Paper Cranes

Elizabeth

I didn't realize I fell asleep until I felt Brendon heave himself off of me to go to the door.I didn't realize how warm he was until he heaved himself off of me to go to the door.

I watched as he opened the door just a bit, exchanging words with someone on the other side. I half expected Cathy or Fay, but then again they would have just opened the door and walked in.

"Aww," the person on the other side of the door whined childishly, "But I wanna talk to her, too!"

"No!" Brendon protested in the same way.

"Don't be such a baby!" the man squeezed pass Brendon. He spotted me, smiled evenly.

"I'm Ryan!" he grinned, throwing clothes into a grumbling Brendon's face, where they clung to his head.

Ryan? Who the hell is- Oh, wait. I remember now.

"Elizabeth." I tried my best to smile at him invitingly, like I did with Brendon, but it wasn't as easy as it was with him. I didn't really know why.

As Brendon retreated into the bathroom to change into the clothes that Ryan had brought, I gestured for the brunette to sit in the seat beside me.

"So..." he started, looking around the room, glancing at the ceiling once or twice.

"How many are there?"

"I don't know, I never tried to count." I almost rolled my eyes, but I slapped myself. Literally.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked, looking at me as if I belonged in an asylum. Of course I do. Even Brendon said so.

"Fine."

"Do you know who I am?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. I saw the shock flash in his eyes, but then it settled, as if he figured the answer would be good to hear.

"Of course," I said, holding back a snort, "You're Ryan – the guy I just met."

Ryan chuckled.

He was trying, I could tell. Trying to hold a conversation. Trying to break down my emotional barrier like Fay had.

He was trying like Brendon was, but was falling a little shorter. Unlike Brendon, Ryan was a bit more...detectable. He stumbled a little more. He was shyer, so he'd pause a lot, look around, and then try and make small talk. Just a few minutes ago, he was whining to talk to me, now he looked uncomfortable under my gaze.

Ryan
(Just for the hell of it)

I fidgeted. Every question I asked sounded stupid when she responded.

The way Brendon talked about her, he made her seem like the most amazing girl in the world.

Now that I'm looking at her, talking to her, she seems a bit frightening. I was out in the open. Naked. It's like she's reading my thoughts.

She smile abruptly. It seemed...mischievous.

"Don't worry," she said sweetly, "I'm not trying to read your thoughts."

I paled. That meant it just came natural. It was a gift.

I was sure.

Elizabeth had x-ray vision.

And she saw right through me.

Brendon

I chuckled to myself as I opened the door, hearing Elizabeth's slightly psychotic statement.

"Okay, I think it's time to go now, Brendon." Ryan suddenly stood with Elizabeth watching him curiously.

"What? Why?" I whined.

"We've got a lot of work to do." Ryan dragged me towards the door by the sleeve.

"Awww, but I wanna stay! I wanna stay! Lizzie~!" I called to her, "I'll see you tomorrow!" The door shut in my face as Ryan pulled it closed.

"I wanted to stay with Lizzie!" I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest as I followed Ryan to his car.

"Dude, that girl is so inhuman."

"That's because you don't know her. She's really smart. And nice. And funny. And-"

"Cold. Really, really cold."

"No she's not!"

"She was to me!"

"She smelled you're fear and discomfort!" I said in a voice that creeped even me out, "She's cool like that. You just don't know her like I do."

Ryan didn't hide his annoyance as he pushed me into the car and locked the door when I tried to make a break for it.

"Fun time with 'Lizzie' is over. What about the band?"

What about the band? I snorted.

"Party crasher," I mumbled, "You're just jealous because I found a new friend with awesome alien tubes."