Ride

This afternoon, just like the other days Dahlia and Klaus had not exchanged words. They both reported for work in silence and are expected to depart in silence as well. There was nothing like cooperation or not being cooperative. They both only existed in the same place simultaneously. Each working as though the other wasn’t present. By each, I mean, Klaus.

For Dahlia, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy each time she looked at Klaus work on his own accord. She definitely wanted to help but just did not know what to do or where to start. But she just couldn’t sit and do nothing either. Upon seeing how misaligned Mr. Acquah’s desk was, she stood to align it properly. Finally, she was putting herself to use, she thought.

She struggled initially but was successful in moving the heavy wooden desk a little bit to the left but...

Dahlia’s POV

Have you ever wanted to cease to exist in the world and escape people’s memories on the spot before? As in, you want your name unknown, face forgotten and all? Well, this was exactly one of those times. My goodness, I was so embarrassed. I only wanted to be helpful in my own way. All I had to do was to shift that dense table to the left. My first attempt to move it was well, quite futile as the table wouldn’t even budge.

If you have realized, I’m not the type to give up quite easily or ever at all. So, I tried to move it again. The table did move though. I never asked to be moved too but my thick-soled slipper caused me to sprain my left ankle and fall down on my butt. As if that wasn’t enough, I lost grip of the table and had my right foot crashed by a leg of the heavy desk.

By reflex, I gave a piercing cry in pain as I sat defeated on the ground. I did not notice how Klaus moved quickly to my aid but had I not seen him work far from me initially, I would have thought he stood next to me before the whole accident happened.

“Are you okay?”, Klaus questioned as he knelt down next to me on the ground, his eyes roaming my body in search of an injury. I could barely look up at his face as I was embarrassed by being so clumsy. I silently tried to stand on my own as I was too embarrassed to speak.

I don’t know why I thought I could stand easily after injuring both my feet but I tried anyway. Klaus noticed the expression of pain painted across my face. Instantaneously, he gripped me by my waist on both sides of my body, lifted me and gently sat me on the very table that did me dirty. My soul went on a trip as I wasn’t ready for this. All I could do was to look at him who was already staring right at me with emotionless eyes and his hands still resting on my waist. I looked down again because I just couldn’t face the situation.

“Which foot is it?”, he knelt down again in front of me.

“Both.”, I said calmly.

He took off my slippers and pulled out a pair of peach-coloured slides from its box in his backpack, they were new so he tore the tag off and put them on my feet. Peach slides? The slides were obviously a little loose on my feet, but they really did look amazing and felt comfortable.

“Stay here, we’re leaving soon.”, Klaus said while putting my own slippers into the slides’ packaging box. He dropped his backpack on the table and stood in between my opened legs, his back facing me.

“I’ll take it from here.”, he bluntly said, indicating that I get on his back. I genuinely didn’t want to be a bother to him but I knew perfectly that I couldn’t walk painlessly on my own and so I complied. He grabbed his backpack off the table and made way for the door. Meanwhile, was up in his hair sniffing all the goodness in it.

You know, it’s normal when someone has neither body odor nor a natural smell. Klaus, he had a smell, one that I believe is due to the mixture of products he probably uses. It was quiet comforting too, nothing too sharp but not too mild. I could smell it in his hair, his bare skin, and clothes. Those parts, they all smelt same.

In silence, we- technically Klaus- moved to the school car park which was now almost empty. Soon, we were next to his car, and the next thing he says is, “two cars and just two feet, great”. He unlocked it and gently let me into his passenger’s seat.

“Where do you live?”, he asked plainly.

“Coco lane.”

“Right. Since my house will be reached before yours. I’ll drive you home in your car and come back here for mine. Deal?”, he suggested.

I nodded as he shut the door and made way to the driver. He was technically giving more of a directive done a suggestion. Silently, we hit the road. During the ride, I couldn’t help but wonder why he had peach slides in his backpack the whole time. I doubted they were his, but I couldn’t dare to ask.

All thanks to his fast driving, I was at my house in a short time. Again, he carried me out of the car to my doorstep and turned to leave before I could even thank him. It was getting late and he had to go get his car, that was probably why.