hair, the curls falling messily on his forehead. Eliana gazed around, fleeing the eyes she couldn't hide anything from as she feared the things she could reveal. But Jamie insisted and even if he already doubted the answer she would give him, he still needed to hear the words coming from her mouth. Her perfectly shaped mouth who's lips had been the first he had ever kissed.

"Jamie." Eliana's eyebrows scrunched, her pleading eyes finally meeting his as she felt her vision becoming blurrier and her heartbeat faster. Eliana fought the feelings that begged to be confessed. When seeing how distressed the girl was, the boy intuitively cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently caressing her eyebrows causing her traits to softened. Jamie pressed his lips together while trying to trap the smile from appearing on his lips but he was relieved to see he could once again read the girl. The protective coat of paint fully cracked as he saw right through her. For the two of them, a feeling of déjà vu clutched at their heart, serenity and guiltiness filling their lungs as they each felt the other one's breath on their lips. Both desperately wanting to proceed to the familiar gesture they used to do when they were this close, almost holding each other. But before anything could happen, Eliana closed her eyes and dreadingly said the words that brought them back to reality, "You can't touch me like that. I'm not her."

Eliana slowly drifted away from his hands, leaving Jamie's side to regain their friends, bottling everything in until she would found herself alone. Jamie never made it back to the rides, texting Jack that he didn't feel well and that he had gotten back to the hotel. Yet, the boy now found himself standing in front of the familiar beige building, the studio where it all started.