Blue Fingers
Overstrung
Some people say you can love two people at the same time. That the love can be true and strong, but that there’s always one that’s stronger, purer than the other…
Do you believe this?
Overstrung.
My classes went all but smoothly. I had been beyond distracted, and you know how teachers just love to prick at the one student that seems out of it. So I got all the tough questions, all the extra work…and I didn’t even reacted to that. There was just one itsy bitsy thought on my head, and it was a the red string and the person to whom I was tied to. Only two words revolved around my head,
‘Why him?’
“Seriously Lexie, are you even listening to me?”
“Huh?”
Vera snapped her fingers in front of my face and I turned around to see her.
“Was that really necessary? I’m not a dog, Vera!”
“Well, yes it was! You’ve been all spazzy and whenever anyone touches you, you jump. Like literally!”
“Ah…must be your imagination.”
I replied as I stared at the food in front of me: a peanut butter sandwich in a ziplock back. Before my fingers could touch the bag to open it something poked me in the arm, and I jumped. I stared from Vera’s finger to her face and then back to her finger.
“Oh my God, I jumped! What the fuck is wrong with me?!”
I stared at Vera, the remains of an ‘I told you so’ face were still noticeable. But now she looked worried. Vera knew I didn’t swear much and when I did was because there was something wrong.
“Come on, Lexie, what happened?”
She asked, her voice going soft and smooth as if she was singing a lullaby to a toddler,
“You know you can tell me everything…”
She trailed off, staring attentively at me with reassuring eyes. I couldn’t brake her gaze so I sighed heavily and opened my mouth to speak.
“See-“
“Hey, Vera, someone’s looking for you…”
A twelve grader said as he sat next to her. Vera faced him and gave him an apologetic smile,
“I’m sorry, I’m kinda busy…”
“Dude you should really come out. I’m afraid that if I don’t come back with you it’ll be the death of me. That dude doesn’t seem the type to mess around with.”
The twelve grader explained, placing a hand on Vera’s shoulder. Her smile widened instantly as she knew there was only one person that could have this effect on people. I shuddered.
“Come on, then!”
Vera said eagerly as she intertwined her fingers with mine and pulled me with her as we followed the twelve-grader to the front of the school. I regretted right there not having the courage to stomp my foot and tell Vera that I wasn’t going. But as always, I coudln’t: with Vera there wasn’t a time to say no.
She didn’t even let go as she threw herself at Ethan. He wrapped his arms tenderly around her. As she responded I ended up crashing against Ethan’s back. Neither of them moved.
“Hey, Vera, could you please let go of my hand?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
I flexed my fingers to make sure nothing was broken.
“Why’re you here, teddy bear?”
“Mom asked me pick you up for the shoot…”
“But its still hours before school ends! I can’t just skip! Mom would kill us!”
“You do have a free period now, or is the schedule in your room incorrect?”
Vera gave him a huge smile as she nodded.
“Let’s go get some ice cream.”
He proposed, already walking towards the car.
“Yes, yes! Let’s gooo, Lexie! Hop in the back!”
“I…ugh…I can’t. I have to-“
Vera stopped short as she was about to enter the car and turned around to face me, her face completely puppy-like.
“What’s wrong? You never say no to ice cream…are you mad at me? Is that why you’re so jumpy? Did I-“
“No, it’s okay…I’ll go.”
I said in a defeated tone as I opened the backdoor. I heard Vera laugh in triumph as she closed the door behind her. I slid into the seat and without thinking closed the door with a soft thump. My eyes slowly noticed Ethan’s hand had been extended towards me as if he was going to close the door himself. And then I remembered, “Women can never close car doors delicately.”
“Ugh, sorry, I-“
I started to apologize, looking down.
“Guess you were lucky.”
He said, returning to his seat and buckling the seat belt. Vera stared at us from the rearview mirror, a expression I couldn’t pinpoint in her stunning features.
The drive to the ice cream shop was freakingly quiet. Vera didn’t speak once wich was totally unlike her. In fact, it made me more nervous than I already was. As soon as Ethan parked she quickly got out of the car and the door slipped her fingers, crashing in a loud way. She didn’t even stirr, she just kept walking towards the ice cream shop. I furrowed my brow as I looked after her, my door still open. I felt a pair of eyes on me, I turned to find they were Ethan’s, his feautures as uptight as ever. He didn’t make a move to close the door himself, he just watched me. I nervously closed the door and went after Vera.
I pushed the door open, the small bells resonating in the almost empty shop. I easily spotted Vera sitting in one of the booths in the far back next to the window. I walked towards her with Ethan on my heels. I slipped in front of Vera but Ethan remained standing.
“Order what you want, I’m going to the restroom…”
Ethan stated as he left us alone. As soon as Ethan was out of sight Vera’s eyes fixated on me.
“Just what the hell happened?”
She spit out, her usually smiling self long gone. I shuddered.
“W-what?”
“What happened? It has to do with Ethan and you, right? What happened Lexie? Did something happen on the car ride?”
“I…it’s not what you’re thinking, okay?”
“Then what is it?”
“I…”
I stared at my fingers, the infamous pinky with the red string sticking out. I took deep breaths trying to organize the thoughts in my head. Why did everything have to be so complicated? I hated it! As if Vera could read my thoughts she whispered,
“Just make it simple.”
Simple. Yes, I could make it simple. Short, consice.
“Ethan’s red string ends on my pinky.”
Vera’s mouth fell open. Color rised up to her cheeks, her pupils dilated. She was the personification of anger as she lunged towards me and slapped me hard in the face. I could feel the sting, I was sure her long fingers were imprinted on my cheek.
“You…you bitch! How could you do this to me?! How could you?! I- I love- Ahh!”
She hissed the words, trailing off and the starting back again. She slapped her hand against the table and I shivered, instantly tensing up. Would she slap me again?
But she didn’t. Instead, she stomped her way towards the ice cream shop’s door. When Ethan tried to talk to her she slapped him, even harder than she had slapped me, took the car keys from his pocket and went out the door. The few costumers stared at the exchange, at the fuming teenager as she made her way to the black Mercedes and noisily drove off.
Leving me and Ethan…
alone.
Do you believe this?
Overstrung.
My classes went all but smoothly. I had been beyond distracted, and you know how teachers just love to prick at the one student that seems out of it. So I got all the tough questions, all the extra work…and I didn’t even reacted to that. There was just one itsy bitsy thought on my head, and it was a the red string and the person to whom I was tied to. Only two words revolved around my head,
‘Why him?’
“Seriously Lexie, are you even listening to me?”
“Huh?”
Vera snapped her fingers in front of my face and I turned around to see her.
“Was that really necessary? I’m not a dog, Vera!”
“Well, yes it was! You’ve been all spazzy and whenever anyone touches you, you jump. Like literally!”
“Ah…must be your imagination.”
I replied as I stared at the food in front of me: a peanut butter sandwich in a ziplock back. Before my fingers could touch the bag to open it something poked me in the arm, and I jumped. I stared from Vera’s finger to her face and then back to her finger.
“Oh my God, I jumped! What the fuck is wrong with me?!”
I stared at Vera, the remains of an ‘I told you so’ face were still noticeable. But now she looked worried. Vera knew I didn’t swear much and when I did was because there was something wrong.
“Come on, Lexie, what happened?”
She asked, her voice going soft and smooth as if she was singing a lullaby to a toddler,
“You know you can tell me everything…”
She trailed off, staring attentively at me with reassuring eyes. I couldn’t brake her gaze so I sighed heavily and opened my mouth to speak.
“See-“
“Hey, Vera, someone’s looking for you…”
A twelve grader said as he sat next to her. Vera faced him and gave him an apologetic smile,
“I’m sorry, I’m kinda busy…”
“Dude you should really come out. I’m afraid that if I don’t come back with you it’ll be the death of me. That dude doesn’t seem the type to mess around with.”
The twelve grader explained, placing a hand on Vera’s shoulder. Her smile widened instantly as she knew there was only one person that could have this effect on people. I shuddered.
“Come on, then!”
Vera said eagerly as she intertwined her fingers with mine and pulled me with her as we followed the twelve-grader to the front of the school. I regretted right there not having the courage to stomp my foot and tell Vera that I wasn’t going. But as always, I coudln’t: with Vera there wasn’t a time to say no.
She didn’t even let go as she threw herself at Ethan. He wrapped his arms tenderly around her. As she responded I ended up crashing against Ethan’s back. Neither of them moved.
“Hey, Vera, could you please let go of my hand?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
I flexed my fingers to make sure nothing was broken.
“Why’re you here, teddy bear?”
“Mom asked me pick you up for the shoot…”
“But its still hours before school ends! I can’t just skip! Mom would kill us!”
“You do have a free period now, or is the schedule in your room incorrect?”
Vera gave him a huge smile as she nodded.
“Let’s go get some ice cream.”
He proposed, already walking towards the car.
“Yes, yes! Let’s gooo, Lexie! Hop in the back!”
“I…ugh…I can’t. I have to-“
Vera stopped short as she was about to enter the car and turned around to face me, her face completely puppy-like.
“What’s wrong? You never say no to ice cream…are you mad at me? Is that why you’re so jumpy? Did I-“
“No, it’s okay…I’ll go.”
I said in a defeated tone as I opened the backdoor. I heard Vera laugh in triumph as she closed the door behind her. I slid into the seat and without thinking closed the door with a soft thump. My eyes slowly noticed Ethan’s hand had been extended towards me as if he was going to close the door himself. And then I remembered, “Women can never close car doors delicately.”
“Ugh, sorry, I-“
I started to apologize, looking down.
“Guess you were lucky.”
He said, returning to his seat and buckling the seat belt. Vera stared at us from the rearview mirror, a expression I couldn’t pinpoint in her stunning features.
The drive to the ice cream shop was freakingly quiet. Vera didn’t speak once wich was totally unlike her. In fact, it made me more nervous than I already was. As soon as Ethan parked she quickly got out of the car and the door slipped her fingers, crashing in a loud way. She didn’t even stirr, she just kept walking towards the ice cream shop. I furrowed my brow as I looked after her, my door still open. I felt a pair of eyes on me, I turned to find they were Ethan’s, his feautures as uptight as ever. He didn’t make a move to close the door himself, he just watched me. I nervously closed the door and went after Vera.
I pushed the door open, the small bells resonating in the almost empty shop. I easily spotted Vera sitting in one of the booths in the far back next to the window. I walked towards her with Ethan on my heels. I slipped in front of Vera but Ethan remained standing.
“Order what you want, I’m going to the restroom…”
Ethan stated as he left us alone. As soon as Ethan was out of sight Vera’s eyes fixated on me.
“Just what the hell happened?”
She spit out, her usually smiling self long gone. I shuddered.
“W-what?”
“What happened? It has to do with Ethan and you, right? What happened Lexie? Did something happen on the car ride?”
“I…it’s not what you’re thinking, okay?”
“Then what is it?”
“I…”
I stared at my fingers, the infamous pinky with the red string sticking out. I took deep breaths trying to organize the thoughts in my head. Why did everything have to be so complicated? I hated it! As if Vera could read my thoughts she whispered,
“Just make it simple.”
Simple. Yes, I could make it simple. Short, consice.
“Ethan’s red string ends on my pinky.”
Vera’s mouth fell open. Color rised up to her cheeks, her pupils dilated. She was the personification of anger as she lunged towards me and slapped me hard in the face. I could feel the sting, I was sure her long fingers were imprinted on my cheek.
“You…you bitch! How could you do this to me?! How could you?! I- I love- Ahh!”
She hissed the words, trailing off and the starting back again. She slapped her hand against the table and I shivered, instantly tensing up. Would she slap me again?
But she didn’t. Instead, she stomped her way towards the ice cream shop’s door. When Ethan tried to talk to her she slapped him, even harder than she had slapped me, took the car keys from his pocket and went out the door. The few costumers stared at the exchange, at the fuming teenager as she made her way to the black Mercedes and noisily drove off.
Leving me and Ethan…
alone.