North Star
quinze.
I trudged across the nearly abandoned campus slowly. Many people had left for Thanksgiving already but I'd chosen to stay through my Wednesday classes. Eric and Ben would be coming to pick me up at six since my last class ended at five. It was already growing dark and there was no one in sight. I shivered and pulled my sweater tighter around myself.
"Avery!" I sighed as I recognized Spencer's voice. He sprinted to catch up with me. "Can I walk you home?" I shrugged. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and I jumped away from him. He raised his hands by his side. "I'm sorry, I was just going to offer to take your bag."
"I'm fine," I lied. Spencer sighed. I could see him in my peripheral vision, shove his hands in his pockets.
"I miss you my little love," he confessed. "And I know that I don't deserve you back but I still worry about you. What I said before still stands. Even from a distance it is easy to tell that you're not okay." He paused and I glanced up at him. He seemed to be searching for his words. "Have you thought about maybe talking to someone about what happened?"
"Spence, I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, surprised by my own anger. "I appreciate your concern, but please, just leave it alone." We walked in silence back to my building. I stopped at the front stoop. "Ben and Eric are coming. It would be best if you were gone."
"Happy Thanksgiving little love," Spencer replied quietly before turning and walking back down the street. I hurried inside and upstairs, barely making it into my own apartment before I started to cry. I couldn't even comprehend all the emotions welling inside me. I stumbled to the couch and curled into a ball. I didn't understand how I could miss someone who had hurt me so badly.
Eventually I managed to pull myself together enough to sit up. My apartment was dark, I hadn't even bothered to turn on the light. I wiped my eyes and fixed my hair before getting up to flip the switch. I flinched from the brightness. All of my stuff was packed for the weekend and waiting by the front door. I sat in the dining room and waited for my brother to arrive.
"Avery!" I sighed as I recognized Spencer's voice. He sprinted to catch up with me. "Can I walk you home?" I shrugged. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and I jumped away from him. He raised his hands by his side. "I'm sorry, I was just going to offer to take your bag."
"I'm fine," I lied. Spencer sighed. I could see him in my peripheral vision, shove his hands in his pockets.
"I miss you my little love," he confessed. "And I know that I don't deserve you back but I still worry about you. What I said before still stands. Even from a distance it is easy to tell that you're not okay." He paused and I glanced up at him. He seemed to be searching for his words. "Have you thought about maybe talking to someone about what happened?"
"Spence, I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, surprised by my own anger. "I appreciate your concern, but please, just leave it alone." We walked in silence back to my building. I stopped at the front stoop. "Ben and Eric are coming. It would be best if you were gone."
"Happy Thanksgiving little love," Spencer replied quietly before turning and walking back down the street. I hurried inside and upstairs, barely making it into my own apartment before I started to cry. I couldn't even comprehend all the emotions welling inside me. I stumbled to the couch and curled into a ball. I didn't understand how I could miss someone who had hurt me so badly.
Eventually I managed to pull myself together enough to sit up. My apartment was dark, I hadn't even bothered to turn on the light. I wiped my eyes and fixed my hair before getting up to flip the switch. I flinched from the brightness. All of my stuff was packed for the weekend and waiting by the front door. I sat in the dining room and waited for my brother to arrive.