amazing cover by @juniperroses

"you did what?" i screech, shrugging off the blanket that orion had supposedly put on me, and glaring furiously at my mother who grinned sheepishly from across the coffee table.

"well he saved you anna! you should've seen the look in the poor boy's eyes, he was so frightened, i had to give him something." she says, trying to defend herself.

a thin layer of sweat has taken form across my forehead, and i stand up, beginning to pace. "he looked scared, so you told him that i've been writing poetry about him for the last few months? mom are you kidding me? he probably thinks i'm even creepier than before!" i groan, slumping to the ground. i shake my head, dismissing the topic. "mom this is so bad, so, so bad."

"no anna." she says, her tone suddenly firm. "you almost getting raped, that's what's bad. i've been such a bad mom, i'm sorry. i should've been there, i should've walked there to get you." she rambles, tears forming.

i internally sigh. as terrible as it sounded, i was too tired and drained to deal with any more of my mother's tears. "it's fine, okay? i'm fine now. can we please drop it?"

she dabs at her eyes with a tissue, nodding.

well that's one issue out of the way, now to deal with all the others.

i sit at my usual lunch table, looking around for the boy who decided not to desert me on the sidewalk. the boy who saved me from potential rapists. after a few minutes, he finally walks in looking tired as ever. his hair is disheveled and there are large bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. i find myself frowning in concern.

he leans back in his chair, closing his eyes. this is your opportunity, don't screw it up. i mean, now i actually have a legitimate reason to speak to him. slowly, i stand up, inching my way to his table.

"h-hi." i whisper standing in front of him. his eyes shoot open in surprise and he gapes at me before coughing. "h-hey."

we stare at each other for a while, silence looming over us. his eyes are an exquisite shade of green. i find myself getting pulled in by a magnetic force, before abruptly getting thrown back out into reality. "i wanted to say thank you, for you know...not leaving me on the sidewalk. also i wanted to apologize for my mom. she doesn't have a filter sometimes." i tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, looking down at my hands, embarrassed.

he lets out something between a cough and a laugh, then goes dead silent. "you're welcome."

i nod, standing there, my cheeks beginning to heat up at the awkward silence. "c-can i sit here?" i ask, finally looking up into his eyes. he nods quickly, scooting over his chair. the sound of the metal scraping against the floor puts me at ease. he's just another human.

"let's start over." i say, smiling at him. "hi, i'm annalise." i put my hand out and he shakes it.

"i'm orion." he says, his voice hoarse.

silence falls over us once more, but this time, it's a comfortable tranquility.

a/n

JuniperRoses who writes like a goddess x

#520 in short story? unbelievable, i love you all.