Constellations (Strange One Shots)

The First Date

I shut my phone off, setting it back down on the counter as I turn around to deal with my dinner. I walk over to the stove, reach into the cabinet under the counter, grab a strainer, and place it in the sink.

I hear my phone ding from behind me, but I let it go, telling myself I can respond to her once I sort my dinner out. I grab the handle of the pot, bringing it over to the sink and pouring the hot water into it, watching as it drains out of the bottom, leaving the pasta to sit in the metal strainer. I hear another ding from my phone, making my head turn toward the noise.

Instantly, another ding sounds out, followed by another and then another. I take a deep breath, setting the pot down in an open space in the sink. I reach for my phone and tap the screen.

That girl from the bar

Nice

I'm not up to anything either

That was a lie.

I'm sitting outside

:)

I let out a laugh, opening her message so I can reply.

Me

Why are you sitting outside?

Almost instantaneously, she replies.

That girl from the bar

It's nice out!

I was going to have a little fire.

You are free to join, seeing as though you aren't doing much tonight.

My heart stops as I read her invitation. My eyes lift to the noodles sitting in the strainer, then drop back to her message.

I let my lips purse as I read it again, weighing my options.

Dinner or Ella?

Me

Where are you?

I feel my heart rate pick up as I press send, my eyes instantly locking on the text bubbles on the screen. Two seconds later, a message comes through, showing me that she shared her location with me.

I click on the attachment, watching as my phone brings me to my maps. I pin her to an open area near Haller Lake. My eyebrows furrow.

I swipe out of the maps as I walk around my kitchen counter, heading down the hall toward my bedroom.

Me

Are you there by yourself right now?

I set my phone down on top of my dresser as I search for a sweatshirt in my closet, grabbing a red zip-up off the shelf. I figured the outfit of black jeans and a loose black long-sleeve I have on now is decent enough to sit by a fire, apparently on the beach.

I grab my phone from the dresser and toss the sweatshirt over my shoulder just as Ella replies to me.

That girl from the bar

Maybe...

My heart drops at the thought of her being on the beach by herself this late at night, making my steps quicken as I race out of my room and to my front door, slamming my feet into my shoes. I grab my car keys off the side table, sending her a final message as I leave my apartment.