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“Yeah, you collapsed right on top of me. After checking your vitals, I figured that you were fine and just passed out due to lack of oxygen. It seems that you need more of it than others.”
“Lack of oxygen? I was fine.”
“Well, the air around us was still. And with my filters absorbing the oxygen that I breathe in, they also affect the air around me if the air is still. That’s because there is no wind to circulate the air around me. So, with less oxygen around me and you in the area of effect, you passed out.”
“Why didn’t you call the hospital?” The jock looks at me with a confused face.
“I didn’t have a phone on me. I left mine here and she didn’t have one.”
“Wait, you checked if I had one?! Did you go through my gown? Tell me that you didn’t do anything bad!”
“Wait, what! No! I wouldn’t do that! And I didn’t check, I just kind of assumed.”
“Well, for your information, I didn’t have a phone. Goodness gracious, it’s a patient gown, as if a phone would be in there!”
“Hey!” The third butts in. “Me and mister buff guy here will be the ones leading this discussion. And so, I shall ask, who is she exactly?”
“Well I met her on the flight to London and then her, uhh”
“Danny, you mean.”
“Yeah, him, but who is he to you?”
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“He’s just Danny. Nothing else. He looks after me. He and my Dad are friends.”
“Right, back to what I was saying, that old man offered to fly me here onboard his cessna.”
“My plane, you mean.” She gives me an annoyed look. OK, this girl is definitely spoilt.
“That’s besides the point. Basically, that’s when I first met her. Then, she appeared at that park, what was it, Jesus Green, yeah, she just came up to me there.”
The third turns to the girl, who still hasn’t got off my knees.
“Why did you go to him, how did you know he was going to be there?”
“I always go there on my own, he was the one who came out of nowhere.”
“Hey, you approached me!” The jock waves off my plea.
“So, what now? We gotta go in an hour’s time.” This is a bad idea but here it goes.
“Should she stay here while we go?” The third responds.
“What, nah, this is the guys’ room, we gotta keep this place pure, and from what I am seeing right now, it needs some purging of heretics.” Looking back at the girl, we exchange confused looks, and then it clicks. Oh, for goodness sake.
“Hey, like I said before, it ain’t what you think.”“Well, it kinda is.” The girl looks back at me and I see her face begin to glow, but it’s not light. Wait, blushing? Oh, for goodness sake, this can’t be true.
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What’s happening, what does she mean by ‘kinda is’? No way, this is not happening. Even if it is, how can she give it away so easily, and she’s not even covering it up. This has got to be some kind of prank. This is a set up. No way she is sitting there with real intentions. But they don’t even know each other. So it can’t be a set up. Is she soloing the prank? Could be. But how would she lead the dialogue to this? What the hell is happening, was it from last night? What else happened last night, all I remember from coming back to the apartment is that I did what I had to do to increase oxygen levels and then pass out on the couch after putting her in my bed. Did something else happen? Wait, but she’s blushing, that can’t be consciously controlled. So it is real. What the hell. Is there something wrong with this girl?
Once again, shallow and sharp breaths resound around the apartment. Dizziness overcomes me. No! My mask! My eyes lose control, my breaths become deeper and my vision begins to blur. I blurt out the most important command.
“My….filters….hugh” Clattering commences as my head begins to cloud. Two clicks explode around me and the next breath I draw possesses the familiar metallic taste.
A few minutes pass as I refocus my mind. “Thanks, needed that.”
“So, what is this, some kind of fairytale?” The third starts to open his mouth again, starting with his usual blabber of crap.
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“Oh, shut up, that doesn’t exist.” The jock walks out and heads to another room. We watch him leave, leaving us lost in what he is doing. He returns with a watch.
“I would love to sort this out now but we have to go soon so I’m going to go and get dressed.”
“Oh, flip me, I have to finish that flippin’ program for the dude!”
The girl and I remain, not moving a single bit. How convenient, they left us, like some kind of scripted event. Also, what the hell, she hasn’t said anything for the past five minutes, the longest so far in this dilemma. I find myself staring up, zoned out from thoughts. I snap out of it but only to end up looking at her piercing hazel eyes again as she leans over me. Nothing happens, I look at her, she looks at me. My senses kick in to analyse her expressions and body language. Not a single bit of shyness, she’s not fighting to look away. What do I do? Do I excuse myself? Maybe just look away? No, I don’t want that! Oh for goodness sake, this is that kind of crap that needs courses for people like me to learn about. But the longer I look at her, the less my thoughts hassle me. My mind tunnel visions, something that doesn’t happen very often. A hand reaches out, and a click ejects my filter. The metallic taste retreats with it. Her face leans in. Still no thoughts invade. The words hang in the air as she whispers.
“Save me.”
20,000 Words 