Arina

Chapter Eighteen

D didn’t know what to say for a few moments. He just stayed silent, feeling rejected.

            “What if I cut out all of the secrets this time? I won’t act all secretive or serious. Come on, you’re only coming with me to drop something off.”

Arina didn’t understand why he wanted her to go with him so much. Without fail, she asked him exactly that.

            “Why do you want me to go with you so much?”

            “I don’t know,” he started. “I just haven’t spoke to you much lately.”

            “So?” Arina asked, as if it was an obligation for them to be speaking. She didn’t mean to sound rude, but it did come across as rude.

            “Forget it, stay here if you want.” He said, about to leave the room.

            “No, I’ll go!” She said, when she realised she’d be bored out of her mind if she stayed in the building.

            “No, stay. It’s obvious you don’t want to come,” he said, sounding almost offended.

Arina felt guilty of hurting D’s feelings.

            “I do want to come, it was just weird for you to ask me.” She said.

            “Fine, let’s go,” he smiled bluntly.

She placed her worn shoes on and followed D down the stairs and out of the building.

Kos and Mustafa weren’t around which Arina liked because otherwise she’d probably have to explain herself as to why she was going with D.

They both entered the car, and this time Arina sat in the passenger seat rather than the back seats. She found it weird being the only one in the car with D; usually, the car was packed full of girls.

            “Remember, you said you’d not be all secretive,” she reminded D as he started the car.

            “I know, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you all of my secrets,” he chuckled.

Arina rolled her eyes in a playful manner. They drove off in silence for the most part, until D stopped the car and grabbed a package.

            “I’ll be back,” he said.

Arina interpreted this as meaning he'd be back after only a few moments, but she was mistaken; D was taking ages. Arina stared out of the window, but with the bleak, empty area, there wasn’t much to stare at. She quickly grew bored.

She looked around the car and stared at the driving wheel. Thinking that she might drive away, she laughed to herself.

Then, curiosity got the better of her again. She undid her seat-belt in the passenger seat and sat in the driver’s seat instead. She wasn’t planning to actually drive the car, she just wanted to see how it would feel to imagine that she was driving the car. D always made it look so simple and cool. Arina placed her hands on either side of the driver’s wheel and began imagining that she was in actual fact driving.

Confused, D came back to the car to see Arina sitting in his seat, pretending to drive. At first, he didn’t know what to say. Neither did Arina. She thought D would be angry with her for touching the car in case something went wrong.

After a few seconds of just staring at each other, both anticipating each other’s response, D laughed.

            “What are you doing?” He smiled, leaning in through the car window.