Innocence Meet Jealousy...Isn't She Stunning?

The night was unforgivingly frigid, throwing at me every uncomfortable gust of air that it possibly could, the kind that knew how to barrel through the fibers of you clothes mercilessly. It chilled me to the bone, causing my teeth to smack together and chatter like the sound of endless gunfire in a useless attempt to warm me up.

I didn’t really know where we were and that fact worried me a bit, but I didn’t bother to speak up at all, I just toyed with my phone and texted Ady to make it look like Chris didn’t mean all that much to me. There was a think silence between us besides, one that didn’t dare allow any sort of speaking.

I couldn’t say I minded though; I enjoyed the peace and quiet quite a bit. Plus, the car was considerably quaint besides the fact that Chris drove faster than the speed limit and with every bump we hit, my plethora of necklaces would jingle like bells on a door.

At the sound of the small chiming, I glanced down at my outfit, wondering if it was really necessary for me to look this nice. I had had such a strong urge to look presentable when I was getting ready earlier although I was aware I was only going to be seeing Christofer Ingle. I told myself that it was because he was taking me into public but I wasn’t so sure. I wanted him to think that I was sophisticated and intelligent, a force not to be toyed with.

I was twisting my braided bracelet around my wrist when the car came to a stop and Chris sighed, clearly preparing himself to break the silence.

“We’re here?” I asked, doing him the favor and taking the initiative.

He nodded once and opened up the car door, letting the cold air infiltrate the warm but stuffy car. I shuddered at the feeling but dragged myself out of the vehicle anyways.

“Where are we?” I asked, squinting through the dim light to see the surrounding area. Little was visible under the single, glowing yellow light but I could just make out a dull building and the shine of asphalt and sidewalk. It was eerie on its own but it was also completely empty, a sight that made my heart race with fear.

“Just follow me.” He said, clearly avoiding my question.

“No, where are we going?” I said, standing in my spot, prepared to run at any moment. I couldn’t trust this kid, not one bit. Oh why on earth did I walk right into this?

“Just somewhere quiet where we can talk.” he tried to say.

I shook my head again, “How do I know you’re not gonna beat me up too?!” I exclaimed in a huff.

His face remained blank and emotionless, “That’s not funny.” he said sternly.

“It wasn’t meant to be.” I mumbled in response, kicking my heels against the ground.

He only stared at me with a disappointed gaze and turned on his foot, headed for the deserted building, “Come with me or not, it’s your choice.” he said as he walked
away.

I stood there motionless for a moment or two, wondering if now was my chance to get out of here. I could easily call someone to come get me even if they were busy with
other people.

But there was something so sad about the way he was walking, as if he really did have important things to tell me. I was curious, that was for sure, extremely curious and I really did want to know the truth, the story he claimed he had to share.

So, against my best judgment, I jogged to catch up with him, falling into step beside him once I was beside him. He glanced over at me briefly, his expression seeming surprised that I’d actually chosen to stay and he shot me a small, half-smile.

We didn’t talk until we reached the blank, tan building, missing windows and any kind of decoration. Chris stopped to tower above a long set of stairs before descending down them and into the ground. My stomach pounded with a small sense of fright and slight regret for not running again, but I had to go through with this and find it all out. So I followed too.

There was a landing at the bottom of the stairs, flat and cemented and a door with only a single, metal bar handle on it. I expected Chris to stop in front of the large, jade green object and lead us into the warmth but instead he turned to the right and brought us into the darkness beneath the stairs.

“Why here?” I questioned, deciding to leave out my skeptical tone and find out why first.

“Just sit down.” he instructed, his hands making slight scraping sounds against the wall as he felt it. A small light flickered on suddenly, illuminating the whole spot.

I did as told as I examined the area, sitting on the small bench against the wall. Chris sat on the one beside me and kicked his legs up to face me, his eyes watchful and careful.

I sat there a moment, waiting for the cold to kick in and give me a reason to complain but nothing came. In fact, the space was warm. “Why’s it--”

“Warm down here?” I nodded, “The ventilation system lets out down here and the stairs keep it in this little place.” he explained, smiling in satisfaction.

“What is this place? It looks so desolate.”

He smiled a bit, “It’s the recording studio where I do all my stuff. I’m real tight with the guy that owns the place. I come down here to think a lot because its nice and secluded and at any time I can walk right through that door” he pointed to the green slab, “and pick up a guitar and write a bunch of stuff.”

I nodded in understanding, a slight awe overcoming me; that was actually pretty cool. “Well thank you for allowing me into your little sanctuary.” I said, lamely.

He laughed, “It’s the least I could do for you since I’m sure you already hate my guts.” I was silent in response to this as I looked down at my hands. I didn’t hate him, I just didn’t like what he did, that’s all. But he laughed anyways, “It’s okay. I’d hate me too if I were you.”

“I just want to know why you--”

“Later,” he cut me off, “I want to get to know you first. I don’t want to jump right into the serious stuff.”

My face twisted in confusion, “Why?”

“If you know me a little better and are more comfortable with me, you’ll be less likely to think with your head and react defensively. Trust me, its just better this way.” he tried to convince me to which I just nodded my head and complied; his reasoning made sense.

“Okay…” I began warily, “where do we begin?”

And the wind carried me away…