After Snow

As we walked out of the store, Lia was looking at the floor in anger.

"You ok?" I asked. She looked up.

"Oh, I'm fine," She smiled. I shrugged in response.

"Where do you want to go?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know, nor I care," I grumbled.

"I don't think I'm that bad to hang out around, you know?" She mumbled sheepishly.

"Well, I do," I monotonously looking ahead. She forced a laugh.

"Can we go.. Eat some ice cream or something?" She said cheerfully. This girl never gives up..

"Yeah, sure.. Whatever," I walked by her side as we got to the elevator to reach the second floor in the mall, where the food court was. We got some ice cream, hers vanilla and mine chocolate. We ate in silence while she opened and closed her hand looking at it in every angle.

"Ready to go?" I asked after she sat there in front of me playing with her hands. She stood up and nodded. For the first time today, I really looked at her and she was limping.

"Did you hurt your leg?" She turned around and looked at me confused.

"No, why?"

"You're limping," I stated. She looked confused and took a couple of steps forward looking at her legs. She limped with each step.

"It doesn't hurt anywhere.." She whispered to herself. "Let's go home," After a few seconds she looked up smiling. We walked out of the mall, a few people looking at her but mostly minding their own business and I was grateful for that. The traffic was pretty heavy and we had to hurry and cross the street as fast as we could to reach my car. I walked ahead of her by a couple of metres. I decided to wait for her to cross the street on the other side. When I saw her crossing the street a car turned from one of the corners and was speeding towards Lia rather quickly.

"Lia!" I shouted, she turned around and gasped when she saw the fast car speeding towards her. It looked like she was about to take a run for it, but she stopped dead on her tracks. My senses kicked in and I ran towards her, when I reached her I wrapped my arms around her body and pushed us both out of the way. The car raced past us, leaving my heart speeding at the same speed.

"What the hell where you thinking?! Are you stupid?! You could've gotten yourself killed!" I yelled angrily at her, unwrapping my arms. I looked at her, my eyes burning with anger. Her eyes watered and she looked at me in fear.

"I'm sorry.. I-I tried to run, but I couldn't. My body wouldn't move, I'm sorry," Tears left her eyes and I suddenly felt guilty. I pinched the bridge of my nose and breathed in and out shakily.

"Let's just go home, ok?" I muttered. I wrapped my left arm around her shoulders and crossed the street with her. We reached my car and I opened the door for her. When we got in the car, it was filled with a deep tension.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled," I broke the silence.

"No.. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything," She mumbled back. She started to say something but stumbled on her words again. She groaned and clutched her hair frustrated.

"I hate this!" She cried out.

"Hate what?" I asked, for the first time actually curious. I glanced at her for a second then turned my attention back to the road.

"The fact that for a while now, I stumble on my words. I fall more often. I'm getting clumsier! And I hate it!"

"Weird trait for a ballerina, huh?" I tried lighting up the mood.

"Ha, I know, right? Instead of being more graceful, I'm going backwards," She laughed.

"Well, at least it shows you aren't perfect," I joked.

"Ha! I'm the farthest thing from perfect if you haven't noticed,"

"Oh, come on! Let's get real, you love everyone and everyone you meet seems to love you after a few minutes, you love helping people and everyone is your friend,"

"Oh my, is that how it looks? I don't love many people, really.. And I hate helping people, I just feel bad if I don't help, I can't seem to say no," She laughed.

"Really?" I asked uncertain. She isn't like I thought she was.

"Yeah.. For example, I only love my family and a couple of friends and.. well.. someone else," I glanced at her, and she was blushing.

"Uh, who is it?" I asked in a teasing tone.

"No one that cares enough to take a second glance at me,"

"Oh, come on! Do I know him?"

"Why do you want to know?" She asked curious.

“Because, maybe I know if he likes you back,”

“He doesn’t.. I already know,”

“Oh, got rejected?” I actually felt sorry for her. She laughed bitterly. That took me by surprise. I never thought a girl like her would even make such sound.

“No.. I wish though.. It would help getting over him, he completely and utterly hates me,”

“Why? Did you like, hurt him or something?” I asked, running images in my mind of guys I knew, but they all loved her. I guess I didn’t know him.

“I don’t quite know, I just know he does,”

“Well, he sounds like a complete ass,” I tried comforting her.

“No! He is so kind, warm-hearted, funny, laid-back, outgoing, and just.. Amazing..” She whispered. I looked to the side, wishing someone thought of me the way she did.

“But he hates you for no apparent reason, doesn’t that make him a little bit of a jerk?”

“No.. I probably did something wrong and it upset him a lot. He must have his reasons,” She defended him.

“You really like this guy, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh. Well, if he doesn’t like me, then too bad. Everything happens for a reason, right?” I glanced at her and she was smiling.

“God damn, you’re positive,” I muttered.

“Yeah.. I can’t do anything about it anyways, I’m not going to be sad over that, one day I’ll find the guy for me,” She replied cheerfully. “So, who do you like?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me,” I bribed, looking at her. Her face dropped and looked at her hands. I think talking about this guy upsets her a lot. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “Yes, I do like someone,”

“Oh.. Do I know her?” Her voice barely above a whisper. I knew she wasn’t recovered from talking about Mystery Man.

“Well, that will have to stay in between me, myself and I for now,” I laughed. She gave me a weak laugh.

“Look, cheer up! I’m sure he doesn’t hate you, no one does,” I thought a normal, average personality for her would be better, but the happy-go-lucky was a better one. That’s something I never thought I would prefer.

“Ha, I know a couple of people that hate me,” She tried smiling.

“Like who?” I inquired.

“I would tell you, but that would make things awkward,” She finally laughed and it made me somewhat happy.

“I don’t know anyone that hates you,” I replied confused.

“That’s what you think,” She winked. The rest of the ride was silent. It didn’t seem uncomfortable for her but it was for me. All I kept thinking was of who could she possibly like. And who could possibly hate her. The only person I knew that hated her was me, and of that I wasn’t very sure anymore.