Ineffable Plan

"We're going to the race. We're going to win first place."

"And you've got an ugly face."

"I don't have an ugly face. You have an ugly face."

"Your mo-"

"Hey! Let's not go there, Aaron."

Aaron and I were walking around campus. It was about seven in the afternoon and we were searching for a place to eat.

"I'm cold. Can I wear your sweater?"

Aaron held the hooded sweater tighter around his torso. "No."

"Aaron! Please," I asked wrapping my arms around him.

"Sorry. I can't help you out."

"If I die of hypothermia, it'll be on your conscience."

He just shrugged and kept walking. I trailed behind him, my arms wrapped tightly around myself. Suddenly I felt something warm collide with my face.

"What the hell?" I screamed while trying to detangle myself from Aaron's sweater.

"Now you can stop pouting."

"Aaron, I 'm stuck!" I screamed. The zipper had gotten caught in my hair and I couldn't get the damn thing off my head. I could hear him laughing somewhere off in the distance.

"Justine! Watch out!" Aaron yelled a second too late. I already walked into the pole.

"Ow!" I was currently sitting on the floor, nursing my head and still trying to get the sweater off. "This is your fault Aaron. You and that damn rogue hoodie of yours. You're trying to destroy me! It's a conspiracy!"

Moments went by and Aaron hadn't responded.

"Aaron?" I finally disengaged myself from the hoodie and frantically looked around for him. He was standing off to the side, leaning against the lamp post. "What are you doing all the way over there? First you lead me into the path of destruction and now you try to run away. Some friend you are. Honestly Aaron…"

"You're bleeding, Justine."

"What?" I raised my hand to the side of my head and flinched. There was a cut right above my eyebrow. "Damn it."

"Will you cover that up?" Aaron asked, still standing underneath the lamppost.

"With what? Why don't you come over here and help me?" I whimpered, pressing the sleeve of my shirt against the cut.

He sighed. "Give me a minute, Okay?"

"Why? What are you doing over there that's so important?" I had gotten off the floor and slipped my arms into his hoodie. I took a step towards him but he held out his hand to stop me.

"Stay. I'll be over there in a minute."

I took another step forward.

"Justine!" He seemed oddly panicked. "Please don't come any closer. I'm…um...blood… I hate blood. It makes me sick…nauseous."

"Oh. Okay," I whispered quietly. "That's all you had to say, Aaron. You stay over there until the bleeding stops."

I pressed the sleeve of the hoodie up against the cut again and sat on the floor with my legs folded underneath me. A moment later I felt Aaron sit down next to me.

"It's still bleeding," I warned.

"It's fine. I can handle it."

"You won't pass out?"

"No. Let me see," he smiled and removed my hand from my head. “It’s just a little cut. You won’t need stitches or anything.”

I nodded in response. “So…not a fan of blood, huh?”

Aaron smirked. “Yea, something like that.”